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Seared Scallop Salad with Corn, Avocado and Herbs.

Seared scallops sit a top a sweet corn, creamy avocado and fresh herb salad all topped with crunchy chickpeas. This is the perfect salad to celebrate fresh corn, fresh seafood and all things summer.

{This recipe was first published on May 23rd, 2018, but has been updated with new images.}

A close up image of seared scallop salad

If you haven’t noticed, scallops are an obsession of ours. They’re sweet, succulent, buttery, fresh and just the perfect summertime seafood. And, best yet, they take mere minutes to cook. Sign me up for that.

Seared scallop salad

People tell me all the time that they’re scared to cook scallops – they don’t want to mess them up, because it’s a pricey purchase. But they’re actually very simple to cook – err on the side of undercooking them and stay close to them throughout the minimal amount of cooking time.

An overhead image of a seared scallop salad

What’s the secret to the best seared scallops?

All you have to do for great seared scallops is, of course, get the freshest you can buy (and always purchase dry packed scallops vs wet – wet scallops have preservatives and sometimes whitening agents to them), preferably at your local fish market, if you have one. Then pat them very dry (you want them to sear versus steam), season with salt and pepper and add to a very hot pan with a bit of oil and butter. Sear them on each side for 1-2 minutes, depending on the size of your scallops.

One of the most important tips I have for you when you’re cooking scallops is to have everything else prepared for the meal or salad beforehand, so you can plate the scallops and serve right away – you want to eat those scallops fresh off that hot pan.

An image of seared scallops

This is one of our favorite summer salads.

You need an extra special salad to kick off the unofficial start to the lazy days of summer. Don’t you? Well, this is it. It has all the warm weather favorites:

  • summer corn
  • summer herbs
  • creamy avocado
  • scallops
  • crunchy chickpeas

We love crunchy chickpeas as salad toppers. Especially the chickpeas from Saffron Road – they come in a few great flavors. They are such great stand alone snacks, but they add amazing crunch to all sorts of salads and sides. For this dish, I used the sea salt version … so good, but then tried the Korean BBQ flavor on top the next time around … and that’s my favorite. Feel free to use your favorite flavor or brand of crunchy chickpeas, all would be great on top of this salad.

Every good salad, in my opinion, has crunch factor and these crunchy chickpeas do the job – and are so much better for you than croutons.

An overhead image of ingredients for a corn salad

An image of corn, avocado and herb salad

Here’s how to make this Seared Scallop Salad with Corn, Avocado and Herbs:

An overhead image of a seared scallop salad

Seared Scallop Salad

Seared scallops sit a top a sweet corn, creamy avocado and fresh herb salad all topped with crunchy chickpeas. This is the perfect salad to ring in the unofficial start to summer.
5 from 2 votes
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Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 499 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the salad

  • 5 ears fresh corn on the cob
  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced white and green parts
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves slivered
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley leaves roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems roughly chopped (any thick stems removed)
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese optional
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lime, juice of
  • 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 avocado, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup crunchy chickpeas any flavor

For the scallops

  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 1 lb sea scallops, patted dry
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

For serving

  • lime wedges

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large pot filled halfway with water over high heat until boiling. Add corn, cover, reduce heat and lightly boil for 3-5 minutes. Remove corn from pot and let cool slightly. Once able to handle, slice the corn off the cobs into a large bowl.
  • Add herbs, feta (if using), extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, rice vinegar to the bowl with the corn and toss. Top with avocado and crushed chickpeas.
  • Dry scallops very well and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a medium sauté pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter over medium high heat until glistening. Swirl oil in the pan and add scallops. Don’t crowd the scallops – cook in two batches if need be. Sear scallops for a minute or two (until desired doneness) on each side until a nice golden crust forms. Don't move the scallops while cooking, other than to flip them. Remove from heat.
  • Add scallops to corn salad. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 25gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 784mgPotassium: 917mgFiber: 8gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1017IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 181mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Seared Scallop Salad
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