Welcome spring with this simple, fresh salad.
Happy Spring! Eeeeek. Yesterday was “technically” the first day of Spring, although Nashville has been feeling like it for the past month with its weird highs and lows, so I’m looking forward to some consistency coming…and Spring veggies! Today I have a super simple side dish that can be transformed easily into an entreé and made in under 10 minutes. This Fresh Cilantro Corn Salad was first made for my love’s 30th birthday party which was taco themed because those are his favorites, so this was such a nice “fresh” addition to brighten up the taco feast. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we did and still do!
For me, fresh herbs and raw veggies embody Spring and the turning of the seasons, and my favorite herb is cilantro with dill in a close second. I purposefully use cilantro daily wherever I can fit it into my diet either by starting the morning with my Stripped Green Smoothie, adding some on a lunch bowl or salad, or topping it on omelets or a stir-fry for dinner. It’s versatile and instantly gives any meal you’re making a fresh, bright, and zesty finish! But in true NS fashion, I not only use and recommend cilantro because it tastes delicious but also for its health benefits.
Cilantro is a good source of vitamin C, phosphorus, zinc, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants (mainly quercetin). It has been used for helping ease digestion from gas and bloating to killing parasites in the digestive system. Cilantro has also been used to help chelate metals (i.e. flush heavy metals out of our body) by binding metals together so they can be eliminated from the body. So how do you apply this? It can be as simple as eating cilantro with meals and/or especially with tuna, which has been shown to contain high metals like mercury. I recommend limiting tuna, if you do consume fish, to 1-3 times a month. The more you practice the NS food philosophy around animal proteins (including fish), the better off you’ll be regarding mercury intake since quality and the way fish is raised/treated is a priority. But back to the health benefits, cilantro has also been shown to help improve sleep and anxiety due a bioactive compound called apigenin which is found in many plants and herbs like cilantro. It’s also a potent anti-cancer compound, so you can add that to the list of why to enjoy cilantro!
Warning, I go heavy on the cilantro in this recipe, but hear me out. I love cilantro, but did you know it’s a very divisive herb? Here’s why: have you ever had cilantro and love it but a friend right next to you says it tastes like soap?! They’re not lying! For about 4-14% of the population depending on your genes (OR6A2 an aldehyde receptor) and ancestry, cilantro tastes like soap. So, all that to say, you can STILL make this recipe if you don’t like cilantro – just use fresh flat leaf parsley instead! Also, I enjoy this most as a light side dish, but you can add a protein and some additional avocado for healthy fats to really amp up the nutrient and caloric density as a meal. Not sure which plant-based proteins to add in? Get the free ebook below!
- 4 ears fresh organic sweet corn
- 1 organic English cucumber
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, adjust to taste
- 1/2 avocado, diced upon serving
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss spices, olive oil, lime and lemon juices are evenly distributed. Adjust seasonings to taste: sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Enjoy at room temperature or chilled.
TIP: Store leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to 5 days. Plates are from Rookwood Pottery.
Are you ready?
Are you ready for Spring and all that it brings, including fresh produce?! What are your favorite spring vegetables? Do you have any favorite way to enjoy cilantro? Let me know in the comments. I literally read every single comment and answer, so let’s get this convo going. When you try this one at home be sure to share on Instagram with #nutritionstripped so I can see!
xx McKel
Resources:
- http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-117-coriander.aspx?activeingredientid=117&activeingredientname=coriander
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19902160
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8686573
- http://seafood.edf.org/tuna
- https://examine.com/supplements/apigenin/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22022003
