Asian Pineapple Fresh Corn Salsa

This Asian Pineapple Fresh Corn Salsa is a fabulous side for any Asian entreé and makes a delicious dip for chips. It's fresh, vibrant and FULL of fabulous Asian flavor!

I've struggled at times, with what to serve alongside Asian entreés like this Honey Ginger Indonesian Chicken, this Korean Honey Sesame Grilled Chicken, or this Slow Roasted Honey Soy Pork. This Asian Fresh Corn Salsa has become the perfect solution! It's fresh, vibrant and loaded with delicious Far East flavor. In addition to a wonderful side, it also makes a fabulous dip to serve with chips.

Earlier this summer, we were having guests for dinner and I planned to serve my nephew Steve's delicious Grilled Asian Steak, super delicious and pictured below. (Just a little heads-up, my nephew Steve and his sister Hilary, both fabulous cooks have started their own blog, Cakes and Coriander. Steve's a master at gluten-free baking but they specialize in so much more than that, be sure to check out their site!)

Sweet, tender corn had just begun to appear at our local grocery and I decided to combine it with fresh pineapple, red onion, jalapeño, ginger, lemongrass, honey, lime juice and fresh herbs. It was a fabulous pairing and I knew it would be perfect with any Asian entreé.

Lots of ways to use this salsa

We had a bit leftover and I decided to serve it as an appetizer with tortilla chips... another hit that was gobbled up! It's also delicious served on crisp little baguette slices as bruschetta and I've added it to a salad with grilled chicken and greens for a fabulous lunch - no salad dressing needed!

I love the versatility of this Asian Pineapple Fresh Corn Salsa!

The easy way to cook corn, no water, no silks, no mess!

A few weeks ago, I received this comment from a reader:

My coworker and I tried your method for preparing the corn. We are both food professionals and were quite impressed with the results. Thank you for sharing!

The method she was talking about is a technique for cooking fresh corn that I discovered a number of years back that I'm quite obsessed with. I used to hesitate to purchase fresh corn because of the mess of husking, removing the silks, boiling a huge pot of water, etc. But these days, whenever I see pretty corn, I snatch it up because it's SO easy to prepare!

How does it work? My daughter-in-law Lindsay created a movie to demonstrate just how simple this technique is. Check it out:

Put the ingredients on your shopping list and don't let the fresh corn season pass without making this Asian Pineapple Fresh Corn Salsa! You'll find yourself craving the fresh flavors again and again!

Café Tips for making this Asian Pineapple Fresh Corn Salsa

• I like to use bi-color corn for this Asian Pineapple Fresh Corn Salsa for a pretty presentation, but yellow or white corn also works well.
• When cooking the corn, keep in mind that no two microwaves are alike. So if your corn is slightly over or under-cooked, you may have to adjust the time a bit.
• This recipe calls for both fresh ginger and fresh lemongrass. I always keep tubes of ginger paste and lemongrass paste in my refrigerator or freezer. These pastes are super handy and taste like the real deal... because they are! If you store them in the freezer, simply allow them to thaw for 5-10 minutes then squeeze out as much as you need and pop them right back in the freezer. You'll never have to run to the grocery store at the last minute for ginger or lemongrass again.
• Ginger and Lemongrass pastes can be found at many larger grocery stores in the produce department. Both Super Target and Super Walmart carry them.
• How to choose a fresh pineapple? Look for a pineapple with green leaves at the top. If the leaves are shriveled and brown the pineapple's probably been sitting around for a while. You can also give it a little squeeze. A good pineapple will not be squishy or soft. It should be firm with a little give. One last tip is to turn the pineapple over and smell the stem end. It should have a sweet fragrance. If there's no smell at all, it's not ripe. On the other hand, if there's a vinegary or sour odor it's past its prime.
• To make this recipe super easy, purchase a pineapple that's already been cored and peeled.
• This recipe calls for fresh basil and cilantro. If you only have one or don't care for one of these herbs, feel free to use a double amount of just one.

Thought for the day:

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Jesus the Shepherd of My Soul

If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

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Asian Pineapple Fresh Corn Salsa

This Asian Pineapple Fresh Corn Salsa is a fabulous side for any Asian entreé and makes a delicious dip for chips. It's fresh, vibrant and FULL of fabulous Asian flavor!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Asian Pineapple Fresh Corn Salad

Prep Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 126 kcal

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemongrass
• 1 ½ teaspoons honey
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the salsa:

• 4 ears fresh corn
• 1 ½ cup diced fresh pineapple diced in ¼-inch pieces
• ½ medium red onion peeled and diced in ¼-inch pieces
• 1 medium jalapeño seeds and ribs removed and finely diced
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro lightly packed
• ¼ cup finely diced fresh basil lightly packed

Instructions

For the dressing:

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a medium-size bowl and stir well to combine. Set aside.

For the salsa:

1. Place two ears of corn at a time in the microwave and cook on high power for 5 minutes. Remove the corn from the microwave with a kitchen towel or pot holder and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Holding one ear of corn on the silk end with the kitchen towel or pot holder, cut 1-inch off the stem end then pull off the silk and husk. (There’s a video above in the post to demonstrate the technique.)

2. Lay the ear of corn flat on a work surface and slice the kernels from the cob on one side. Cut close to the cob but not into it. Flip the corn so the cut side is down. Continue cutting and turning the corn until all of the kernels have been removed. Repeat with the other cooked ear. Transfer the corn to the bowl with the dressing.

3. Cook, husk and remove the corn from the remaining two ears as instructed above and transfer to the bowl.

4. Add the pineapple, red onion, jalapeño and chopped fresh herbs to the bowl and stir well to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps well for 1-2 days.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Calories 126kcal

Fat 1g

Saturated fat 0.3g

Trans fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated fat 0.5g

Monounsaturated fat 0.4g

Sodium 161mg

Potassium 360mg

Carbohydrates 30g

Fiber 3g

Sugar 15g

Protein 4g

Vitamin A 313%

Vitamin C 43%

Calcium 16%

Iron 1%