Name: Summer Corn Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 6 cups of corn (approximately 12 ears); 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped; 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh basil, julienned; 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (3 fluid oz); 2 tablespoons basil olive oil; 8-9 cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish, if desired

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Summer Corn Salad is a flavor explosion of deliciousness! With only a few ingredients, this easy-to-make summer dish is perfect for potlucks, picnics and BBQs.

Summer corn is like heaven on earth. We wait patiently every year for the local farms to bring their corn to the farmer’s market and then eat it every week until the season ends. I try to freeze some too, to enjoy once the season is over. If only the season were longer…

A couple weekends ago, one of my favorite shops on our downtown Green, Nutmeg Olive Oil, was at the farmer’s market. Maureen, the owner, had brought a few yummy salads and bruschettas with her to sample. I’d already picked up my corn, so of course I had to try her corn salad. It was a simple combination, but fresh corn has so much flavor, you don’t need to do much to it. I don’t have Maureen’s exact recipe, but it’s probably fairly similar.

And SO very delicious!

This Summer Corn Salad is versatile as well. It can be used as a side salad or as a topping for fish or chicken. You can even serve it as an appetizer with chips! I’ve made it so many times for various events already and was even asked to bring it to an upcoming party. It’s definitely a keeper!

HOW TO MAKE SUMMER CORN SALAD

All you need is cooked corn cut straight from the cob, fresh basil, chopped red onion, champagne vinegar and basil olive oil. Mix it all together, and your salad is ready to serve. If you’d like, you can garnish with a few halved cherry tomatoes, as I have.

You can substitute extra virgin olive oil if you don’t have basil olive oil (and just add more basil), but you can also order this delicious basil olive oil online from Nutmeg Olive Oil. (And no, this is not sponsored. I happen to love their olive oils and vinegars, and would love for you to experience them too! I actually have an entire cabinet filled with different flavors of Nutmeg’s olive oils and vinegars!)

HOW TO PICK THE BEST CORN

To state the obvious…use summer corn! This is one of those recipes that is going to be much tastier if you use fresh summer corn. So if you live in the Northeast like me, you probably only have another month or so to enjoy this Summer Corn Salad.

Don’t shuck the corn when you purchase it. It seems to be a thing now in the grocery store to shuck your corn when you buy it. When you shuck the corn, you expose the kernels, which dries out your corn faster, which means those natural sugars will start to turn to starch quicker. I suppose if you’re going to cook your corn as soon as you get home, it’s fine. But if you’re not, just leave the husks on until you’re ready to cook it. Plus, if you’re at the farmer’s market, it’s just bad etiquette!

Look for corn husks that are green and tight. I feel the ends to make sure the corn is rounded on the end and that the kernels are firm. If there are worm holes in the husks, skip those.

Cook your corn as soon as possible after picking. You can always ask at the farm stand when the corn was picked. The kernels will turn to starch if you keep them more than a couple of days.

Blanche your corn in boiling water for about 3 minutes, then dunk in icy cold water to stop the cooking process. Overcooked corn gets mushy, and it loses its sweet taste. Once you cut the corn from the cobs, you also have the option of freezing any extra you don’t plan to use.

MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES USING CORN

Corn Salsa with Black Beans

Mexican Corn Salad

Zucchini Corn Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Now for the recipe!

Summer Corn Salad

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 13 minutes

Summer Corn Salad is a flavor explosion of deliciousness! Easy to make and only a few ingredients, it's the perfect summer dish for potlucks, picnics and BBQs.

Ingredients

6 cups of corn (approximately 12 ears)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh basil, julienned
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (3 fluid oz)
2 tablespoons basil olive oil
8-9 cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish, if desired

Instructions

Blanche corn in boiling water for 3 minutes; then place in ice cold water to stop the cooking process.

While corn is cooling, chop red onion and julienne basil.

Cut corn from cobs.

Mix corn, red onion, basil, champagne vinegar and basil olive oil together.

Garnish with halved cherry tomatoes, if so desired.

Notes

If planning to use as a side dish with many other sides, or serving with chips, you can easily halve this recipe. Use 6 ears of corn instead (3 cups) and use 3 tablespoons each of red onion, basil and champagne vinegar instead of 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons. The basil olive oil can be halved to 1 tablespoon.