When it comes to warm-weather foods, nothing screams summertime quite like a summer corn salad. The light, crisp taste and texture of corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and red onion combine to create a side salad that’s positively bursting with flavor. It’s healthy, it’s easy to make and it can be paired with other salads or with meats and veggies to round out a meal. With the addition of basil and feta, this summery side dish is a must for your next neighborhood cookout.
Summer Corn Salad Ingredients
- Olive oil: Medium extra virgin olive oil is your best bet for this salad.
- Lime juice: A squeeze of fresh lime may be tart on its own, but with sweet corn it’s divine.
- Hot pepper sauce: If you’re not keen on spicy ingredients, you can feel free to skip this one.
- Corn: While you can use (thawed) frozen corn here, fresh corn straight off the cob is especially tasty.
- Cherry tomatoes: Basic red cherry tomatoes are delicious here, but for an extra boost of flavor, consider adding a variety of cherry tomatoes.
- Cucumber: The light, crisp texture of cucumber adds a bright summery taste to this summer corn salad recipe.
- Red onion: Red onion offers a nice crunch.
- Basil: While dried basil is fine here, we highly recommend fresh basil, as both the taste and aroma of fresh basil with a corn salad is out of this world.
- Feta cheese: While the feta definitely adds both flavor and texture, if you’re vegan or needing to skip cheese for any reason, you don’t need to add this.
Directions
Step 1: Make the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together 4 teaspoons of the oil, the lime juice, salt and pepper sauce, then set this aside.
Step 2: Prep and combine the veggies
In a large skillet, cook and stir the corn in the remaining oil over medium-high heat, for less than three minutes; you want the corn tender, but not mushy. Once the corn is cooked, transfer it to a salad bowl and allow it to cool slightly. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil to the bowl.
Step 3: Add the dressing
Drizzle the dressing over the veggies and toss lightly to coat. Let the salad stand for 10 minutes before serving. For a truly chilled corn salad, cover the salad and refrigerate it until it’s cooled through. Sprinkle the feta on top just before serving.
Summer Corn Salad Variations
- Substitute fresh mozzarella: Feta is fantastic, but another great option to top this salad is fresh mozzarella.
- Add a dollop of pesto:Â Pesto in a chilled corn salad makes for one seriously delicious side salad.
How to Store Summer Corn Salad
Although corn salad is best when fresh, it’s still perfectly tasty after it’s been stored. Simply cover it with an airtight top and pop it in the fridge for up to four days.
Can you make summer corn salad ahead of time?
The more chilled, the better, so feel free to make this easy summer corn salad recipe a day ahead of time if you have a potluck coming up.
Summer Corn Salad Tips
How do you keep corn from getting mushy?
The trick to crisp corn is to cook it for as little time as possible. If you’re boiling corn on the cob and stripping it for this recipe, we recommend cooking each cob for three minutes, max.
Can I used canned corn for this recipe?
Canned corn is fine for plenty of other recipes, but for this one you want to stick to fresh or frozen—the distinct flavor of a summer corn salad just wouldn’t be there otherwise.
What do I serve with summer corn salad?
This is one of the star side dishes to a variety of main courses. We love it alongside hot dogs, grilled vegetables and our favorite black bean burgers.
