Sunshine in a Bowl: Our Go-To Avocado Corn Salad

If there's one flavor that sums up our new life here in Southeast Asia, it’s gotta be the incredible sweetness of fresh corn and the creaminess of coconut. Back in our old city existence, lunch was often a sad, pre-made salad grabbed on the go. Now, our lunches are sunny, fresh, and usually thrown together in about 10 minutes.

This Avocado & Coconut Corn Salad is our absolute favorite. It's what we whip up in a hurry for lunch, what we bring to beach potlucks, and what we basically inhale on a bright, balmy afternoon.

It's absurdly simple, but the combination of flavors just works: sweet corn, ripe avocado, a little kick from red onion, some fresh herbs, and a light, citrusy coconut-lime dressing that ties it all together. It’s literally sunshine in a bowl, and I’m so excited for you to try it.

Sunshine Avocado & Coconut Corn Salad

This recipe is more of a guideline—feel free to adjust everything to your heart's content!

What You'll Need:

• For the Salad:

  • 2 cups Sweet Corn (freshly cut from the cob is best, but frozen works great too!)

  • 1 large ripe Avocado, diced

  • 1/2 Red Onion, finely chopped

  • 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped

  • 1 Jalapeño, seeds removed and finely minced (optional, for a little heat)

• For the Coconut-Lime Dressing:

  • 3 tbsp Full-Fat Coconut Milk

  • 2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil

  • A pinch of Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

How to Throw It All Together (Instructions):

First, let's talk about the corn. If I'm using fresh corn on the cob, my favorite thing to do is char it a little on a grill or a hot pan. It gives it this amazing smoky flavor. If you're using frozen corn, no worries at all, just let it thaw out first.

Next, get everything for the salad into a big bowl—the corn, diced avocado, red onion, cilantro, and the jalapeño if you're feeling a little spicy. Just be gentle when you're mixing, because the main goal here is to not mash the avocado into guacamole!

For the dressing, just grab a small bowl and whisk together the coconut milk, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper until it’s all creamy and combined. Then, pour that lovely dressing over your salad, give it one last gentle toss, and you're ready to go.

This salad is definitely best enjoyed right away, when the colors are super bright and the avocado is at its best.

A Few Notes From Our Kitchen:

• No cilantro? Fresh parsley or mint would be excellent substitutes.

• Want more crunch? I'll sometimes toss in toasted pumpkin seeds or chopped bell peppers.

• Make it a meal: This is a wonderful side, but you can turn it into a main by adding grilled shrimp or black beans.

The Perfect Pairing

A salad this colorful and full of natural goodness deserves to be served in something that can keep up. We, of course, always serve ours in our Oakenark Coconut Bowls. There is something magical in the way the vibrant colors of the avocado and corn pop against the dark, earthy texture of the coconut shell. It makes the whole experience feel more natural, more intentional.

And when you scoop up that last delicious bite with one of our Oak Wood Spoons, it just completes the whole beautiful, sustainable picture. It’s a little piece of our story, and now it can be a part of yours.

We hope this recipe adds a bit of sunshine to your plate. If you try it out, we'd be so stoked to see your creations! Tag us on Instagram at [@Oakenark].

With love from our workshop