Midwest Charred Corn Spinach Salad

This recipe is sponsored by NatureSweet®.
Any Midwesterner knows there’s nothing bland about where they live. Take a roadtrip through the flyover states and you’ll pass farm after farm run by those who know the value of fresh produce.
This Midwest Charred Corn Spinach Salad puts a unique twist on Midwest sensibilities. With tender spinach as a base, the flavors of watermelon, charred corn, and juicy Cherubs® salad tomatoes come together for a salad that will be the star of any get-together.
How to Make Midwest Cherubs® & Charred Corn Spinach Salad
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Caesar salad! To make this Charred Corn Spinach Salad, you’ll need to prep some charred corn. It’s easy enough to make: we simply sautéd frozen corn in a skillet. It only needs to cook for three to five minutes before it begins to brow. When it does, remove it from the skillet. You can optionally add sea salt and black pepper for a bit of extra flavor.
Next, prep your other ingredients. Wash the Cherubs® in their carton – just remove the sticker, and their ordinary container becomes a handy colander! Dice the watermelon and avocados into small cubes. The key to this salad is size. We recommend cutting them to about one-half-inch cubes, which will make them about the same size as the Cherubs®.
Now you’re ready to shake up your Charred Corn Spinach Salad! Rather than simply pour dressing on top, we opted for a more exciting approach. Pour balsamic vinaigrette into the bottom of the bowl first. After you add the rest of the ingredients, you’ll shake the salad to evenly coat it with dressing.

Midwest Charred Corn Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 6 oz baby spinach
- 1 ½ cups charred corn kernels
- 1 cup watermelon ½” cubes
- 1 package Cherubs
- 2 avocados diced into cubes
- ½ cup sunflower seeds roasted or raw
- 6 oz balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, put balsamic vinaigrette on bottom.
- Toss in baby spinach, charred corn, small watermelon cubes, avocado cubes, and Cherubs
- Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.
Nutrition
On the Road with NatureSweet Cherubs®
At this stop in NatureSweet’s Recipe Roadtrip, we’re celebrating everything there is to love about Corn Belt cuisine! Salads are a Midwest standby and farmers markets often carry everything you need to put one together – and chances are, it’s all grown nearby. Sweet, juicy Cherubs® make this Charred Corn Spinach Salad one to remember.
Cherubs® are little tomatoes with flavor as big as Midwestern corn fields. These bright red salad tomatoes are the best-selling small tomato in the world! Their nutrition, flavor, and durability make them a heavenly snack no matter where you find yourself.
Cherubs® are delicious in all kinds of recipes, but really shine when mixed in salads! Behind these irresistible tomatoes is a company committed to growing them right. Each Cherub you pop in your mouth is grown with innovation and sustainability in mind by people who really care. And NatureSweet® believes those people, the ones who work at every level of the supply chain, are the key to growing good tomatoes you can feel good about eating. Learn more about NatureSweet®’s commitment to growing Fair Trade Certified tomatoes in Episode 144 of The Produce Moms Podcast.
Savor this salad like a real Midwesterner, then check out more of the stops on NatureSweet’s culinary road trip here.
Craving more charred corn this summer? Try another salad featuring this Midwest favorite: Elote Salad or Mexican Street Corn Salad
Want to share your kabob experience with us? Tag us on Instagram @theproducemoms and @nstomatoes!