Get ready for summer with this grilled elote and quinoa salad

Chris Holbrook brings a vibrant street corn-inspired dish to your backyard table, just in time for the summer season.

If your looking for the perfect summer dish that’s as colorful as it is delicious, chef and culinary educator Chris Holbrook has exactly what you need. Holbrook, who leads classes at Salt Lake Culinary Education, better known around town as SLICE Utah, has joined us to shared his crowed-pleasing grilled elote and quinoa salad, a recipe that takes he bold flavors of Mexican street corn and transforms them into a hearty, sharable salad.

The recipe starts on the grill. Three ears of fresh corn are charred until lightly blackened, yielding a deep, smoky sweetness that sets this salad apart from anything you can make with caned corn. Once cooled, the kernels are cut free and tossed with cooked quinoa, rinsed black beans, disced jalapeno, tomato and red onion. A full rainbow in every bite.

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What ties it all together is the dressing: a creamy blend of mayonnaise, fresh lime juice and zest, grated garlic and chili powder. Its the same flavor profile you’d find slathered on an elote at a street corner but whisked into a silky sauce that coats every grain of quinoa. Holbrook recommends seasoning it generously, somewhere between half a teaspoon and a full teaspoon of salt, tasting as you go.

To make it, simply grill the corn until charred, cool and cut off the kernels. Whisk all the dressing ingredients until smooth. Toss the quinoa, corn, beans, jalapeño, tomato and onion with the dressing in a medium bowl. Garnish with a cilantro and a dollop of sour cream in the center. That’s it.

This recipe is as flexible as it is forgiving. Mix and match ingredients to make this dish custom to you and your family. It holds up well as a make-ahead dish, making it a smart option for summer entertaining.