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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Vidya Narayan