Easy to Make, Light, Refreshing Corn Salad loaded with vegetables in a light dressing. Contains No Mayo or Cheese, this is a light summer salad best served as side or appetizer.
Easy Fresh Corn Salad Recipe made with Instant Pot Corn on the Cob. Refreshing, summer friendly appetizer or salad recipe made with Zero Oil. Healthy, Colorful, Delicious and easily put together using pantry staples and veggies from refrigerator.
Since we always have fresh corn stocked in our freezer, putting together this salad hardly takes any time. The vegetables just take 15 minutes to be prepped and the dressing is quite simple - It is lemony, citrusy with a little beat of heat from smoked paprika.
We enjoy this salad as a meal (lunch) or snack (late afternoon) when we feel slightly peckish. this also makes a great side with grilled vegetables like Cauliflower Tikka or Indian Main Course too.
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Why This Recipe Works?
- Zero Oil Salad Recipe
- Pantry and refrigerator friendly ingredients
- No Mayo, Heavy Cream or Cheese Used
- No heavy cream based salad dressing (Dairy-free)
- Contains No Nuts
Ingredients for Corn Salad
The ingredients are self-explanatory. Please refer to the Recipe Card below for full details.
In terms of SALAD DRESSING, I have kept it plain and simple with citrus-herb-za'atar spice blend. I have kept the salad oil-free making it light and easy to serve with main course. You can experiment with the following options
Honey Mustard Sauce or Vinaigrette - It actually blends well with the ingredients used here, providing a bit of sweetness and pungency of the mustard. Use Dijon Mustard for great flavors!
Mayo - If you want a creamy and rich salad, add mayo. You could use plain mayo or blend it with some lemon juice and mint for a refreshing taste.
If you love Indian Flavors, try a mix of lemon with cayenne, lemon juice, sugar, salt and chopped cilantro.
Variations
Best part about salads is that you can customize and add a variety of ingredients. It is one of the best ways to use up vegetables from your refrigerator.
Mexican Corn Salad - Add Kidney Beans for protein. Ripe Avocado can be finely chopped, sliced or mashed and included in the salad. This turns the humble salad into a filling lunch for two.
Grilled Corn Salad - Substitute steamed corn with grilled corn. This is a huge hit during summers or barbecue season. You can also roast and roughly chop bell peppers for smoky flavor.
Black Bean Corn Salad - This is another variation of Mexican Corn Salad (shared above).
Cucumbers - Hothouse cucumbers make a great addition for summer salads. You can dice them and add. Avoid grating cucumbers else the salad turns quite soggy.
Leafy Greens like Spinach or torn lettuce can be added. Microgreens also make a wonderful combination. Use it for garnishing - generously!
Feta Cheese - The salad recipe is Dairy-free and Vegan. However, you can add crumbled feta to this recipe OR you could turn this into an Elote Salad using Cotija Cheese.
Cotija Cheese is quite similar to Feta (flavor profile) so you can substitute it with either, depending on availability.
FAQ's
The ingredients would likely leave a lot of moisture making the salad extremely soggy. It is best to enjoy the salad which can be made-ahead and refrigerated for a couple of days. Salads are best enjoyed fresh and this salad just takes 15 to 20 mins tops!
I use Instant Pot to cook Corn on the Cob a day earlier and then refrigerate or freeze the corn kernels. The salad can be easily put-together in under 20 minutes and hence can be made ahead especially when cooking for a crowd or entertaining
Can be served as a side dish to roasted vegetables or grilled potatoes for weeknight dinners. It can be served with sandwiches, burgers as weekday lunches too.
If we are lucky to be left with any leftovers, we store them in the refrigerator and enjoy it as snack the next day. Store it in an airtight container.
Other Salad Recipes to try
Horiatiki Salad - Also popularly known as "Greek Salad" Try this if you love Mediterranean flavors.
Strawberry Feta Arugula Salad - Berries with salty feta and arugula in a light citrussy dressing.
Pineapple Cucumber Salad - Tropical flavors, Easy to Make and tastes great with burgers, sandwiches and grilled vegetables.
