As summer draws to a close, Fresh Corn Salad becomes the stuff that makes picnic memories. Corn is the belle of the summer ball – sweet, juicy and oh, so promising! Enjoy corn fresh while you can get it. In this salad corn takes a spin with cucumber and red bell pepper for a satisfying light crunch. Green onions, fresh basil and lemon juice are all that is needed for this beautiful salad to make your afternoon a picnic to remember.
I love the pure flavor of the corn, cucumber, bell pepper and basil blending together, so this is a cool but flavorful version. (The ingredients for the Tex-Mex and Mayonnaise versions are listed at the end of the recipe if you came for that. The version using mayonnaise is recommended with caution for picnics.)
Notes and Tips:
- Don’t boil the ears of corn longer than 5 minutes. Three minutes will do just fine; you don’t want mushy corn here.
- A vegetable chopper will save you a lot of time and energy, plus make the ingredients of the salad look more uniform and presentable. I used the smallest dice template of the chopper, which made pieces about the size of a corn kernel.
- Small, five-bladed herb scissors are also a big help in this recipe. Alternatively, you can roll up the basil leaves and slice them thin with a sharp knife.
Corn Salad, 3 Ways!
In this salad corn takes a spin with cucumber and red bell pepper for a satisfying light crunch. Green onions, fresh basil and lemon juice are all that is needed for this beautiful salad to make your afternoon a picnic to remember.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Shuck the corn, remove the silks and place in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from water and let cool.
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Meanwhile, dice the cucumber and bell pepper. Slice the onions and drain the black beans.
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In a large bowl, mix the cucumber, bell pepper, onions and beans.
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Cut the corn from the cobs and add to the large bowl, stirring well to combine.
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Whisk together the EVOO and lemon juice, then whisk in salt.
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Pour over the corn salad and stir well. Adjust seasonings as needed (salt, lemon juice)
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Stir in fresh basil just before serving.
Flavor Variations
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Tex-Mex Corn Salad
For Tex-Mex Corn Salad:
Substitute Cilantro for Basil Leaves, Lime for Lemon Juice and Vegetable Oil for EVOO. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons Chili Powder and 1-2 chopped Jalpeño peppers. All other ingredients remain the same.
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Creamy Mayonnaise Corn Salad
For Corn Salad with Mayonnaise:
Substitute ½ cup Mayonnaise for the EVOO. Add Lemon Juice to taste. All other ingredients remain the same. Garnish with Bacon Bits, more Green Onion slices and Tomatoes. (Caution: this Mayonnaise version should only sit out on the picnic table for two hours, then refrigerate. Food Safety standards would require you to throw it away after 4 hours at room temperature)
