Garden-Fresh Corn Salad
This fresh corn salad recipe features raw sweet corn, fresh herbs, cucumber, radishes, jalapeño, tomato and more! It's the perfect summertime salad.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 3, 2024
This super fresh corn salad recipe is bursting with fresh-from-the-garden goodness. This salad features fresh sweet corn, cucumber, radishes, tomato, herbs and jalapeño tossed in a simple vinaigrette. Creamy feta or avocado brings it all together.
This salad would make a beautiful presentation at your summertime get-togethers or on your dinner table. It goes well with grilled options and balances out heavier main dishes. I think it would look cute as an appetizer, served in small glasses or ramekins.
It’s been so hot in Kansas City lately that I’ve fully embraced raw summer produce. I’m a big fan of raw sweet corn, but you could grill your corn first if you’d like some smoky flavor. This corn salad recipe is delicious either way.
Fresh Sweet Corn Tips
Buy fresh corn and use it promptly. Freshly harvested corn has the sweetest, most delicious flavor, and it loses that flavor as time goes on.
How to cut corn off the cob: I find it easiest to just lay the corn down on the cutting board. Slice off a strip of kernels lengthwise with a sharp knife, rotate so the flat side is against the cutting board, and repeat as necessary.
Watch How to Make Garden-Fresh Corn Salad
Craving more light and fresh summer recipes? Here are a few of my favorites, no cooking required:
- Colorful Strawberry Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Mediterranean Bean Salad
- Fresh Corn Salsa
- Gaby’s Cucumber Salad
- Creamy Avocado Dip
- Fresh Black Bean Salad
Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! I appreciate your feedback so much. Let me know what you’re craving this summer, please. ♥
Garden-Fresh Corn Salad
This fresh corn salad recipe features raw sweet corn, fresh herbs, cucumber, radishes, jalapeño, tomato and more! It’s the perfect summertime salad. Recipe yields 4 to 6 salads.
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw corn kernels (from about 4 cobs)
- 1 medium tomato, chopped (about ½ cup)
- ¾ cup chopped green onion
- 1 cup quartered and thinly sliced cucumber (preferably English cucumber)
- ½ cup chopped fresh leafy herbs (choose from basil, dill, mint, parsley and/or cilantro)
- ½ cup chopped radishes
- 1 medium jalapeño, very thinly sliced (omit if sensitive to spice)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, to taste
- 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese or 1 ripe avocado, diced
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl, combine the corn, tomato, green onion, cucumber, herbs (don’t skimp on the herbs!), radishes, and jalapeño.
- In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and several twists of black pepper. Whisk until blended, then pour it over the salad. Toss to combine.
- Add most of the feta or avocado (reserve some for garnish), and gently toss. Taste, and add more vinegar for more tang (I usually add another full tablespoon), or salt for more overall flavor. Garnish with the remaining feta or avocado.
- Serve promptly, or chill for later. This salad keeps well for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, covered.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Use avocado instead of feta. If you’re missing feta’s salty punch, you could add some thinly sliced Kalamata olives.
Corn options: I love raw sweet corn here, but you could also use frozen corn, defrosted and drained. Want more smoky flavor? Grill your corn before making this salad!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi,
I bought your cookbook and have used many of your recipes over the past year, which I love! Just noticed you are from Kansas City, MO and we just moved here from Brooklyn, NY and we are loving it here.
Thanks so much for your support! Welcome to Kansas City. :) There are a ton of great things about Kansas City.
This was delicious. this was easy and simple with ingredients you typically have in the house. Thanks for posting this is definitely going in my recipe of file
Hey! Kate. Just subscribed to your newsletter and I’m glad to have received your new recipe shortly after. It looks great! I love the brightness of this salad. And I can almost taste its freshness from the screen!
This is also the kind of salad I’d make in a burrito with. Either in a gluten-free tortilla or a collard green leaf to keep it 100% garden-like.
You’re right about cutting the corn laying down (your second photo seems to be missing); it works so much better than having it standing up. I used to it this way before but thank God I had a good knife to accelerate the pain of removing the kernels. Can’t wait to try your salad!