Pear Salad with Feta and Walnuts
Sprouts Salad (Made with Mung Bean Sprouts)
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Fresh Corn Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sweet Corn Kernels See notes below
- ¾ cup Bell Pepper finely chopped
- ½ cup Tomatoes finely chopped
- ½ cup Onion finely chopped
- 4-5 Olives (sliced) + couple extra for garnish
- 4-5 Jalapeno Peppers (sliced) use 1 if fresh or 4-5 if using canned or soaked in brine
Salad Dressing
- 1 tbsp Fresh Mint Leaves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh Cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tsp Za'atar Spice Powder
- 2 Limes or 1 Lemon Juice to be extracted
- ¼ tsp Smoked Paprika Powder
- Himalayan Pink Salt to taste
1 cup is 250ml, 1 tbsp 15ml, 1 tsp 5 ml
Instructions
- In a clean dry bowl, add all the chopped vegetables (corn, pepper, tomatoes, onions) along with olives and jalapenos.
- In a bowl or glass jar, add the ingredients listed under "salad dressing" above and mix / shake well. Now pour this onto the vegetables and corn and give it a good mix.
- Serve immediately or if serving later, add the dressing just before serving.
Notes
- I have used Instant Pot to cook Corn on the Cob. After cooling, they were sliced using a sharp knife and the soft kernels were used for the salad recipe.
- If you plan on carrying this salad to work, please pack the salad dressing separately (in a jar) and mix it just before you are ready to eat.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and enjoyed a day later.
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Would be really happy to receive your feedback.
Vidya Narayan
So birght and colorful..for me Chaat masala and lemon are the best seasoning for corn salad.. loved your version with za’atar spice mix with Mediterranean flavours!!
Swaty, I am a big fan of Za'atar. While it is used more for breads and labneh, I so love it on my salads! thank you!
Za'atar adds so much of flavour Swaty. I love it.
A quick and healthy snack for the monsoons. Tempting pic ?
Indeed yes Geeta, thank you so much!
Lovely
thanks
Colorful presentations and great recipes, will try your recipes ?
Thank you for stopping by and glad you liked the blog. Cheers!
I love that you added za'atar to this corn salad, that sounds delicious. And yes, it's definitely a snack goal!
Thank you Stine.
I love all the flavor going on with the sweet corn. I wouldn't have thought to add olives, but it's such a nice addition. Thanks for sharing!
my pleasure, thanks Amanda!
This corn salad is everything a salad needs to be, light, quick, and refreshing. It's the perfect salad for a hot summer day.
Agree with you Kelly.
This recipe is great for a BBQ side or any potluck party to take along. I love the addition of jalapenos - gorgeous!
Thank you
I'm always hunting for new ways to use corn and this looks like the ultimate corn salad <3
Very kind Kacie!
What a refreshing and vibrant dish! I would eat that for lunch/brunch dinner and a snack! The kids can eat cereal...lol! Love it!
Haha. Absolutely! Thanks
This is my kind of salad with all the great colorful ingredients. Right now all the best corn is showing up at farmer's markets so this is a perfect recipe to try.
Thanks Jere, glad you liked the recipe.
I love the colors and the presentation of the salad. I also love the addition of jalapeños to add some spice.
Jalapenos are my fav Erika. Thanks.
I'm not a big fan of olives but I'm loving everything else in this corn salad! And you're right, it's a perfect snack or an appetizer. This would be a big hit at our tailgating this football season
Thank you so much Karyl.
Corn is always a good idea during the summer. This corn salad is making me drool over here!!
Thanks Cathleen
Love this salad and how vibrant it looks. The combination sounds refreshing and perfect for summertime.
Thanks Linda.
This reminds me of Indian corn chaat which I loved so much during my visit to Bangalore. Thanks for sharing.
How lovely to hear that Sophie. I adore chaats too. Thanks.
This corn salad looks so fresh and healthy! I've actually never made a salad without oil but am dying to try your recipe! Love that you have used jalapenos!
Thanks and hope you like it.
If there is anything better than corn salad that would this no oil corn salad 🙂 Fantastic ingredients, and just a great dish to serve at home!
Thanks Mirlene
I love such a hearty and easy dishes to have when I have a time constraint. This corn salad looks healthy and delicious.
Thank you
This looks like one of those snacks that I would not be able to stop eating! Love how simple it is to make, too
I agree, pretty simple!
Love this colourful and nutritious salad. I make something similar . I add raw mango minus the olives and Zatar. Your version looks great too. A guilt free snack for sure.
Thank you Preethi.