Chili Lime Corn & Kale Salad
As a dietitian I’m often told by others that “corn has no nutritional value” and I get it. Corn is in everything. And not a lot of those foods are nutritious.
I mean just look at The Omnivore’s Dilemma. In this book, Michael Pollan traces an entire meal back to corn. A McDonald’s meal to be exact. Where the chicken used to make chicken nuggets were fed corn, the nuggets are battered in a corn-based breading, and a soda is, of course, full of high-fructose corn syrup! Not to mention other corn by-products like corn oil, corn starch, etc.
Historically, fresh corn wasn’t always so sweet either. What originated from large, starchy kernels in Mexico 9,000 years ago have been modified over time to the small, sweet versions we know today.
Fresh corn, however, does still have plenty of nutritional value, which I talked about in this article!
Kale, as you likely know, is also massively nutritious and has loads of vitamins and minerals that do fantastic things for our bodies (a.ka. keeps them functioning optimally)!
And if that’s not convincing enough to make this dish, well, it is also delicious! Just a few simple ingredients and a chosen cooking method can drastically change the way food tastes. Kale, for example, is dry and bitter if eaten raw, but sauteed and flavored with spices (especially garlic) transforms it into irresistible, green goodness. Pairing kale with the sweetness from the corn, sourness from the lime juice, and umami flavor from the onions truly brings this side dish together and will soon become a summer favorite – it has for us anyway!
Chili Lime Corn & Kale Salad
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 -1 red onion thinly sliced
- 4 cups fresh or canned corn
- 2 cloves garlic chopped, or 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper or more to taste
- 1/2 bunch kale de-stemmed, chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice or more to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add sliced onions, corn, and garlic to the pan, and saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Add spices (chili powder, salt, pepper) to the pan and stir.
- Add kale and saute until the leaves begin to wilt and turn bright green.
- Remove pan from heat.
- Add lime juice and stir.
- Self serve from the pan or transfer to a large serving dish.
Hayden J
So excited to try this tonight!