One of my favorite summer salads is a recipe that my grandma (we call her “Bunia”) used to make. This jicama salad combines the crunchy root vegetable with roasted corn, red onion, mango, and cilantro—an awesome summer combo. While the jicama itself doesn’t have a ton of flavor, it lends a nice crunch to the salad. The sweet corn and mango make the dish sing, while the onion and cilantro add some complementary flavor.
what the heck is a jicama?
Pronounced “hee-kah-ma,” this root vegetable is native to Mexico and often referred to as a “Mexican potato.” When you see a jicama in the grocery store, you may be intimidated by the burly brown vegetable that looks kind of like a giant turnip. But fear not! The jicama is actually quite delicious and pretty easy to prepare. It’s usually eaten raw and actually reminds me a bit more of an apple than a potato with a refreshing crunch to the bite and its mild flavor.
Because it’s so mild, jicama is the perfect crunchy vegetable to use as a base for salsas and salads like this one. Additionally, jicama is a great nutritious option, as it’s high in fiber and low in calories. Prepping jicama is extremely easy, and I honestly think it’s even easier to cut than potatoes. All you need is a vegetable peeler to peel off the skin, and then you can cut the jicama in slices, chunks, or you can shred it with a box grater.
what the heck do I need?
This salad is pretty easy to throw together, and it’s the perfect side dish for a summer meal.
Corn When corn is in peak season in the summer, you’ll definitely want to grab some fresh corn and roast (or grill) it for the best flavor. I love when it gets slightly charred!
Jicama Pick a nice large jicama if you find it! And then you can cut it in thin slices or use a mandoline for super thin julienned strips
Mango Use a mango that’s nice and ripe. Read about the best way to cut a mango
Red onion This adds a little bite to the salad
Cilantro Fresh cilantro is the best herb for this type of salad
The dressing is a citrus vinaigrette. You can definitely make some modifications to this recipe, but I love this combination of lime, orange, hot sauce, and additional cilantro. Just mix it all together with some EVOO and a touch of sugar!
⟶ the recipe
roasted corn & jicama salad
ingredients
4 ears of corn, unshucked
1 large jicama, peeled and thinly julienned
1 mango, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper
For the citrus vinaigrette
2 tablespoons lime
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Dash of hot sauce
¼-½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
Total time
10 minutes
6 servings
instructions
In a large bowl, combine lime juice, orange juice, orange zest, sugar, and hot sauce. Whisk together, and slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Add salt and pepper, to taste, and cilantro. Whisk until well-combined. Set vinaigrette aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Roast the corn on a baking sheet in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once corn has cooled, shuck it and run a sharp knife down the cobs until all kernels have been cut off.
Combine the jicama, mango, red onion, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled corn, and toss with the vinaigrette.
Chill until ready to serve.
⟶ make it ahead and store it
- You can chop up all the veggies ahead of time, and whisk up the dressing until you’re ready to use. Just don’t combine the veggies and dressing ahead of time so it doesn’t get soggy
- The salad will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days if you have leftovers
if you liked it, share it...
and then try one of these!
Mexican street corn grits
breakfast
pea salad with burrata & mint
apps & sides
mango salsa
sauces & dips