Thanks for subscribing! Let me know what you think about the salad, Naiby. I love to hear from you!
Love your recipes! However, I can’t see the nutritional info…
Hi Robin, You need to click to expand the nutrition label. If you still can’t see it, make sure you allow cookies enabled on your browser to allow the plug-in. Hope this helps!
Tried this recipe and it tasted so fresh and delish. Thanks so much for the recipe:)))))
I stick the stalk part of corn into the hole of a bundt pan. It provides a stable base, and the pan catches the corn as you cut it off the cob. I forget where I found that method, but it has really worked well for me. I’ll definitely try this recipe, I love using fresh kernels of corn.
It’s a great trick for sure! Thanks so much, Naomi.
I tweaked your recipe (it’s a great recipe) and added a chipotle honey dressing and lime juice instead of the vinegar. Used cilantro for the fresh herb. Thank you for this.
You’re welcome, Lori! I appreciate your review.
You did it again!!!! This salad is delicious! I used a bundt pan to get the corn kernels off of fresh farmers market corn! I just took my first bite and it was delicious! What a great summer treat!
Well, thank you Marta! Thanks for your review.
Delicious! I happened to have pretty much all the ingredients at home last evening so I put this salad together to have with dinner. Very easy and so tasty! I used red onion instead of the green because that’s what I had plus I chopped the jalapeno pretty small. It was perfect to have with my veggie burger.
Sounds delicious, Annika! I appreciate the review.
I LOVE your recipes! I have probably tried 15 to 20 of them and they are all delicious! I just bought your book and will probably buy more for my family. Thanks again!!
Thank you! I love to hear that. I appreciate the review.
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for months now just waiting to see fresh corn at the farmers market. I used fresh herbs from my garden which were mostly parsley and basil. I substituted lime juice for the vinegar and the end result was fantastic. I’m excited to enjoy this salad over the next couple of days. Thanks Kate!
I waited quite a while to purchase your cookbook, I love your blog but couldn’t really justify yet another cookbook purchase. I finally caved and bought it because I’ve never come across a Cookie & Kate recipe I didn’t like and I’m so glad I did! The book is absolutely gorgeous, I’ve had it for about 3 weeks now and I have yet to put it away as I’m always reading it. So far my favorite recipe was the Thai mango slaw, the combination of flavours is amazing and eating mango always feels like a treat, especially up here in northern Canada where “exotic foods” can be pretty pricy. So thank you! :)
I’m so glad you got it! Thanks so much. :)
Yum! I made something very similar to this the other day. I LOVE using raw corn this time of year. Why make your kitchen all hot and muggy when fresh corn is perfectly good without boiling it into oblivion?! So good!
I’m glad you agree! I don’t know why more people haven’t tried it.
Delicious! Downright delicious! Will definitely make again.
Wonderful, Beverly! Thanks for your review.
It’s 111 degrees today in Tucson, Arizona so this salad looks so refreshing and delicious! Do you have any tips for how best to remove corn silk? I’m also a big fan of raw sweet corn but I have trouble getting rid of all those wispy fibers and I don’t like eating them.
I usually just peel it away, but you can also use a vegetable brush to help it along as well. Hope this helps!
I’m always looking for complete protein, low-fat, tasty salads that are not boring. Thanks for sharing the one…
You’re welcome!
This was a super yummy salad! I used only cilantro for herbs. Will be making this one again and again!
Wonderful, Katie! Thanks for your review.
Enjoyed this salad, so easy to make. The raw corn was very good. And I’m so happy to say that I have your cookbook now. It arrived this week, in France. Thanks for the tip on the reduced price. :)
Hooary! I love that you got my cookbook too. Let me know what you think. :) Thanks for trying this salad, too!
Hi Kate
Thank you for this delicious fresh and tasty recipe!! I used basil and oregano from my garden and my taste buds are so happy right now. I will definitely make again.
Fresh garden herbs, sounds fantastic! Thanks for your review.
