The Prettiest (And Tastiest) Salad You Ever Saw
If you’re a big fan of crisp, cool, refreshing summer salads, you’ve got to try my quick and easy recipe for Summer Corn Salad! With corn in abundance right now at local grocery stores/farmers markets, you’ll have no trouble finding the star ingredient of this delicious dish that’s perfect for picnics, potlucks, neighborhood barbecues, or, just a weeknight family supper.
Summer Corn Salad is a fantastic side dish for all of us busy moms on the go because: 1) it can be made in twenty minutes or less, 2) it pairs perfectly with a variety of foods (BBQ, hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken, etc.), 3) it can be served cold or at room temperature (no worrying about it sitting out and spoiling on a hot day like you do with all those mayonnaise based side dishes!).
Consisting of sweet corn, juicy grape tomatoes, crisp red onion, chopped basil, and a light vinaigrette, this Summer Corn Salad is sure to be a huge hit with guests at your next gathering (even with the little ones – while I was taking the photo for this blog entry, my sixteen month old sat in his highchair and ate two HUGE servings of this salad!).
Below is my go-to recipe for Summer Corn Salad, feel free to play around with the recipe and make it your own. I’ve tried it before with diced avocado, switched the basil out for cilantro, even added jalapenos and black beans – no matter what the variation, it’s fabulous each and every time! Enjoy!
Summer Corn Salad
Makes 4 – 6 Servings
5 ears of corn, husked and cleaned
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
½ cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh basil
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes. Drain corn and immerse it in a large bowl of ice water (this will stop the cooking process and will set the color). When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting very close to the cob.
Toss corn kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, grape tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.
