Corn, Basil and Tomato Salad
When sweet corn is in season and plentiful, there’s nothing like a fresh Corn, Basil, and Tomato Salad showcasing the best of summer produce.
When one of Bill’s friends sent him home with 24 ears of freshly picked corn, a fresh Corn Salad Recipe with a light lime dressing was a delicious way to enjoy the harvest.
Why You Must Make
A dear foodie friend served this sweet corn tomato salad at her 4th of July bash and was immediately asked for the recipe. She was generous enough to share with me, too.
- The best of our summer’s harvest is highlighted in this simple salad.
- It showcases quality local sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes for a delicious result.
- Once you give this a try, you’ll make it all summer long!!!
Things to Know:
- This is one of those salads that’s best made in the summer. Fresh sweet corn and homegrown or farmers’ market tomatoes are key, though grape and cherry tomatoes can be quite good in a pinch.
- Blanch your fresh corn as soon as you can to lock in the sweetness. As the corn ages, the sugars turn starchy and won’t be nearly as tasty. When I cut it off the cob, I like to keep a few larger pieces of corn instead of separating it all into individual kernels.
- If you have an herb garden, you are in luck as this salad needs both fresh basil and fresh thyme. Dry won’t do it justice, but you can purchase fresh herbs if necessary.
- Soaking the sliced red onions in ice water helps remove some of the sharpness. If you enjoy the “bite” of fresh onion, feel free to skip this step.
- The dressing is very simple, just fresh lime juice, olive oil, fresh thyme leaves, and salt and pepper.
- Serve this summer corn salad at room temperature, but store leftovers in the refrigerator. This corn salad with tomatoes is best on the day it’s made, but delicious even when stored for a couple of days.
Frequently Asked Questions
To blanch sweet corn, first, get a large pot of water boiling. Shuck the corn and remove all the silk. Prepare a large bowl full of ice water to stop the cooking process when the corn is removed from the water.
Blanch the corn for about 3 minutes, then plunge it into the ice water bath. Repeat until all your corn is blanched. Let all the corn cool before proceeding.
Blanching corn helps clean off impurities, plus inactivates enzymes that can promote spoiling.
There are a couple of techniques to try. I use a larger Rubbermaid container, and stand the corncob upright with the stalk end on top. Cut downwards from top to bottom letting the cut corn fall into the container. Repeat as you work your way around the cob.
Alternatively, use an angel food, tube, or Bundt pan. Place the more tapered, nonstalk end of the corn into the “tube” of the tube pan. Cut off the kernels from top to bottom and they will supposedly drop into the pan. I haven’t tested this, but I have a feeling there’d be a few wayward kernels flying across the counter.
Freeze your corn in freezer-safe Ziploc bags. Quart bags are a good size. Measure as you fill the bag so you can mark the amount of corn on each bag along with the date. Use a permanent marker like a Sharpie to label.
Seal the bags leaving a small space open to help remove excess air. PRO-Tip: Insert a straw into that open part of the “zipper,” and inhale to suck out any excess air. This will minimize frost build-up. Immediately seal once the air is removed.
Frozen corn will be good for about 12 months. It’s perfect for soups, casseroles, or just sauteed with some butter for dinner.
Yes, you definitely can! Just substitute the blanched corn for defrosted frozen corn. Now you can make this corn salad recipe any time of the year!
You May Also Like:
- Fresh Corn Pancakes
- Spicy Mexican Corn Salad
- Bacon Corn Chowder
- Fiesta Corn Dip
- Grilled Corn with Basil Butter
- Buttermilk Corn Muffins
- Sour Cream Corn Dip
- Corn and Black Bean Salad
- Skillet Corn Recipe
- Plus, this Spinach Souffle is one of my most popular side dishes
- More Side Dish Recipes
Corn, Basil and Tomato Salad
A refreshing summer salad with fresh sweet corn, tomatoes, red onions and basil tossed in a light lime dressing
Ingredients
- 4 cups of corn kernels or about 6 ears of fresh sweet corn, silk and husks removed
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onions
- 2 garden or heirloom tomatoes*, chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped if leaves are large
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ½-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Blanch or steam corn for 3-4 minutes. Cool and cut corn from cobs into a mixing bowl.
- Soak the red onion in ice water for a couple of minutes to remove the sharp taste. Drain and add to corn.
- Add tomatoes, basil, and thyme.
- Toss with olive oil, then add 2½ tablespoons lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust seasonings and add more lime juice if needed.
- Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Slightly adapted from the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen.
*I used both heirloom tomatoes and halved grape tomatoes
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 251Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 181mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 7g
9 Comments on “Corn, Basil and Tomato Salad”
Nice and healthy Salad recipe. took hardly 10 mins to finish the whole bowl of salad. haha. Such a wonderful recipe dear. Thanks a lot for sharing this with us. Regards.
Lovely. I like the simplicity of this salad – you let the flavors shine.
We have been finding the sweetest corn at the farmers market. You know when you only buy a half dozen but you are kicking your self for not buying the full dozen.. With our fresh corn and heirloom tomatoes this is going to be a lovely recipe to go with dinner tonight.
Nice and healthy:@)
I haven’t made a corn salad like this in ages! This looks terrific 🙂 Pinned
Oh I see lunch in my future asap! nice healthy and perfect for Florida!
Fresh and burst of flavours!
This salad makes me want to hold onto summer a little longer! I can’t wait to try it this weekend!
I had some fresh corn from the farmer’s market and this was the perfect salad to make with them.