Savor summer’s best flavors in every bite with this Tomato Corn Salad. Fresh sweet corn straight off the cob is combined with ripe juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, crunchy cucumbers, and peppery basil, then tossed with a tangy buttermilk dressing. This easy side dish is ready in just 30 minutes, and packed with healthy vitamins and nutrients. It’s is the perfect companion for your favorite grilled recipes, to bring along to a potluck, or enjoy all on its own.
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Oh HELLO there summer in a bowl. So nice to meet you and eat you and love on you straight through September.
It is *officially* corn season, and this tomato corn salad is one of the easiest, sweetest summer salads you can, and should, make.
Fresh sweet corn straight from cobs, ripe juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and scads of fresh basil are combined with a tangy buttermilk dressing that is, as the kids say these days, just so very, very extra.
This salad is the perfect side dish for just about anything (we had it with grilled steak) and makes a great picnic or potluck option. But it’s also entirely appropriate to eat a bowl all on it’s own and call it dinner. Or lunch. And a few spoonfuls of the leftovers make for a delightful midnight snack.
How to Cook Corn for Tomato Corn Salad
There are a number of ways to cook the corn for this salad, and each are delicious in their own right. Grilled is our favorite for that slightly smoky flavor (plus one less dish to clean!).
- Grilled: grill the corn whole in their husks over high heat. Turn a quarter of a turn every 5 or so minutes, until the husks are charred and the corn is tender, about 20 minutes total.
- Boiled: remove the husks and silks from the corn. Drop the whole cobs into boiling water, cover, reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer, and boil for 5-7 minutes, until the corn is tender but still bright.
- Sautéed: slice the kernels from the cob. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium low heat until shimmering. Add the kernels and sautee, stirring frequently, until the corn is tender, but not soft, about 10 minutes.
- Raw: Skip the cooking entirely and make this salad with raw kernels! Simply slice the kernels from the cobs, and proceed with the salad.
How to Make Buttermilk Vinaigrette
Put the oil and vinegar down, and take a few minutes to make this creamy, tangy buttermilk dressing for your tomato corn salad.
I like to make this dressing in the food processor. This ensures the garlic gets nice and pulverized, and the dressing turns out creamy, but not too thick.
Combine buttermilk, garlic, sour cream or greek yogurt, lemon juice or white vinegar, some dijon mustard, salt, and a few turns of cracked black pepper. Then blend it real good. Taste the dressing. Too tart? Add more sour cream or greek yogurt. Too rich? Add more lemon juice or vinegar.
Add some chopped chives to the dressing and give it a few pulses to incorporate them. You’re done. Wasn’t that easy?
The recipe below makes a generous portion of dressing, and you’ll only need half. Leftovers keep in the fridge for about a week, and will become thicker as it chills. Drizzled the dressing over your favorite green salad or use as a dip for sliced veggies.
How to Make Tomato Corn Salad Step-by-Step
Whether your grill, sautee, or boil the corn, you’re only thirty minutes away from this delightfully sweet and flavorful summer salad. Traditional tomato corn salad is typically tossed with a vinaigrette, but I’m shouting out to my southern roots by tossing this version with creamy, tangy buttermilk dressing. A little goes a long way, but the flavor is unmatched.
Cook the corn using one of the methods above, then slice the kernels from the cob. Scared to slice off the kernels? Fear not – this no-fail method from Food and Wine is my go to – no mess, and all fingers intact.
Add a quarter cup of buttermilk dressing to the corn kernels, then gently toss – this step will help break up some of the kernels, and ensure the dressing gets into every nook and cranny of every single kernel.
Chop up the rest of the salad ingredients – diced avocado, quartered cherry tomatoes, diced english cucumber, and sliced green onions.
Add the veggies to the bowl, along with a generous handful of chopped fresh basil.
Fold the remaining ingredients into the salad, adding up to another half cup of dressing, until everything is evenly distributed and barely coated with the dressing. Don’t be too heavy handed with the dressing – you want the ingredients covered, but you don’t want to end up with a puddle of dressing at the bottom of the bowl or the salad will become soggy pretty darn quick.
Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, or chill and serve cold. This salad can be left out at room temperature for a party or potluck, but don’t leave under direct sunlight for more than an hour. Leftovers keep well for up to 2 days in the fridge (the avocado gets a little funky after that).
Tomato Corn Salad Variations
- Add cheese – feta, ricotta salata, and queso fresco are good options. Start with adding half a cup.
- Use different herbs – parsley is a nice substitute for fresh basil, or a combination of parsley and fresh oregano.
- Use red onion instead of green onions for a sharper flavor.
- Make it a meal – add black beans or diced grilled chicken.
More Summer Salad Recipes
- Strawberry Kale Salad
- Stone Fruit Salad with Tomato and Burrata
- Grilled Zucchini Salad with Corn and White Beans
- Melon, Prosciutto and Tomato Salad
- Grilled Corn Salad with Peppers and Basil
Did you make this Tomato Corn Salad? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Tomato Corn Salad with Avocado and Buttermilk Dressing
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
Tomato Corn Salad
- 4 ears corn
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 medium avocodos, diced into ½″ pieces
- 1 english cucumber, seeded and diced into ½″ pieces
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil, torn or roughly chopped
Buttermilk Dressing
- 1 c buttermilk
- ½ c sour cream, or greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice , or white vinegar
- 2 clove garlic
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
Instructions
- Heat a grill over high heat. Place the corn, with husks intact, directly onto the grates. Grill the cobs for 20 minutes, turning a quarter of a turn every 5 minutes, until the husks are charred. Remove the corn from the grill and set aside to cool slightly.
- Make buttermilk dressing. Combine the buttermilk, sour cream , lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the garlic is pulverized and the dressing is smooth and frothy, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped chives until pulse 3-5 times. Taste for seasoning and adjust additional sour cream (if too tart), lemon juice (if too rich), or salt and pepper as needed.
- Slice the kernels from the cobs. Combine the corn kernels with ¼ cup buttermilk dressing. Add the tomatoes, avocados, cucumber, onions, and basil, and toss to combine, adding up to an additional quarter cup of dressing. Serve immediately, or chill and serve cold. Leftovers keep for up to 2 days in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.
Notes
- Boiled: remove the husks and silks from the corn. Drop the whole cobs into boiling water, cover, reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer, and boil for 5-7 minutes, until the corn is tender but still bright.
- Sautéed: slice the kernels from the cob. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium low heat until shimmering. Add the kernels and sautee, stirring frequently, until the corn is tender, but not soft, about 10 minutes.
- Raw: Skip the cooking entirely and make this salad with raw kernels! Simply slice the kernels from the cobs, and proceed with the salad.
Nutrition Information
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[…] it with our Tomato Corn Salad or Southwestern Quinoa Salad for a meal that’s light, fresh and seriously freaking delicious. […]