July 27, 2021

Grilled Corn Salad with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese

We had our 1^st sweetcorn of the season that we bought at a little roadside farm stand in Prince Edward County. Fresh picked that morning, it was beyond delicious!

I love fresh ears of corn cooked on the grill, with nice little bits of charred, caramelized bits. All it needs is a little butter, or olive oil, and some salt and pepper!

I always grill a few extra ears of corn, so I have leftovers to use in summer salads like this delicious Grilled Corn and Bacon Salad.

It is a great side dish to take to a potluck barbeque or picnic. Toss everything together ahead of time, except the bacon. When you are ready to eat, toss in the bacon and you are all set!

This salad has a nice balance of contrasting and complementing flavours and textures going on. Crisp salty bacon and a nice sharp aged cheddar contrast with the natural sweetness of the fresh corn. Fresh thyme adds a nice herbal and floral note to the salad.

The nutty slightly sweet flavour of the sherry vinegar combined with a little honey further enhances the natural sweetness of the corn.

Looking for other great recipes to take advantage of corn while it’s in season? Check out my recipes for Summer Tomato Corn Salad and Creamy Corn and Potato Chowder

Grilled Corn Salad with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese

A fresh, tasty salad, that is a welcome addition to any summer barbeque or picnic.

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 18

Total Time: 23

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: summer recipes, summer salads

Servings: as a side dish

Calories: 140kcal

Ingredients

2-3 ears of fresh corn ( to yield 4-5 cups) shucked
4 slices bacon
1 shallot, or ½ of a small red onion peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sherry or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey (optional)
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
½ cup cheddar cheese cut into small cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
a few sprigs of thyme for garnish

Instructions

Preheat gas grill to 400° F
Lightly brush the corn with olive oil. Place the corn on the hot grill and cook, turning often, until charred all over, about 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool enough to handle.
Stovetop method: Cook the corn for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water, until the starchiness is just gone. let cool
Cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces. Place the bacon in a single layer in a frying pan and cook over low heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan.
Add the sliced shallots to frying pan and cook over med-high heat until lightly brown around the edges, about 3 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside with the bacon.
When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob. Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the shallots and fresh thyme leaves.
Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, and honey and add to the corn, tossing to coat well. Add salt, and pepper to taste, keeping in mind the bacon will add some saltiness to the salad. Just before serving, add the bacon and the cubes of cheddar cheese.
Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.