Grilled Corn, Mango and Jicama Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

This is one of those salads that just came together in my head as I was wandering through the produce section at the grocery store one day. I was craving a jicama salad, but wanted to do something very different than the citrus salad I made last winter with my sister’s tangerines.

Although I did choose to once again pair the jicama with fruit, mango in this case, the flavors in this summer salad are quite different than its winter equivalent. Jicama doesn’t have much flavor on its own, so I combined several of my favorite ingredients to add some interest. The corn, mango, avocado and cilantro all worked very well together.

Grilling the corn intensifies the flavor and adds just a hint of smokiness to this sweet and mellow salad while the mango and avocado add a creamy texture that contrasts nicely with the crunchy jicama.

To grill the corn, I simply rubbed the shucked ears of corn with a bit of olive oil then grilled them directly over medium heat, turning frequently until the corn was tender and slightly charred. After letting the corn cool slightly, I carefully cut the kernels off the ears of corn.

Grilled Corn, Mango and Jicama Salad

Kernels from 3 ears of grilled sweet corn*
1 medium jicama, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
3 small mangoes, cubed
1 avocado, diced
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
simple honey vinaigrette (recipe below)

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss well. Salad can be served immediately at room temperature.

Simple Honey Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, vinegar and salt. While whisking steadily, add the oil in a slow steady stream until it’s all incorporated.

*For a great tip on cutting corn off the cob, check out Elise’s post on Simply Recipes.

Since this salad was completely improvised, I hope you do the same by adjusting ingredients to suit your own taste. I had originally planned on making a honey lime vinaigrette but I accidentally dumped the first batch of dressing all over myself and the kitchen floor! Since I was completely out of limes at that point, I went ahead and created a milder honey vinaigrette using a bit of apple cider vinegar in place of the citrus juice. I was happy with the result, but feel free to continue my experiment with lime juice if you feel like it!

Related Recipes:

Tangerine and Jicama Salad with Garlic and Cilantro
Orange Cranberry Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese
Cilantro Caesar Salad with Carne Asada

Around the Web:

Jicama Salad Recipe from Simply Recipes
Grilled Chicken, Mango, and Jicama Salad with Tequila-Lime Vinaigrette from Whipped
Beet and Jicama Salad from My Life as a Reluctant Housewife
Jicama Salad with Chili-Spiced Chicken from Culinary in the Desert