Fresh Corn Salad
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This fresh corn salad is crisp, bright, and easy to make ahead—perfect for cookouts, potlucks, or any summer meal.
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 good served at room temperature.
Be sure to cook the corn briefly—just a few minutes is all it takes. I also like to toss a tablespoon or two of sugar into the cooking water to help bring out the sweetness. 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: Use the best corn you can find—look for bright green husks and plump kernels you can feel through the husk. Keep it in the fridge with the husks on until you’re ready to prep. Frozen or canned won’t give you the same texture or flavor.
- Scallions & Fresh Herbs: Scallions add a mild onion bite without overpowering the salad, and fresh basil brings a clean, fragrant note. Mint, cilantro, or parsley would all work nicely here too.
- Vegetable Oil & White Wine Vinegar: A light, balanced dressing—neutral oil keeps things smooth, and vinegar adds just enough acidity. You can use lemon juice instead of vinegar for a citrusy twist.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step instructions
Step 1: Cook the corn. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. If your corn isn’t straight from the farm stand, I like to add a tablespoon or two of sugar to the water—it helps coax out the sweetness in grocery store corn, which can be hit or miss. (Yes, I know it’s not necessary with peak-season corn, but sometimes you’ve gotta hedge your bets.) Once the water’s boiling, add the corn and cook for just a few minutes.
Step 2: Cool it down. Drain the corn and run it under cold water to stop the cooking. You want to preserve that fresh crisp texture.
Step 3: Cut the corn off the cob. Place the corn on a clean dish towel set over a cutting board, and use a serrated knife to slice off the kernels. The towel helps dry the corn and keeps the kernels from scattering all over your kitchen. Try to keep the chunks of corn intact—it looks pretty and shows that you used fresh corn.
Step 4: Combine the salad ingredients: 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 to combine. At this point, the corn salad can be refrigerated for up to two days before serving.
Step 5: Add basil and serve. Right before serving, toss in the fresh basil and taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve and enjoy!
More Summer Corn Recipes You May Like
Fresh Corn Salad
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.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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 sounds like a great salad. I do something similar, but I also add black beans, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese. People love it. I read the review of someone who said she has been cooking her corn for hours. I grew up in the Midwest and fresh corn literally only needs 3 or 4 minutes in a pot of boiling water. If it’s really, really fresh you don’t even need to cook it. Yummy!
thanks for all of the good recipes, Jen and have a happy Labor Day.
This salad explodes with freshness! I had to add some sugar, but I think it was because of the quality of my wine vinegar. I also tossed in some grape tomatoes – so good.
Made this side to go with B-B-Q ribs. It may have been the corn itself but it fell a little short of expectation. I will try this again but may use the mix white shoe peg & yellow canned corn to see if that perks up the corn flavor.
It’s important to use fresh corn for this recipe; you will get much better results! Hope that helps!
I made this on Monday, but boiled the corn the day before. This was simple, easy and delicious. I used fresh chives from my garden because I did not green onions and it was superb! I will bring this to my next summer potluck.
Wonderful, refreshing addition to a summer weekend meal of grilled spice-rubbed pork tenderloin and steamed asparagus. We added some chopped, seeded garden tomatoes for a punch of color on the plate. The dressing is subtle and so nicely brings out the flavors of the corn and fresh basil.
This is a great way to have corn for a summer get-together without the mess of eating off the cob. I just made it this past weekend and it was a hit! I try to slice the scallions as thinly as possible since they can be a little over-powering. Delicious recipe!
This salad is so fresh & light for summer! It was the perfect salad to serve with grilled salmon & home grown tomatoes.
LOVE this salad. It is my go to summer potluck dish, and is always a favorite. Everyone always love the fresh, summery flavors. Have to be careful to not overdo the dressing, and let the corn and basil do the work.
This is such a wonderful way to serve corn at a gathering! I like the fact that I can prepare it ahead of time. I’ve brought it to many a potluck picnic and the bowl always empties out! This is also great the next day.
hi. i am living here in Saudi Arabia and unluckily, the white wine is not available in here. what could be the possible replacement or alternative? i love this salad a lot..thank you very much in advance..thank u a bunch for sharing all your wonderful recipes…
Hi Lorrene, Do you have access to cider vinegar? That would work well. If not, fresh lemon juice would also be a good substitute.
thank u for the prompt reply. yes! a lot of nice branded cider vinegar and cheap lemon in here. thank u so much..till next mail..