About This Recipe
Nothing says summer like fresh corn (although you can make this recipe with frozen corn – just don’t tell anybody). July is really the earliest you can get fresh corn on the cob in Minnesota, so I buy some as soon as I can just for this recipe for Fresh Corn Salad.
The secret to the best fresh corn on the cob is to cook it as soon as it hits your kitchen. When corn is picked, the sugars start to turn to starch immediately. If you can grow your own corn, that’s best of course, but any farm stand will have fabulous corn. And scientists have been working on this problem, so corn stays sweeter longer than it did 30 years ago.
This salad is the best combination of colors, flavors, and textures. The sweet corn is paired with a tiny bit of honey mustard, tart cherry and grape tomatoes, sweet and crunchy bell peppers, and spicy basil in a smooth mayo dressing. It’s perfect for the Fourth of July or any summer lunch or dinner.
The only tricky thing about this recipe is cutting the corn off the cob. It will fly all over the kitchen – so here’s a tip. Put the corn into the hole in a bundt pan, then cut it. Most of the kernels will fall right into the pan.
You can use a sharp knife and work slowly. And there are wonderful tools (called a corn stripper) that will cut off the corn without getting the hard part of the cob.
Serve with a grilled steak or with burgers. Yum.
Tips for the best Fresh Corn Salad
- Don’t overcook the corn. The best fresh corn takes only about a minute to cook. Cool it down right away in ice water to stop the cooking. This also makes the corn easier to remove from the cob.
- Get the dressing ready before you cook the corn, and have all the other veggies done too.
- You can eat this salad right away, but it’s also great after it’s chilled a few hours in the fridge.
Why this recipe works
- Crisp fresh sweet corn is fabulous combined with tart tomatoes, crunchy bell peppers, and a garlicky creamy dressing.
Steps
|
1
Done
|
Husk the corn and remove all of the silk. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a handful of sugar. Add the corn and cook for 1 minute. That's all. Then put the corn into a large bowl of ice water and let stand for 2 minutes, then remove from the water and let drain on paper towels. |
|
2
Done
|
Meanwhile, prepare the veggies. Then in a large bowl combine the mayo, sour cream, honey mustard, basil, and Parmesan cheese and mix well. |
|
3
Done
|
Now cut the kernels off the cob and add to the dressing. Add the rest of the veggies and stir gently. Serve immediately or cover and chill for a couple of hours before serving. |
