This bay scallop corn salad is served with a savory tart cherry granola over a bed of baby kale with cherry dijon dressing. Eating well in the summer never looked so good!
*This Bay Scallop Baby Kale Corn Salad recipe was developed in partnership with the Cherry Marketing Institute.
There are two kinds of salads in this world:
The kind where you throw a bunch of lettuce in a bowl, maybe another chopped vegetable if you have it in the fridge, pour some bottled dressing on top and eat as a side solely in an attempt to get some greens in for the meal.
Or, the kind that you take your time with and make a meal out of.
You make your dressing from scratch, cook a protein to top it and think carefully about what else you add to the bowl.
You want things that contrast texturally and complement from a flavor standpoint.
When you finally sit down to eat it, it might’ve taken you just as long as a normal dinner to prepare.
Both have their place but this bay scallop baby kale corn salad is most definitely the latter.
I also love my recipe for what I call The Best Baby Kale Salad when I’m craving something similar yet a tad bit less involved than this bay scallop baby kale salad.
Love bay scallops? Try these Grilled Basil Butter Bay Scallops with Summer Vegetables and this Watermelon Feta Salad with Cornmeal Crusted Fried Scallops too!
And that’s ok, because it’s (almost) summer and totally “in” to eat salads as a meal. Right?
Ok, that’s at least how I’m justifying the time and effort of making granola from scratch as part of this recipe.
Speaking of granola, can we talk about this thing called savory granola for a second?
Um, woah.
Why haven’t I done this sooner?
For all the delicious sweet granola out there (like this tart cherry chocolate granola or this paleo gingerbread granola) that I’ve made more times than I can count, I have no idea why a savory one didn’t pop into my brain sooner.
With the caramelized scallops and grilled corn (want to make this in the winter? Learn how to freeze corn on the cob in the summer!), I wanted something crunchy in this salad or feared it’d just be a bunch of mush with each bite.
Since throwing seeds and nuts into salads is pretty commonplace, I figured why not make a granola out of those things, weave in my beloved Montmorency tart cherries that I had already planned on putting into the dressing.
Not only do they give you textural variety but you can also reap some of the awesome potential benefits, like the anti-inflammation properties of the tart cherries.
Their sweet yet tart flavor also goes perfectly with the savory elements of the salad and definitely stands out with each bite.
With summer practically here, I find myself working out more (it’s just more fun when the weather is nice!) and in an almost constant state of soreness.
If I can come home from a workout and not only recover nutritionally with salads like this one (it’s got a great protein/carb/fat ratio going on) but aid my muscles in the recovery process while doing so, I call that a pretty darn good meal!
Love this bay scallop baby kale corn salad recipe?
Try other delicious salads like Chopped Crispy Citrus Chicken Salad, Tart Cherry Balsamic Grilled Summer Vegetable Orzo Salad, Tart Cherry Glazed Ahi Tuna Kabobs over Spiralized Winter Salad and Baby Kale Chicken Cherry Salad.
Bay Scallop Baby Kale Corn Salad with Savory Tart Cherry Granola
Ingredients
For the savory granola
- 1/3 cup oats
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons buckwheat groats
- 2 tablespoons pepitas
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup dried Montmorency tart cherries
For the dressing
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dried Montmorency tart cherries
- 2 tablespoons Montmorency tart cherry juice
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt & pepper
For the salad
- 8 ounces bay scallops, patted dry
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 10 ounces baby kale
- 1 grilled ear of corn, kernels sliced off
- 1 cup sprouts, alfalfa or microgreens
Instructions
For the savory granola:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Combine the oats, walnuts, sunflower seeds, buckwheat groats and pepitas in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the olive oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl and toss until well combined.
- Spread the mixture out onto the baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 18-20 minutes, tossing once halfway through until granola starts to turn golden brown and crispy around the edges.
- Remove from the oven, add the dried tart cherries to the baking sheet, toss to combine, spread into an even single layer and let cool.
For the dressing:
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
For the salad:
- Place the kale, corn kernels and sprouts in a large bowl, set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the scallops and cook until golden and starting to caramelize on one side. Flip and repeat on the other side.
- Add the scallops to the large salad bowl.
- Pour dressing over top and toss until well combined.
- Break up the granola into small pieces and add to the salad bowl.
- Toss again lightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
What a brilliant salad! I make a salad for lunch pretty much every day, and my husband always comments how long it takes to create, and what a mess I make! But it’s the only kind of salad to make!
What an incredible salad, loving all the flavors and textures!
What a fabulous combination Gina! I would have never thought of adding the granola. Great idea!
You’ve just blown my mind…so many amazing flavors and textures going on here, besides the fact that bay scallops are my favorite thing EVER!
Ummm DYING over that cherry dijon dressing!!!
using the tart cherry juice in the dressing is brilliant! love this!
This is so pretty and I love the flavors! YUM!
This is so super lovely. What a beautiful way to use tart cherries!