Grilled Corn & Pepper Chopped Salad
on Sep 10, 2020, Updated Sep 08, 2026
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This grilled corn & red pepper chopped salad is fresh, crisp and full of great summer flavor. Tossed in a creamy tahini vinaigrette, this chopped salad has kale for a base. In addition to grilled vegetables, it also has toasted almonds and parmesan. Enjoy this salad for lunch or a light dinner.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Nothing beats a chopped salad. Every bite is packed with a variety of ingredients and fantastic texture. I have multiple versions of chopped salads for every season. Also during summer I make this tomato & peach chopped salad.
Grilled vegetables can be so much more than a side dish. I think corn is even better off the cob. It’s easier to eat, and then you can combine it with other veggies and ingredients in all sorts of recipes.
Kale is a hearty green that eats like a meal. You can keep this salad vegetarian, and it’s satisfying on its own. It does also work with shredded rotisserie chicken or grilled shrimp if you have some diners insisting on a protein.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Corn: Look for ears that are tightly wrapped in their husks. That’s a good signal that the kernels won’t be dried out. If you don’t have a grill, you can roast the corn and peppers. I’ve included these instruction in the notes in the recipe card below.
- Red peppers, orange or yellow are sweeter than green peppers, so any of those three are good in the salad.
- Kale: I prefer curly green kale because it’s more mild than lacinato kale, which is better in fall and winter recipes like this roasted potato kale salad.
- Red onions: Finely diced, they are a sharp crisp accent in each bite of greens.
- Sliced almonds: Make sure to toast them on a sheet pan for 5-7 minutes in a 350-degree F oven. This will bring out their nutty flavor.
- Parmesan: To match the sliced almonds, I use a vegetable peeler to cut shavings off a hunk of Parmesan cheese. Here I think is better than just grating it.
- Parsley gives the salad an herby finish. You can also add minced chives or cilantro. I like including fresh herbs in salads. Also, it’s a simple way to use up part of a bunch you bought for another recipe.
- Tahini vinaigrette: The dressing is light and creamy with minced garlic, whole grain mustard, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
How To Make This Corn & Red Pepper Salad
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.
1. Grill the peppers and corn. Rub them with oil and season them with salt and pepper. You want them to turn out lightly charred on the edges. Then when they cool off a little, slice the kernels off the cobs and dice the peppers.
2. Assemble the salad in a big bowl. That includes the grilled veggies, chopped kale, red onions, almonds, parmesan and parsley.
3. Make the vinaigrette. Stir together the garlic, mustard, tahini, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.
4. Drizzle the dressing into the salad. Toss everything together.
Serving
I make this salad June through September when corn is easy to find at the farmers market and the grocery. I’m usually a vinaigrette person, but kale has the structure to stay crisp with a creamy dressing. Sometimes I make a version of this salad that takes inspiration from my grilled corn couscous recipe, and I toss in leftover cooked grains or rice that I’m trying to get rid of.
Looking for more salad inspiration? Check out my seasonal salad guide with recipes and tips on ingredients, meal prep and more.
Grilled Corn & Pepper Chopped Salad
Ingredients
For corn and peppers
- 3 ears corn
- 2 red peppers, cut lengthwise into 2 to 3-inch wide strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For salad
- 4 cups chopped curly kale leaves
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onions
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
For tahini vinaigrette
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
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Instructions
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.
- Rub the corn and peppers with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season them with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 5-7 minutes. Grill the peppers about 2-3 minutes per side until they have grill marks. When the veggies are cool enough to handle, slice the kernels off the cobs and dice the peppers.
- Combine the grilled vegetables in a bowl with the kale, red onions, almonds, parmesan and parsley.
- To make the dressing, whisk the garlic, mustard, tahini, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the dressing into the salad, tossing to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
? soooo delicious ? and healthy
?????great salad!