This is the best, most flavorful corn salad recipe I’ve ever made. It’s incredibly simple to prepare yet tastes absolutely amazing. I love the sweet crunch of the corn with the tangy lime juice and briny feta cheese!
I’ve fallen hard for this easy corn salad recipe. You’ll use fresh, raw corn to make it, which makes it quick and simple to prepare. Plus, the fresh corn stays crisp and sweet in the salad. It’s seriously delicious. I’ve served this salad to friends on a few occasions, and everyone is always amazed at how good it is.
This fresh corn salad is pretty much the epitome of summer salads! It’s perfect for your next cookout and would be amazing served next to our super tender ribs, these mouthwatering carnitas, and even my favorite bean burgers! For another salad with corn, try our corn and black bean salad.
Key Ingredients
- Corn: When we originally shared this corn salad recipe, many of our readers didn’t know that you can eat raw corn. I’m here to tell you that you can and that it’s incredible! Try fresh corn in this recipe, and you’ll never look back.
- Bell pepper and green onion: Add color and fresh flavor.
- Tarragon: I use a little fresh tarragon in this salad, which is delicious with the lime juice. If you have a hard time finding it, leave it out (there isn’t really anything similar to the flavor of fresh tarragon).
- Feta cheese: I use crumbled feta cheese in this corn salad, which I love. However, you can try cotija cheese for more of a Mexican corn salad.
- Lime: Fresh lime juice is the base of our easy salad dressing. It’s zippy and wonderful with the sweet corn.
- Sour cream: Adds a little creaminess (I only use 1 tablespoon). You can substitute mayonnaise or plain yogurt.
How to Make Corn Salad
First, you’ll prep your corn. Remove the outer green husks and the silk strands, then place the corn cob vertically on a cutting board, holding it firmly with one hand.
With a sharp knife, carefully slice downward along the length of the cob, cutting off the corn kernels. Try to cut close to the cob to get the most kernels. Continue rotating the cob and cutting off the kernels until all the corn has been removed. Watch me do this in the video!
Once you have corn kernels, toss them into a bowl with the bell pepper, green onions, tarragon, and feta cheese. Then add fresh lime juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and the sour cream. Toss well, and then refrigerate until ready to eat. Letting this corn salad sit in the fridge for a bit gives the ingredients time to mingle, making it taste even better.
What to Serve with Corn Salad
Enjoy this easy corn salad as a side or topping (like salsa). It’s excellent added to tacos, rice bowls, and burritos. It’s also a perfect side dish and works well with grilled meats and veggies. I love it next to grilled steak and chicken. It’s also lovely with Cajun shrimp, baked salmon, and this grilled swordfish with coriander and lime.
Serve with other sides like tomato salad, potato salad, bean salad, and cucumber salad.
The Best Corn Salad
- PREP
- TOTAL
This easy corn salad recipe is a family favorite. It’s truly one of the tastiest corn salad recipes I’ve tried. This salad is crunchy, sweet, tangy, and just a little bit creamy. We love it!
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
3 medium ears corn, kernels cut off the cobs, 1 ½ cups
Half large red bell pepper, finely chopped, 1/2 cup
3 green onions, thinly sliced, 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 ounces (60g) crumbled feta cheese, 1/3 cup
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lime juice, 2 medium limes
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 turns on a pepper grinder
Directions
1In a large bowl, add the salad ingredients. Gently toss them together, being careful not to bruise the herbs or smash the corn.
2Once combined, let the salad sit for about an hour to marinate. The flavors will come together during this time, making the salad taste even better.
3When ready to serve, give the salad another gentle toss and enjoy. Keep the corn salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Sour cream: One tablespoon of sour cream in the salad helps the dressing stick to the corn, resulting in a game-changing combination. If you don’t have sour cream, Greek yogurt or mayonnaise are possible substitutes.
- Storing: Fresh corn salad lasts up to 3 days when stored in an air-tight container in the fridge, making this a perfect summer make-ahead salad! I do not recommend freezing this salad.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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This corn salad is AMAZING! I saw it six weeks before an annual dinner with friends and went to the garden center and bought a small French Tarragon plant because you said it was the best. By the time the dinner came around the plant was big enough for a double recipe. I’ll be keeping French Tarragon in my herb garden from now on. I’m going to make a big bowl of this to take to my CSA annual pumpkin pick and potluck. Usually, we print out recipe cards for folks but I’m just going to a larger one crediting Adam and JoAnne InspiredTaste.net THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT RECIPES!!!
You are so welcome! 🙂
I had my doubts but tried it anyway…this is delicious! Made it without the tarragon because I couldn’t find it in store. Had to stop myself from eating the entire bowl. Highly recommended!