Summer Corn Salad Recipe

Summer corn has never tasted so good! This vibrant corn salad brings together fresh sweet corn kernels with crisp English cucumber, juicy tomatoes, colorful and crunchy bell peppers, and fresh herbs in a bright homemade vinegar-based dressing. Creamy feta cheese adds the perfect salty contrast, while a simple homemade dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice ties it all together with just the right amount of tang. One of our recipe testers couldn’t stop raving about it, saying “I could eat this salad every day, three times a day” and honestly, we don’t blame her!

You’ll Love This Light & Fresh Corn Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe!

Our family is always searching for those perfect side dish recipes that both compliment the meal and aren’t overly heavy to help create a balanced meal. After years of developing and testing fresh, veggie-packed recipes in my kitchen, I know what makes a craveable veggie side. It needs the right balance of textures, flavors that complement each other, and fresh ingredients that are vibrant.

This corn salad has officially become a light and fresh family-favorite side. Like our old-fashioned cucumber salad, green bean caprese salad, and Mediterranean cucumber salad, this recipe reflects my love for using simple, seasonal ingredients that celebrate the natural flavors of summer produce. In testing this recipe, we’ve adjusted the ingredient and dressing ratios until this salad is so darn good that it will keep you coming back for more.

This salad is the perfect side dish for summer parties, potlucks, picnics, tailgates, and dinners. Just be ready to share the recipe, your friends and family will be asking for it.

Sweet Corn Salad Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

• Sweet Corn. Since corn is the star of the show, it’s best to use fresh corn on the cob. We like to use a fully yellow ear or corn, and a white and yellow variety for the most beautiful looking salad.
• English Cucumber. We prefer English cucumbers for this recipe because they have thin, edible skins (no peeling necessary!) and smaller seeds (no big, funny seeds in your salad). All you have to do is wash and chop them, easy-peasy.
• Cherry (or Grape) Tomatoes. Using a small tomato variety keeps chopping easy (just slice them in half). Cherry tomatoes are rounder in shape, a little sweeter, and a little juicer than grape tomatoes. However, both are great options for this salad. I tend to grab whatever looks best at the store or what’s available at my local farmer’s market.
• Bell Pepper (of any color). Bell pepper adds a lovely texture and pop of flavor in this salad. You can use whatever color you’d like! Green bell peppers have a somewhat more bitter flavor, orange and yellow peppers are slightly sweeter, and red bell peppers are the sweetest choice.
• Fresh Basil and Fresh Parsley. The combination of these fresh herbs adds complexity to the salad’s overall flavor profile, adds pops of flavor and freshness, and elevates the salad’s flavor profile all together.
• Shallot. Shallots are a delicious aromatic, that’s often described as having a more delicate, slightly sweet, and less pungent flavor that’s a cross between onion and garlic. They help to build flavor within our salad, enhancing the overall flavor of our dish.
• Feta Cheese. Feta adds a creamy, salty, and slightly tangy pop to our salad. It adds a lovely contrast to the crunchy fresh veggies used in this dish.

Dressing Ingredients

• Olive Oil. Olive oil not only adds a lovely flavor to our dressing (and therefore our salad), it adds some healthy fats to our dish.
• Red Wine Vinegar. We’re using red wine vinegar for our oil and vinegar dressing because of it’s balanced, bright, and complex vinegar that pairs really nicely with other bold flavors like our tomatoes, bell peppers, and feta.
• Lemon Juice (fresh is best!). Lemon juice adds brightness, freshness, and a little pop of tart flavor to our dressing, enriching the overall flavor of our salad.
• Granulated Sugar. Adding a little sugar helps balance the flavors of our dressing, mellowing out the acidity of the vinegar, lemon juice, and Dijon.
• Dijon Mustard. Dijon is a common ingredient in vinaigrettes because it not only adds a complex, tangy flavor to the dressing it also acts as an emulsifier, helping to bind the oil and vinegar together.
• Salt and Pepper. Simple seasonings to enhance the overall flavor of our dish and let the other ingredients’ flavors shine.

For ingredient measurements and full recipe details, see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

How to Make Our Easy Corn Salad Recipe

Cook the corn by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Then turn off the heat and place the shucked and cleaned ears into the hot water.

Cover and let the corn cook in the hot water for 10-minutes. Drain and rinse the corn cobs with cold water.

Cut the corn off of the cob. It’s helpful to have a flat end set onto a cutting board to do this.

Make the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients into a mason jar (or into a small bowl to whisk).

Tightly seal the lid of the jar and shake to combine.

Assemble the salad by placing all chopped veggies and herbs into a large bowl. I like to work on all of the chopping while the corn cooks to be efficient.

Add the dressing by pouring it onto the salad ingredients.

Toss to combine, mixing until the ingredients are well dispersed throughout the dish.

Corn Cucumber Salad Variations

Grill the corn instead of boiling. This is a fun twist to give your salad a nice charred, summery flavor.

Try different fresh herbs. We love the combination of basil and parsley in this dish, but fresh dill would be another great choice (either in addition to or in place of one of these)! If desired, try swapping out the basil for cilantro for a different vibe.

Swap out the shallots for a different aromatic. A red onion is a great alternative, or you can use green onions if desired (they’re not as “punchy” as a shallot or red onion).

Use honey for a refined sugar free dressing. Replace the sugar one-to-one with a light clover honey.

Add chickpeas for a heartier, protein-rich salad.

Expert Tips for Making Corn Salad

Be sure to remove all the corn’s silk (those strings that are around the kernels) for the most enjoyable eating experience. If you’re new to shucking corn, this article from The Kitchn is a helpful tool in learning how to shuck and clean corn (and how to pick the best cobs too).

Rinse your corn in cold water after cooking. This not only helps stop the cooking process, but it makes the corn cobs easier to handle (aka you’re not burning your hands trying when you’re cutting the kernels off the cob).

What to Serve With Corn Tomato Salad

Serve it as a side dish (to pretty much anything!). We especially love it with grilled foods like beef or turkey burgers, beer brats, grilled chicken, and grilled steak.

Enjoy it as an appetizer or snack by serving it with tortilla chips. Similar to our cowboy caviar, this makes great dip when served with chips!

Use it to add veggies and flavor to a green salad. I love a hearty scoop of this over greens with some chicken for a light yet filling lunch.

How to Store Corn Salad

Corn salad taste best within a few hours of preparation. For best results, store in the fridge and serve within 2-3 hours of making it (tossing it before serving).

However, you can store dressed, leftover corn salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. While it will still taste fine, the textures won’t be as crunchy and the flavors won’t be quite as pronounced the longer it sits.