Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad with Basil and Feta
Loaded with oodles of peak summer ingredients, this fresh corn and tomato salad is crisp, colorful, and full of flavor from sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, cucumber, basil, feta, and an easy homemade vinaigrette. Super easy to make and it’s the perfect easy side dish for cookouts, picnics, potlucks, and burger nights.
If you see me this summer, chances are I’ll be eating this salad…
There’s just something about summer and her produce that makes me want to keep meals really, really (really) simple. Peak-season corn. Sweet-just-plucked-from-the-plant tomatoes. Fresh basil. Honestly, when veggies taste this good on their own, you barely need to do anything to them. And this corn cucumber and tomato salad is exactly that kind of recipe. Fresh, colorful, crunchy, a little briny from the feta, and tossed in a simple vinaigrette that takes about two minutes to whisk together. Very much the same easy summer energy as my elote dip and corn and zucchini fritters….recipes that remind me corn season really deserves to be celebrated properly.
This is the kind of salad I end up making on repeat all summer long because it just seems to work for everything. Burger night? Perfect. Grilled chicken? Yep. Random Tuesday lunch standing at the counter while answering emails? Also yes. The sweet corn and juicy tomatoes do most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise, while the cucumber keeps everything extra crisp and refreshing. Add some basil, red onion, and feta and suddenly it feels like one of those dishes people hover around at a cookout asking, “Wait…who made this?”
And maybe my favorite part? It tastes impressive but is actually a low lift to make. The whole thing comes together in under 20 minutes with prep, and honestly, I’ve made it in the “off season” using frozen or canned corn instead of fresh…and it is still lovely and those shortcuts make it even easier. It’s also one of those recipes that reminds me how much more fun vegetables are when we stop thinking about them as the obligatory side dish and start treating them like the star.
Let’s make this salad together. Just you and me…
Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad with Basil and Feta
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn, shucked (4 to 5 cups cooked corn kernels)
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (2 to 3 cups)
- 2 cups diced English cucumber
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ¾ cup crumbled feta, or to taste (optional)
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus a few whole leaves for garnish
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Steam the corn by adding a cup of water to a large pot that will fit the ears of corn. Bring the water up to a boil then add the corn and cover the pot. Let the corn steam for 3 minutes or until just tender. Use tongs to move the corn to a cutting board to cool for a few minutes.
- Once corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cobs and add to the large bowl with the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta, and basil
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the vinegar, honey, olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the corn then toss to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with additional fresh basil leaves.
- This salad is best served the day it is made, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.
I am going to try it this evening. It looks very yummy.
Super yummy! Enjoy!
Loved this salad! Had all the ingredients on hand, but the feta, so left it out. Will definitely add it next time because I think the flavor would be even better with that bit of salty cheese. Two other adjustments were one, using Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn kernels. I let them thaw all day. And two, I had one, so I added a red bell pepper. The fun thing about this recipe is you can adjust for a different flavor profile. My daughter suggested adding avocado or jalapeños and that led me to thinking I’d add cumin instead of garlic powder and maybe cojita instead of feta. I love recipes that offer versatility and help you be creative yourself because I think it builds confidence in the kitchen. This recipe is that! Also, my 20yr old took leftovers for their lunch for two days. That in itself speaks volumes for this recipe.
I not only love that this recipe with a hit with your crew, but that you all came up with amazing ways to make it your own! Love the idea of the cumin and cojita, Shelly! Totally going to try that!
Love this recipe! I made it last week and it didn’t last more than a couple of days. It is fresh, clean and delicious! Making it again for the Labor Day weekend. Thank you for sharing.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it so much, Bonnie! Thanks for taking the time to share!
This recipe is so delicious!! Very easy to make and versatile to swap for ingredients that you have. I love a good non-mayo salad side dish! I never thought to mix feta with cucumber and tomatoes but it’s a keeper.
So glad you enjoyed it, Olivia! Thanks for coming back and sharing!💚
Fantastic! So easy and tasty with fresh summer produce!
Yay! So glad you loved it, Carrie! I agree that it is such a refreshing salad that really makes those summer veggies sing!. Thanks for coming back and sharing!