Oh my goodness. This recipe is amazing for a summer barbeque or event. The freshness of all of the ingredients definitely adds to the end product. We have having it for a pizza party tonight and then taking it to a neighborhood potluck tomorrow. Delish!
Hooray! I’m so glad it was a hit. Thanks for the review.
Easiest way to get the corn off the cob is put the cob straight up and down in the middle of a bundt cake pan. Cutting off the kernels they fall right in the pan. Just easily rotate the cob.
Thanks for sharing, James!
This is absolutely delicious. Incredibly fresh and perfect for summer. We grilled the corn to give it a bit of a Smokey flavor, and used a habenero due to a jalapeño allergy.
Cookie and Kate never fails.
This salad was so fresh and so amazing!
Thank you! If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it.
A delicious corn recipe. Very tasty and healthy too!
Thank you!
So pretty and simple!
Thank you!
Made this last night and oh my goodness it was so good! I served it as a side to the Vegetarian Tacos (https://capital-fly.pro/2018/epic-vegetarian-tacos-recipe/%3C/a%3E%29 and it was perfect. I only wish I would’ve discovered this recipe at the beginning of summer!!
I just love your recipes so much. Just the look of it makes me wanna try it. Awesome recipes and I started baking very recently and I’m soooo new to this. I try to bake healthy and your recipes r my only ones so far. Thanks
You’re welcome! Thanks for your review, Vidya!
I made it for a potluck and everyone loved it. They loved your cupcakes too. For this salad.. I didn’t add d vinegar and I sautéed d corn little since v had kids and also I added shredded carrot. It was sooooo yummy.. with avocado.
I made this salad and its sooooooooo tasty and healthy. I didnt have any green onions so i put red onions instead…….
That works, too! Thanks, Melody. I’m glad you liked it.
Which fresh herbs did you use? A little of each one listed, or 1/2 cup of just one?
I used equal parts of each, total of 1/2 cup combined. Hope this helps, Liz!
Love this! Decided which ingredients I liked and used those, and I also added the baked falafel from Cookie and Kate on top instead of avocado. Great on a hot summer day!
All sounds like a great combination, Josie! Thanks for sharing and for your review!
Thank you for this delicious salad recipe, Kate, and for a great idea for how to serve it, Josie! What a tasty, simple, healthy dinner we just had (thanks also to Trader Joe’s falafel mix). As some of the commenters mentioned, this salad is very nice made with lime juice. I left out cucumbers as I have noticed in the past that they tend to make leftovers watery.
Was looking for a delicious way to use up basil and parsley from my garden and came across this recipe in my email!
I had pregnancy cravings for something like this and it’s delicious! Will definitely be making again and bringing to future cookouts!
That’s a great craving to have during pregnancy! Congrats!
Really good! I had leftover steamed ears of corn from another meal so I used them. Delicious! Another hit for Cookie and Kate!
Wonderful, Kim! I’m excited you liked it.
Is it possible to use thawed frozen corn for this recipe if non-GMO, organic corn isn’t available?
I just did! I’ve made this many times with fresh farmers market corn which I caramelize a little in an iron skillet before cutting off the cob. But tonight I had everything except the fresh corn so I tossed frozen corn kernels in a hot skillet and stirred occasionally until a little caramelized in spots and the salad was still perfect! Also, I don’t bother to make the dressing separately; I toss all the salad ingredients with vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic and then add the olive oil last and give it another toss. You can’t mess this up. I don’t even measure anymore.
It’s best with fresh corn, but you can make that work.
Definitely the fresh is best! I just made it again tonight with fresh (I think I’v made it every week since I ran across this recipe!), but in a pinch, the frozen works and my family did not complain. This recipe is such a keeper!
Yum yum yum! Made this salad for dinner tonight as I had leftover grilled corn that I wanted to use up. I used lots of fresh cilantro and parsley. Seriously the perfect summer salad! Paired with a salmon burger it was delicious. Definitely adding this to my summer rotation.
Great to hear, Michele!
Loved this! Saw fresh corn in the store today, and knew I had to try this salad. It was lovely!
