This delectable no mayo corn salad brings it all together with fresh corn, sweet red bell peppers, sun-ripened tomatoes, cilantro, minced jalapeno, chopped scallions, and feta cheese, all in a lightly sweetened lime vinaigrette.
This corn salad is the perfect side dish for so many main courses. It goes beautifully with Grilled Marinated Chicken or Dry Rub Sweet Barbecue Pork Tenderloin.
Do you like corn? We are huge corn lovers! There is nothing better than sweet fresh corn. This super easy corn salad comes together so quickly and tastes so incredibly fresh. If fresh corn is unavailable, you can substitute good-quality canned corn or frozen corn.
How to make Corn Salad
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, ground cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously. Set the vinaigrette aside while you work on the salad.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir to dissolve. Carefully add the corn to the boiling water, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the corn sit for about ten minutes. Plunge the corn into cold water to stop the cooking process. Once the corn has cooled, cut it from the cob.
Grab a large bowl and add the cooked corn, diced red peppers, grape tomato halves, cilantro, green onions, minced jalapenos, feta, and red onion. Drizzle with the lime vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- If at all possible, use fresh corn. Either white, yellow, or bi-color corn. Boil the corn and cut the corn kernels right off the cob.
- In the off-season, it is perfectly fine to use frozen corn. If using frozen corn, defrost, rinse, and drain.
- For optimal flavor, don’t overcook the corn. Corn cooks fairly fast, and you want your kernels to have a little bit of a sweet, crisp corn taste.
- If you are a cilantro hater, substitute other fresh herbs like parsley or basil. It will be equally delicious!
- In a hurry? Make the lime vinaigrette the day before and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Dice and cut your vegetables small. You want all your vegetables to complement the corn.
- Try adding diced avocado or English cucumbers.
- Don’t skip the feta cheese. It really pulls the whole salad together and is the icing on the cake. If you don’t like feta, try cotija cheese or Parmesan cheese.
What is the difference between white and yellow corn?
There is very little nutritional or taste difference between these two corns. Some people swear that white corn is sweeter, and just as many people claim that yellow corn is sweeter. Yellow corn has a naturally occurring pigment that makes it slightly higher in beta-carotene, giving it a little more of a nutritional edge over white corn. Other than that, the difference is in the color of the kernels. White, yellow, and bi-color corn are all delicious in this recipe. There is no corn color bias here.
Other corn recipes you will love!
Corn Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- Lime Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Corn Salad
- 5 ears of corn shucked and de-silked
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 red pepper cut in small dice
- 1 cup grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1 jalapeno minced seeds and veins removed
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey, ground cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sugar and lemon juice; stir to dissolve. Carefully add the corn to the boiling water, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the corn sit for 10 minutes. Plunge cooked corn into ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. When the corn has cooled, cut the kernels from the cob.
- Grab a large bowl and add the cooked corn, diced red peppers, grape tomato halves, cilantro, green onions, minced jalapenos, feta, and red onion. Drizzle with the lime vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Notes
- If at all possible, use fresh corn. Either white, yellow, or bi-color corn. Simply boil the corn and cut the corn kernels right off the cob.
- Don't overcook the corn. Corn cooks fairly fast, and you want your kernels to have a little bit of a sweet, crisp corn taste.
- If you are a cilantro hater, substitute fresh parsley. It is equally delicious!
- In a hurry? Make the lime vinaigrette the day before and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Dice and cut your vegetables small. You want all your vegetables to complement the corn.
- Don't skip the feta cheese. It really pulls the whole salad together and is the icing on the cake.
Nutrition
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Sammie
I love how the sweet corn provides a perfect balance to the tangy dressing, while the crisp bell peppers and juicy cherry tomatoes add a refreshing crunch. The herbs and spices elevate the dish to a whole new level, making it a true crowd-pleaser. Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked it! The pleasure is all mine, Sammie!
Tayler
I made this corn salad for 4th of July and it was a huge hit! Thanks so much for sharing!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine!
Jen
I love how flavorful this vinaigrette is! A new staple at my house!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jen! So glad that you like it!
Sisley
So fresh and full of flavour. We added a lot of extra chillies and it worked perfectly.