This easy corn and tomato salad uses fresh corn kernels, grape tomatoes, fresh basil and mint, lime juice and olive oil. That's it! Serve it at BBQs and potlucks. Take it on a picnic. Or make as a great last-minute side dish to a weeknight dinner.
All you need is 5 ingredients (plus olive oil, salt and pepper) and 15 minutes, and you've got this popular corn and tomato salad done and ready to serve.
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It's going to be a hot summer for a lot of us this year. Even here in the mountains at 7100 feet above sea level, we're all talking about it. So it's also going to be a summer of salads. I've already been playing with various salads recipes featuring fresh summer produce, but this Corn and Tomato Salad is my favorite so far.
Well, that and my Quinoa and Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes . It's tossed with lemon and dill, and is another of my favorite salads to bring to potlucks.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Make it in 15 minutes, including shucking the corn.
- There's no cooking required.
- It's vegan.
- It only needs 5 ingredients.
- And lastly, this salad is very flexible for different taste preferences. Use fresh dill instead. Add red onion and cucumbers, if you want. Or add white beans to the mix to turn it into a vegan main dish.
- Great side dish for your next summer BBQ as it goes with so many dishes. This side dish also goes well with these Sloppy Joe Sliders and for a brunch menu, serve this summer corn salad with this chiles rellenos egg casserole!
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions for this easy summer corn salad recipe, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Corn - fresh, white sweet corn is your best bet for this salad, since it is used raw in the salad.
- Tomatoes - Either cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Fresh basil
- Fresh mint
- Lime juice - either freshly squeezed limes or purchased lime juice is fine.
- Olive oil - use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping soooo much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this corn and tomato salad are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Prep the corn. Remove the husks from the corn, and slice the kernels from the cobs.
(See the best method for doing this in the below Prep Tips section.)
Step 2
Prep the tomatoes, basil and mint. Slice the grape tomatoes in half, and thinly slice the herbs.
(See the best method for doing thinly slicing the herbs in the below Prep Tips section.)
Step 3
Dress the salad. Add the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss with a large spoon.
Step 4
Serve. Serve at room temperature.
👩🍳 Preparation Tips
How to cut corn kernels from a cob
There are a few ways to remove corn kernels from a cob, and I think I've tried them all. The challenge is to keep the kernels from bouncing across the counter and landing on the floor.
- One method is to stand a cob up in a shallow bowl. Slice off the kernels using a sharp Chef's knife in a downward motion. It works, but my kernels don't always fall into the bowl, or stay there.
- Therefore, my favorite way is to lay the cob flat on a cutting board, and slice a sharp Chef's knife downward on the side of the cob. Roll the cob a little to reveal new kernels, and repeat. Do this until all the kernels are sliced off.
When all the kernels are removed, run the knife along the cob to squeeze out the corn "milk" off of the cob. This gets added to the salad for extra flavor, along with the kernels.
How to chop basil and mint leaves
- Pile as many leaves of the herbs on top of each other, and then roll them into a fat cigar.
- Hold the "cigar" with your left hand, and thinly slice it with a sharp chef's knife. Turn the pile of thinly sliced leaves 90˚, hold the pile with your left hand coarsely slice them with your right. It's nearly impossible to slice them thinly the second time.
- To get the herbs more finely chopped, keep the top of the knife (towards the tip) pressed against the cutting board, place your left hand on the top edge of the knife to stabilize the knife, firmly grip the handle with your right hand, and quickly chop the herbs into small pieces.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
This salad is very flexible for different preferences. Here are some ideas.
- Cucumber - scrape out the seeds and dice.
- Red onion - finely diced.
- Fresh dill - coarsely chopped
- Feta cheese - use a brined feta. Or keep it vegan with Follow Your Heart non-dairy feta.
- Serrano pepper - remove the seeds and pith unless you want a lot of heat added to the salad.
- Black beans - add beans for a main dish, along with extra dressing. Add one hour of marinating time on the counter to allow the dressing to soak into the beans.
🙋♀️ Corn and Tomato Salad FAQ
Can I make this salad with cooked corn?
Yes. Some people find that raw corn disagrees with them. In that case, make this salad with simmered, steamed or grilled corn. No other changes would be needed.
Can I use frozen corn?
In a pinch, yes, but the texture won't be quite as fresh as in-season white corn kernels.
And if you have a lot of corn on hand, you might want to check out these healthy gluten free corn fritters with zucchini. They're a hit with any crowd.
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Corn and Tomato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ears sweet, white corn
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more if preferred
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Optional Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegan feta cheese, or dairy-based feta in brine
- ½ minced Serrano pepper, seeds and pith removed
- 2 cups cooked black beans,
Instructions
- Prep the corn. Remove the husks from the corn, and slice the kernels from the cobs. (See the best method for doing this in the Prep Tips in the post.)
- Prep the tomatoes, basil and mint. Slice the grape tomatoes in half, and thinly slice the herbs.(See the best method for doing thinly slicing the herbs in the Prep Tips in the post.)
- Dress the salad. Add the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss with a large spoon.
- Serve. Serve at room temperature.
Tara
Such a fun and flavorful summer salad! I don't use corn nearly enough. Love the tips on how to easily remove the kernels from the cob.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I had kernels bouncing all over the place at times, and this has proven to be my best way to slice them off from the cob 🙂
Elizabeth
This is such a gorgeous summer salad, and that white corn is so pretty! Thanks for an awesome recipe, and I hope the weather isn't too hot for you!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much! It finally cooled off a little, but this salad is still on a weekly rotation here!
Alejandra
This looks like a fantastic side salad for a barbecue dinner or a light summer lunch all on its own. I’ll be trying this one out!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I hope you like it! It's been my go-to salad for pot lucks this summer!
Amanda Dixon
This salad turned out great! The basil and mint added such a nice fresh flavor, and it was so quick and easy to put together.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so excited you liked it so well! I add fresh mint to just about everything right now 🙂
Beth
My hubby and I love this salad. Such a refreshing and tasty side! Goes so well with out bbq chicken we had the other night too! Definitely making this again!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so excited you guys loved this salad! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Sandhya S
This is such a refreshing salad loaded with corn and tomatoes. Best of all it takes only 15 minutes. We throughly enjoyed it for a light lunch.