Corn Salad with Fresh Basil
Corn Salad with Fresh Basil is the perfect summer salad with basil, zucchini, and tomatoes with a light and refreshing vinaigrette dressing.
Corn Tomato Basil Salad
This corn salad with basil recipe has the perfect balance of crunch and flavor and can be completely customized to your liking. It’s a great way to use all your favorite vegetables in one big bowl of deliciousness!
This salad is perfect for making in a large batch and grabbing some out of the fridge when you need a quick meal or a healthy snack, similar to my Dill Pickle Pasta Salad.
Ingredients you need to make corn salad
Salad
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- Corn on the cob (may substitute frozen corn, if needed )
- Zucchini
- Bell peppers, any color
- Grape or cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil
- You may want to personalize this by adding your favorite veggies like avocados, broccoli, onions, feta, or blue cheese
Dressing
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper
- Chicken base paste, optional (such as Better Than Bouillon Concentrate)
How to make marinated corn salad
Make the vinaigrette dressing (aka the marinade). Cook the corn on the cob.
Cut the corn off the cob, then char it a bit in a hot skillet; reserve.
Saute the vegetables in the same skillet for just a minute or two. Make sure not to overcook or your veggies will be too soft.
Chop the fresh basil. Place all the salad ingredients into a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the desired amount of dressing, then toss gently to combine.
Serve at once. Store leftovers in the fridge.
Using frozen corn or canned corn
Yes! I like to combine frozen sweet corn and canned white shoe peg corn, but any type of corn works just fine. If using canned corn, drain it very well before adding to the recipe.
I will say that this salad is ESPECIALLY DELICIOUS when you use corn that cuts off the cob, so if you have time for that, please do so!
Using Better Than Bouillon Concentrate
Better Than Bouillon Concentrate is a broth concentrate that I keep in my fridge at all times. It comes in many different varieties/flavors, such as beef, chicken, shrimp, ham, vegetable, etc.
When you need some broth for a recipe, you can spoon some of the concentrate right from the jar to make a rich broth in whatever quantity you prefer.
Using dried basil leaves instead
Honestly, fresh basil MAKES this salad. It’s the perfect complement to all the vegetables (especially the corn!) and adds a TON of flavor to the salad. Hold off on making this salad until you have fresh basil on hand – it’s worth the wait!
Adding Cheese
I’ve added feta crumbles before – totally delicious! If you’re a fan of blue cheese, I think a few crumbles of that would also be yummy. Or, add a bit of fresh Parmesan or Asiago.
More favorite salad recipes to enjoy
Because I’m so summer salad crazy, I’m going to share some of my favs so you can enjoy them too. Corn Salad with Chili Cheese Fritos is creamy and crunchy at the same time. Delta Cornbread Salad is a gorgeous salad because it’s layered into a tall trifle dish so you an show it off.
Tortellini Pasta Salad with cheese tortellini, tomatoes, basil, and corn in a light vinaigrette dressing is the perfect summer salad, too. Along with my BLT Pasta Salad.
Corn Salad with Fresh Basil
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4-5 ears fresh corn on the cob, shucked and cleaned (may substitute 2 cups frozen sweet corn or canned corn, if desired)
- 1 medium orange sweet bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, diced
- 1 medium green sweet ball pepper, seeds and membranes removed, diced
- 2 small zucchini, skin-on, diced
- 10 oz. grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 2 medium nicely ripened avocados, peeled and diced
- 2 Tbs. sliced fresh basil
Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
- 1 tsp. Better than Bouillon concentrate, I used chicken flavor
Instructions
Make the Vinaigrette Dressing
- Prepare the dressing by placing all the ingredients into a jar or dressing cruet with a tight-fitting lid; shake well to combine; reserve.
Prepare the Corn
- Place a medium-size cutting board into a large, rimmed baking sheet. Holding the ear of corn vertically on the cutting board, carefully use a knife to slice down along the cob, cutting away the kernels, rotating the cob as you go.
- As you work, move the corn kernels from the cutting board onto the baking sheet so they are out of your way. The baking sheet also helps contain corn kernels that have a tendency to “jump” around as you remove them from the cob.
- Repeat with the remaining ears of corn.
Char the Corn
- Over medium-high heat, preheat a heavy-bottom skillet; add a quick swish of olive oil.
- When the oil is nicely hot, add the corn in a single layer. Don’t stir the corn so it can char a bit on the bottom, 1-2 minutes. Gently toss the corn, then remove from the skillet and let cool.
Saute the Vegetables
- In the same skillet over medium-high heat, preheat the skillet once more. When the skillet is nicely hot, add the peppers and zucchini; cook for just 1 minute, then remove from heat and let cool.
Assemble the Salad
- To a large serving bowl, add the cooked and cooled vegetables along with the crushed garlic, tomatoes, avocados, and fresh basil.
- Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette over the salad ingredients; gently toss to combine. Serve at once – salad is best served at room temperature. Store leftovers in refrigeration.