15-Minute Easy Summer Corn and Tomato Salad Recipe

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.

Jump to Recipe

Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
• 🔪 Recommended Equipment
• 📝 Instructions Overview
• 👩‍🍳 Preparation Tips
• 💡Ideas for Possible Variations
• 🙋‍♀️ Corn and Tomato Salad FAQ
• Corn and Tomato Salad Recipe

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.

It's similar to this corn and tomato salad with mozzarella but it has mint, basil, and a little lime juice.

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!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.

📝 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.

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👩‍🍳 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.

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🙋‍♀️ 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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