Fresh Corn Salad
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Capture the essence of summer with this easy, make-ahead fresh corn salad——simply toss it together, and it’s ready to serve whenever you are!
You can never go wrong with simple boiled corn on the cob as a side dish, but the need to cook it right before serving makes it less than ideal for entertaining—unless you relish the idea of sweating over a hot stove indoors while your guests kick back outside sipping summer cocktails. When it comes to corn for a crowd, I prefer to whip up a fresh corn salad. Not only is it best made in advance, but it’s also served at room temperature. Be sure to cook the corn briefly—just a few minutes is all it takes. And consider tossing a few tablespoons of sugar into the cooking water to ensure that the corn is sweet—a little insurance never hurts!
“I brought this salad to a potluck lunch. People kept telling me how wonderful it was and asking how I made it. It made me feel like a star!”
What You’ll Need To Make Fresh Corn Salad
- Fresh Corn: The star of the salad, providing sweetness and crunch. Select ears with bright green husks and moist silk. To check for plump kernels, gently feel through the husk. Store in the fridge with husks on until ready to use. For best results, do not use frozen or canned corn.
- Scallions: Add a milder onion flavor than red onion and a pop of color, enhancing the overall freshness of the salad.
- Vegetable Oil: Forms the base of the dressing, adding moisture and helping to marry the flavors together. You can also use a combination of vegetable oil and extra-virgin olive oil (the flavor of olive oil alone may be too strong).
- White Wine Vinegar: Provides acidity to balance the sweetness of the corn and add brightness to the salad. Mix it up by replacing the vinegar with fresh lemon juice.
- Fresh Basil: Infuses the salad with a fragrant flavor and adds a pretty color contrast. For variations, you could also use fresh mint, fresh cilantro or fresh parsley.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step instructions
Begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. I also usually throw a few tablespoons of sugar into the water to ensure that the corn is sweet (definitely sacrilege with fresh farm-picked corn, but when you buy it at the grocery store you never know how fresh it is).
The key is to barely boil the corn to keep it super crisp — a few minutes is ideal. Refresh the corn under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Place the corn on a clean dish towel set over a cutting board, then use a serrated knife to cut the kernels of the cobs. The dish towel both dries the corn and prevents it from bouncing all over the place.
Try to keep the chunks of corn intact—it looks pretty and shows that you used fresh corn. Use the dish towel to transfer the kernels to a large bowl.
Add the white wine vinegar, vegetable oil, scallions, salt and pepper.
Toss well.
Right before serving, toss in the fresh basil.
Toss well, then transfer to a serving bowl.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Corn salad can be made entirely a day or two ahead of time. Another option is to do all the prep in advance and then put everything together right before serving (but wait to cut the basil to keep it from browning).
Frequently Asked Questions
This is definitely best with fresh corn. That said, frozen will work; just keep in mind that frozen corn won’t have the same crisp texture that fresh does. (You don’t need to cook it prior to adding it to the salad.)
Sure! You can get creative with it. Feel free to add a handful of diced bell peppers or cherry tomatoes for extra color and sweetness. If you’d prefer a salad that incorporates beans, this black bean salad with corn will hit the spot.
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Fresh Corn Salad
Capture the essence of summer with this easy, make-ahead fresh corn salad——simply toss it together, and it’s ready to serve whenever you are!
Ingredients
- 5 ears of corn, shucked
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves
- Sugar, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (see note). Boil the corn until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain the corn and immerse it in very cold water to stop the cooking process. Place the corn on a clean dish towel set over a cutting board, then use a serrated knife to cut the kernels of the cobs. (The dish towel both dries the corn and prevents it from bouncing all over the place.)
- In a large bowl, combine the kernels with the oil, vinegar, scallions, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If the salad tastes too tart, add a bit more oil; if it tastes bland, add a bit more vinegar or salt and pepper. Try adding a ¼ teaspoon of sugar if the corn isn't as sweet as you'd like. Serve the salad cold or at room temperature.
- Note: When boiling corn on the cob, be sure to add enough salt that the water tastes like the sea. Try adding a few tablespoons of sugar to the water as well -- it will enhance the corn's sweetness.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Calories: 267
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 245 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This is the perfect summer salad to take to a potluck BBQ. I discovered it at a party where I knew almost no one. After tasting it, I went from table to table to find out who brought the fabulous corn salad. Since then, whenever I take it to an outing, someone inevitably seeks me out to ask for the recipe. It’s simple and delicious and a wonderful accompaniment to any grilled protein.
I have been making it all summer,everyone wants the recipe,I can’t keep in the fridge/
Made this last weekend and making again this week. What a great recipe to use when you are a fresh corn lover and looking for an alternative to corn on the cob. Making tonight to go with chicken stuffed Jalapeno peppers. Hot and cool.
In case you want to do this out of corn season and use a good quality frozen corn, what do you think the volume of 5 ears of corn is? 3cups? More? 🙂
Hi Cherie, I think it would be a little closer to 3-1/2 cups. Hope that helps!
I was looking for a new recipe to use fresh corn and tried your Fresh Corn Salad with scallions and basil. My husband and I both loved it. I also had fresh basil from a pot on my deck. Hubby even said he liked it better than corn on the Cobb. Obviously it is a keeper. Thank you!
Perfect summer side dish – thanks!
Very refreshing and light. A nice way to dress up corn!
It’s easy to take it add a cob as necessary without having to make another batch of dressing.
*We bbq’d the corn straight on the grill. Loved the char flavor with this
Easy to make, pleasure to eat. Delicious!
Does the corn need to be cooked? I make a corn salad using raw corn and it is amazing. Looking forward to trying this recipe as I have lots of basil.
Hi Pam, I would recommend cooking it. Hope you enjoy!
How do you think this would work with Grilled corn?
I think it would work nicely!
Love this recipe but I made it just a little different this time. I grilled my corn in the husk.. must be very fresh, used minced red onion and dried basil. Sometimes I add it to my Hawaiian style mac salad if there’s any left. It’s ‘ono!
Made this corn salad today, and it was a home run. My husband cut the corn off the cobs for me, and was a little sorry we weren’t having traditional corn on the cob. After he tasted this recipe, he totally fell in love with it. Tasty, light, and best of all easy! I’ll be making this for company in the future.
I have frozen corn in the freezer taken off the cob. Should I cook it a bit in a skillet before adding to the salad?
Thanks and I love your recipes!
Hi Barb, If you cooked it before removing from the cobb and freezing, no need to cook it in a skillet. If you didn’t cook it first, then yes, I would do that, but be careful not to overdo it; you don’t want it too soft. Hope you enjoy!
I made this corn salad tonight to use up the ears I had from the store. I added some tomatoes to the salad simply because I had them. Everything else was added as written. Very nice taste and texture… my husband had 2 servings! I’ll definitely make it many more times.