This Fresh Corn Salad is a vibrant dish that’s perfect for summer gatherings or a light, healthy option anytime. Packed with fresh vegetables and a lime dressing, it’s both nutritious and delicious. Best of all, it comes together in only 40 minutes.
Make this and pair it with Grilled Hot Honey Chicken or Pollo Asado.
This one is really easy to make. You’ll start by dicing or chopping up cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, English cucumber, red onion, and basil before boiling the corn and then cutting the kernels off the cob. Then, you’ll mix everything together with a simple lime dressing. For extra flavor and texture, you can optionally add chopped cilantro, diced avocado, and crumbled feta cheese or cotija cheese.
Once everything is combined, you’ll just chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, and then you’re all set to serve.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare.
- Vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free.
- Ready in only 40 minutes.
- Versatile and customizable.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this fresh corn salad recipe
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook Corn: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the ears of corn and cook for 3-5 minutes until the kernels are tender but still crisp. Remove the corn from the water and let it cool enough to handle safely.
- Cut Corn: Stand each ear of corn up on its end and use a sharp knife to carefully slice kernels off the cob. Place the kernels in a large bowl.
Recipe Tip: To make cutting the corn kernels off the cob easier and safer, use a sharp knife and a stable cutting board. Place a lightly dampened kitchen towel under the cutting board to prevent it from slipping. Stand the corn on its flat end and carefully slice downward, keeping your fingers away from the knife’s path.
- Add Vegetables: Add the cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, basil, and cilantro to the bowl with the corn. Stir to combine everything.
- Add Avocado: If you’re using avocado, add it in and gently toss it with the other vegetables. Be careful not to mash it if you prefer chunks of avocado in your salad.
- Dress Salad: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Chill: Let the salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Garnish Then Serve: Just before serving, sprinkle the crumbled feta or cotija cheese atop the salad, then serve.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Ears of Corn: Use frozen corn kernels in place of fresh corn. Thaw as instructed on the bag.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Use grape tomatoes or diced regular tomatoes.
- Red Bell Pepper: Yellow or orange bell pepper can be subbed here.
- English Cucumber: Regular cucumbers work just fine.
- Red Onion: Substitute with green onions or shallots for a milder flavor.
- Fresh Basil: Use fresh parsley or some fresh mint.
- Cilantro: Skip it or use fresh dill if you’re not a fan.
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil will work here.
- Feta Cheese: Goat cheese or blue cheese crumbles are great alternatives.
✨ Variations
- Spicy: Add diced jalapeños or a pinch of red pepper flakes for a spicy twist.
- Protein: Stir in grilled shrimp, diced grilled chicken, or black beans to make it a more filling main dish.
- Fruit: Add diced mango or pineapple for a sweet and tangy contrast to the savory ingredients.
- Seeds or Nuts: Add toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds, or chopped nuts like almonds or pecans for extra crunch.
〰️ How to serve
- Chicken — Serve it as a side to grilled hot honey chicken, pollo asado, smoked chicken drumsticks, or cinnamon chicken.
- Beef, Pork, and Seafood — Serve it alongside fish tacos, classic pork souvlaki, or BBQ ribs.
- Bread — Crusty baguette, garlic bread, or pita chips also goes well with the salad.
- Soup — Enjoy the salad with a bowl of chicken corn soup, gazpacho, tortilla soup, or vegetable minestrone.
💬 FAQs
How can I prep this advance to serve later?
Cook the corn as directed and store it in the refrigerator. Chop all the vegetables and store them separately. When you’re ready to serve, combine the corn and vegetables, then add the dressing and toss. Add avocado and cheese just before serving to keep them fresh.
How should I store leftovers?
If you know that you’ll have leftovers, split the salad up and only dress what you plan to eat that day. Store the undressed salad, dressing, and avocado separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat the leftovers, add the dressing and avocado just before serving to keep everything fresh and maintain the best texture.
If you have leftovers of the finalized dressed salad, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the salad may become a bit soggy.
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Fresh Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ English cucumber (also referred to as “seedless cucumbers”), diced
- ¼ red onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
- Juice from 1 lime
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
- Crumbled feta or cotija cheese, optional
Instructions
- Cook Corn: Bring large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add ears of corn and cook for 3-5 minutes until kernels are tender but still crisp. Remove corn from the water and let it cool enough to safely handle.
- Cut Corn: Stand each ear of corn up on its end and use a sharp knife to carefully slice kernels off the cob. Place kernels in a large mixing bowl.
- Add Vegetables: Add cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, basil, and cilantro to the bowl with the corn. Stir to combine everything.
- Add Avocado: If you’re using avocado, add it in and gently toss with the other vegetables. Be careful not to mash it if you prefer chunks of avocado in your salad.
- Dress Salad: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss everything gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Chill: Let salad chill in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Garnish Then Serve: Just before serving, sprinkle crumbled feta or cotija cheese atop salad, then serve.
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