Growing up, we always had so much fresh corn available from local farms in August, we’d get sick of all of the corn on the cob. This is such a great solution — such a flavorful and fresh way to enjoy the delicious fresh corn right now!
(Was delicious with 1/4 c flat leaf parsley and 1/4 c cilantro)
Thank you for sharing, Kathryn!
This was fantastic! Only change I made was to grill the corn! Made the day before was a huge hit!
Thank you for your review, Lori!
Delicious! Only change I made was to grill the corn first!
Great way to make it to your taste! Thanks for your review, Lori.
Excellent summer salad! And so easy too! I have made it several times and it has been enjoyed by all ages. I follow the recipe pretty much exactly with only minor changes depending upon what vegetables or herbs I have handy. Sometimes I use sweet or red onions instead of radishes, add treats such as fresh peas from the garden or substitute goat cheese instead of feta….or use no cheese at all if serving vegans. Thank you for such a good idea!
Thank you for sharing, Jan!
I could not locate the nutritional information for this recipe.
Hi Beth! Do you allow cookies in your browser? Also, make sure you allow pop-ups. If you are still having issues, let me know!
I’ve made this twice in the past two weeks for guests, and each time I’ve been asked to share the recipe! A wonderful, fresh, summer salad. I should mention I didn’t use feta, avocado, or jalapeño and it was still a hit.
I love it! Thanks, Helen.
Oh my gosh I love this salad. I never review anything but it is just so good! The taste of summer in all of its raw herby goodness.
So fresh and delicious!!! The recipe is easy and so flavorful! Thank you!
This was absolutely delicious! I didn’t add the feta and used exclusively cilantro. Also added the jalapeño (minus seeds). Had two HUGE helpings, as did my husband. Definitely a keeper.
i made this salad on Sat, having read that it will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, and i needed it for Sunday. But by Sunday it was limp and dreadful! hardly any got taken from our table of 16 people dining! i put it back in the fridge, and when it was 3 days old it went plop in the bin! i don’t know why if you say it should have kept. the only thing i omitted was the fresh herbs, and the jalapeno. be glad of your comments.
Such a tasty and fresh summer salad! I didn’t have radish, so used some red bell pepper. Skipped the cheese/avocado and added lots of fresh dill, cilantro, and parsley. Perfect for dinner on a warm day!
Delish! A nice fresh side dish for when tomatoes and cukes are coming in strong. We’d accidentally already eaten all of our corn on the cob but canned corn worked great, as did white onion substituted for green. I also used chives as the herb and served it with guacamole on the side. You could throw a can of black beans in to give it some additional protein.
I just made this salad. It is so fresh and delicious! I roasted the corn on the grill. Great suggestion about the herbs. I followed the recipe and felt I was putting in too much. Not the case. The herbs I used were cilantro, parsley and oregano. All if the flavors blend very well. My husband tried a bite before our guests arrived. He wants more-he can’t wait. Again, delicious!
This is a terrific salad recipe! Made it tonight with the first fresh corn of the season, parsley and basil from my garden, and new cucumbers. Thanks!
The feta makes this soooooo good! Can’t wait to be able to use my own garden veggies in this later this summer.
Delicious! Made as is with avocado. I used lime juice and a little red wine vinegar.
I wasn’t expecting this to taste so good! I added a can of kidney beans for protein and flavored it up w more vinegar and salt. Delicious! Wasn’t thinking the fresh corn was necessary, but it is! Thank you!
This was SO good!!!!!
Wow. Just when I thought I couldn’t fully enjoy another tomato, cucumber, or corn after an overdosing summer of them, I wander upon this recipe! This recipe is perfect. I didn’t have a radish, so I used red and orange sweet peppers instead, and it turned out amazing.
Wonderful, Michelle! I’m excited you loved this one. Summer produce is so good!
Thanks for the great recipe! I used cooked corn, added a can of black beans, and made it oil-free by adding a bit of lime juice and Bragg liquid aminos. I had all the veggies on hand from my garden or purchased from the local farmer’s market. Served with avocado. So good!! Everyone in the house agrees :)