This festive, delicious, sweet corn salad recipe will brighten any meal! I often make it for our annual Memorial Day party because it looks beautiful and tastes like summer! Sweet corn and creamy black beans form the base of this salad and the bright flavors of tomatoes, peppers, and lime bring balance to the dish. A dash of cumin, a sprinkle of coriander and green onions add more layers of flavor.
What to serve with Corn Salad?
This Corn Salad Recipe has a southwestern flavor, so it pairs well with Tex-Mex dishes. It is an excellent side for tacos of any kind, but I especially love it with my Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos. It also complements BBQ dishes like burgers, bratwurst, ribs, and brisket really well because it has a lot of bright, fresh flavors to contrast the smoky, heavier flavors of grilled meats. I often make it for summer barbeques or picnics because it travels well and looks so pretty on a buffet. The bright flavors also pair well with grilled fish.
Should I use fresh or frozen corn?
Both fresh corn, frozen sweet corn, and fire roasted corn work well in this recipe. Although some recipes claim you can eat frozen corn raw, I recommend that you par-boil the corn for 1-2 minutes before adding to the salad. Just bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the corn, and let it simmer or about 2 minutes before draining. Alternatively, add ½ cup of water to the corn in a microwave safe bowl and heat it for 4 minutes. Drain the excess water before adding it to the salad. Be sure not to overcook the corn as it will become gummy, rather than tender.
How to make Corn Salad
How-to make corn salad video
It’s so delicious and so simple to make! This 30-second video will show you how!
- Begin by par-boiling 2 cups of corn by either method described above. Set aside to cool in the bowl you will use for the salad. I recently used fire-roasted corn in this recipe, so that is what is pictured here.
- Next rinse and drain 1 cup of black beans. Add them to the bowl with the sweet corn.
- Dice the 1 bell pepper and one zucchini and halve one cup of cherry tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use one large tomato and dice it. Aim for all of the vegetables to be around the same size. This will make for a pretty presentation and will make the Corn Salad easy to eat. Add the peppers and tomatoes to the bowl.
- Wash and slice three green onions (scallions). Reserve ½ of them for garnish but add the rest to the bowl.
How to make the dressing:
- Pour ¼ cup olive oil into a small mixing bowl.
- Zest 1 teaspoon of zest from the lime into the bowl.
- Add the juice of the lime.
- Add the cumin, coriander, salt, and chili flakes.
- Whisk to combine.
Assemble the Corn Salad
Pour half the dressing onto the corn salad and stir to combine. Refrigerate the salad for at least one hour, or until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the remaining dressing and the garnish of green onions, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Variations
I love adding ¼ cup sliced green olives in this recipe. They add a great salty flavor to the dish.
If you like things extra spicy, I highly recommend finely slicing a jalapeño or fresno chili and adding it to the top of the salad with the other garnishes.
Let’s Talk Leftovers
Leftover salad can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week. If you would like ways to use the leftover Corn Salad, try these:
- Layer it into quesadillas between corn tortillas with shredded cheese.
- Mix it with a cup of prepared salsa to make an incredible corn and bean salsa. Devour it with chips.
- Add it to chili to add a little bright flavor and boost the veggies!
- Or cook up a batch of slow cooker chicken tacos and gobble them up together. So delicious!
Corn Salad Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 17 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
This festive, delicious, sweet corn salad recipe will brighten any meal! I often make it for our annual Memorial Day party because it looks beautiful and tastes like summer! Sweet corn and creamy black beans form the base of this salad and the bright flavors of tomatoes, peppers, and lime bring balance to the dish. A dash of cumin, a sprinkle of coriander and green onions add more layers of flavor.
Ingredients
2 cups frozen corn, par-boiled
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 green onions, sliced
1 lime (1 tsp zest plus juice)
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
For the Corn Salad:
- Begin by par-boiling your corn by either method described above. Set aside to cool in the bowl you will use for the salad. I recently used fire-roasted corn in this recipe, so that is what is pictured here.
- Next rinse and drain the black beans. Add them to the bowl with the sweet corn.
- Dice the peppers and halve the cherry tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use one large tomato and dice it. Add the peppers and tomatoes to the bowl.
- Wash and slice the green onions. Reserve ½ for garnish but add the rest to the bowl.
For the Dressing:
- Pour ¼ cup olive oil into a small mixing bowl.
- Zest 1 teaspoon of zest from the lime into the bowl.
- Add the juice of the lime.
- Add the cumin, coriander, salt, and chili flakes.
- Whisk to combine.
Assemble the Corn Salad:
Pour half the dressing onto the corn salad and stir to combine. Refrigerate the salad for at least one hour, or until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the remaining dressing and the garnish of green onions, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
I love adding ¼ cup sliced green olives in this recipe. They add a great salty flavor to the dish.
If you like things extra spicy, I highly recommend finely slicing a jalapeño or fresno chili and adding it to the top of the salad with the other garnishes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- chilling time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
