You will fall in love with this refreshing Corn Salad Recipe with a light lime dressing. It is perfect as a side for any meal. Made with fresh corn, tomatoes, herbs, and topped with cheese, this corn salad is also perfect for potlucks, BBQ’s, and more during the summer.
Crisp, flavourful, this fresh corn salad practically screams summer. It features fresh summer produce and a vibrant dressing that everyone will love. It’s the ultimate summer side dish as it goes with everything from chicken, steak to salmon. Even better, this salad is perfect to make ahead of time.
If you’re looking for more corn recipes, you’ll love this Gluten-free Cornbread recipe and this Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil recipe.
We love this corn salad recipe because it is easy and fast to make and there are lots of vegetable too. I always have corn in the freezer if it’s not in season, so you’re not limited to making this only in the summer. If you’ve got extra corn, try my Instant Pot Taco Soup Recipe.
How To Make Corn Salad
Ingredients
- Corn — Fresh corn is a wonderful, delicious addition to the salad. If you do not have fresh corn, use frozen corn. When selecting fresh corn, I buy the corn with the husk on it as it’ll help keep it fresh longer in the fridge.
- Cherry tomatoes — You can also use grape tomatoes. If you have larger tomatoes, make sure to remove the watery centers and seeds.
- Cucumber — I suggest using English or seedless cucumbers so they have thin skin (so you can skip peeling it), and no seeds.
- Red onion — Red onion gives the corn salad a nice pop of colour. You can also swap for white onion or shallots if it’s what you have on hand.
- Feta cheese — Feta adds a nice salty taste to the salad. You can swap it with any other cheese if you prefer.
- Fresh Herbs — I like parsley, but feel free to use any you prefer, such as cilantro.
- Dressing ingredients — To make the dressing, you’ll need lime juice (or apple cider vinegar), olive oil, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Make sure to use fresh lime juice for the best flavour. This dressing doesn’t use mayonnaise or sour cream.
Instructions
Prepare the Dressing:
- Combine the lime juice, olive oil, salt, onion powder, and black pepper in a small bowl and stir/whisk until combined. Set aside.
Prepare the Corn:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water in the pot boils, add corn and cook for just 5 minutes or until the corn is tender and bright yellow.
- Drain the corn and let it cool down for 5 minutes. Then, carefully scrape off the corn kernels with a knife.
Make the Corn Salad:
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- In a large bowl, add corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, and chopped parsley. Toss everything well to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- You can grill the corn instead of boiling it.
- For the best corn salad, use fresh corn cobs. Check that the tassels are sticky and not dry. When feeling corn on the cob, make sure there aren’t any gaps as the corn has dried out or is missing.
- Be careful not to overcook the corn on the cob, or it will lose its fresh flavor. Corn can become chewy and lose that satisfying crispy crunch when overcooked.
- If you find red onions to have too much of a bite to them, you can soak them in cold water for 10 minutes beforehand.
- Always use fresh lime juice, as bottled lime juice does not have the same bright, fresh flavour.
- If you are using frozen corn, thaw the frozen kernels in the fridge overnight, or warm it in the microwave just until thawed. You can gently toast them on the stovetop if you prefer.
- Another cheese I like to use is goat cheese. Cotija cheese and shaved parmesan is delicious as well.
- To add more flavor, you can add chopped bacon and hot sauce too.
What else can I add to the corn salad?
This corn salad is perfect the way it is, but it’s quite versatile, and you can add so much to it! Here are some of my favourite add-ins:
- avocado (keep in mind that avocado will oxidize over time. If you want to add avocado, add it last, right before serving.)
- beans
- chickpeas
- bell pepper
- zucchini
- arugula
- baby spinach
- chopped kale
- peaches
- green onions
How to Store Corn Salad
- Put leftover corn salad into an airtight glass container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The salad will actually taste better the next day as the flavours meld together in the fridge as it chills.
- I do not recommend freezing corn salad as the textures won’t hold up.
- There’s no need to reheat the corn salad, it can be enjoyed chilled.
Serve This Corn Salad With…
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Corn Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 4 large ears fresh corn shucked
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1 tsp fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish
For the Dressing:
- 1 tbsp Juice of lime
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
For the Salad
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once water in pot boils add corn and cook just 5 minutes or until the corn is tender and bright yellow. Then, drain the corn and let it cool down for 5 mins. Then carefully scrape off the corn kernels with a knife.
- In a large mixing bowl, add corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese and chopped parsley. Mix everything well to combine.
- To make the dressing, pour the lime juice, olive oil, salt, onion powder and black pepper in a small bowl and stir until combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Tips
- You can grill the corn instead of boiling it.
- For the best corn salad, use fresh corn cobs. Frozen can be used if fresh corn is not in season
- Be careful not to overcook the corn on the cob, or it will lose its fresh flavor.
- To store: Put leftover corn salad into an airtight glass container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Since there’s no lettuce, you can add the dressing to the salad without worrying about it getting soggy.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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So, I hope you enjoy this Corn Salad recipe and try to make some in your own kitchen today. If you like this recipe, please share it with your friends and family. Subscribe to my newsletter and follow Primavera Kitchen on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for all delicious recipes updates. As always, you are really appreciated for stopping by.
Julia Mueller says
Giiiirl, this has summer written all over it! SO fresh and vibrant! I could see it being a hit at any summer gathering.
Olivia says
Totally! Perfect for summer 😉
Sues says
This salad looks absolutely gorgeous… I’m loving those colors!! Love that it’s so quick and easy, too 🙂
Olivia says
Me too. This salad is very colourful and flavourful too 😉
Tabitha @ Tabitha Talks Food says
This looks so delicious!
Olivia says
Right? And perfect for summer!
Eugene Bartlett says
It looks so tempting.
Olivia says
Indeed it is.
Lorraine says
This recipe is very similar to my grandmothers – But with hers she had additions of finely chopped green or red pepper.
I added a bit of salt & pepper to balance the dressing. A touch of honey 1 tsp also helps with the balance.
As written it will be good —-& worth a try.