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This Italian Corn Salad is bursting with fresh flavors from sweet corn, juicy grape tomatoes, crisp green bell pepper, and sharp parmesan cheese. Tossed in a zesty homemade Italian dressing, it’s perfect for summer or any time of the year.
If you’re looking for a delicious addition to BBQs, potlucks, and other summer celebrations, this corn salad is it! Complete the menu with some of our other favorite sides like the world’s best-baked beans, easy grilled asparagus, and this creamy cucumber salad.
Reasons to Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: You will love how effortless this Italian corn salad is to make. Simply grill the corn and then chop and mix!
- Versatile: This recipe can easily be customized based on your preferences! Use your favorite veggies, cheese, and herbs! You can even use frozen corn!
- So Flavorful: Everyone will love the incredible flavor of this dish! It’s filled with freshness and texture. Plus, it pairs well with a variety of mains!
Italian Corn Salad Recipe
This easy Italian corn salad is packed with fresh flavor! I love that the recipe uses seasonal ingredients that you might have growing in your garden, yet it can also totally work outside of summertime. Serve this Italian Corn Salad as a perfect side dish with grilled chicken or burgers, or enjoy it as an appetizer with tortilla chips for dipping!
Ingredients You’ll Need
With just a handful of fresh ingredients, you’re well on your way to an amazing salad that’s sure to impress! Here’s a list of what’s needed. The recipe card contains all of the exact measurements.
- Sweet Corn: Sweet juicy bursts of tender kernels are the star of this salad!
- Grape Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes are the perfect size to half and add to the salad for extra sweetness.
- Green Bell Pepper: Provides a crisp texture with a subtle bitterness that balances the sweet corn. If preferred, You can sub with red bell pepper.
- Fresh Herbs: A combination of fresh basil and fresh parsley to add that classic Italian flavor.
- Red Onion: Adds mild onion flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated is best if you have the time.
- For the Vinaigrette: A mix of olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic makes a simple, yet flavorful dressing.
- Salt and Pepper: Add to taste and bring all of the flavors together.
How to Make a Corn Salad
This Italian corn salad recipe comes together with very little hassle in just 15 minutes! It’s bound to be your new favorite side dish!
- Grill the Corn: Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the corn lightly with olive oil then grill, rotating it until golden on all sides.
- Remove Corn from the Cob: Allow the corn to cool, then cut it off the cob with a knife and add it to a large bowl.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and garlic.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until serving.
Italian Corn Salad Tips and Variations
Take this to your next BBQ, and you will be the hit of the party! This Italian corn salad is great with fresh, frozen, or canned corn. Take a look at my tips and variations below!
- Switch Up the Veggies: You can add more vegetables to adapt the salad to your liking. For example, try including red, yellow, or orange bell peppers. Moreover, you might want to add cucumber or grilled zucchini for a delicious twist.
- Corn: If fresh corn on the cob is not available, you can use frozen or canned corn. However, if you opt for frozen corn, remember to either thaw it or defrost it in the microwave before using it. Add the corn and a little bit of oil to a very hot skillet and cook it for a few minutes, tossing occasionally, until many kernels are lightly browned.
- Add Protein: Add canned beans, chicken, or chopped bacon to make it heartier and protein-packed. You could even serve this as a light meal!
- Cheese: If you don’t have parmesan cheese on hand, then feta or mozzarella cheese would be delicious alternatives for this salad.
Storing Leftover Italian Corn Salad
This is the absolute BEST salad to make in advance! It’s even better as it sits. So, follow my tips below for making this salad ahead of time and for storing leftovers…if you have any!
- In the Refrigerator: Store the leftover salad in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Make Ahead: Prepare at least 2 hours or up to 1 day in advance. Sometimes, as it sits, it soaks up the dressing, so I’ll make another batch to freshen it up! You could also drizzle it with olive oil if you prefer.
More Easy Salad Recipes
I just love the fresh pop of flavor that a salad can bring to the table, especially in the summer! I have so many delicious salad recipes to try, you’re sure to find a few that your family will love. Here are some favorites to put on your menu as soon as possible!
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Italian Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ears sweet corn, husked
- ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 3 tablespoons red onion, diced
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the corn lightly with olive oil then grill, rotating it until golden on all sides.
- Allow the corn to cool. Cut the corn off the cob with a knife and add it to a large bowl.
- Add the bell pepper, red onion, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and garlic.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
