Roasted Corn Salad
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Sweet corn combines with juicy tomatoes in this easy roasted corn salad. It’s perfect for summer potlucks and parties.
If you’re looking for a wonderfully summery salad to take to all your cookouts, look no further.
This roasted corn salad is a dish I recently brought to a friend’s gathering, and we all liked it so much that I made it three days later for dinner.
The sweetness of the corn and my homegrown tomatoes offset the bite of the arugula and red onion, and creamy goat cheese crumbles and mild vinaigrette pulled the whole thing together.
On the drive home from the party I woefully stared at my empty dish, wishing I had eaten more.
Luckily the salad is a snap to put together. All you need to do is heat the corn, slice some tomatoes and onion, and shake up an easy-peasy basic vinaigrette.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This grilled corn salad is truly my go-to when it comes to potlucks.
It’s fast. All of the ingredients come together quickly, especially if you use a shortcut like frozen roasted corn. Even the homemade dressing is ready in less than five minutes.
It goes with everything. This salad goes great with grilled meats, roasted fish, or even stovetop rice dishes like chicken poblano. It’s also a great meatless main if you like.
It’s a crowd-pleaser. It might not be common to bring a salad to a cookout, but I never have leftovers of this dish! Everyone is grateful for the opportunity to eat some veggies (even if they won’t admit it).
Ingredients
Corn – This corn salad is perfect when sweet summer corn is in season. Grill extra with dinner the night before, then cut off the cob and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Arugula – Baby arugula adds a peppery kick that pairs well with the sweet corn and juicy tomatoes. If you don’t like arugula, you can use fresh spinach, or even try it with kale.
If using kale, make sure to let the salad rest with the dressing a bit before serving so the greens soften.
Tomatoes – Cherry or grape tomatoes are ideal for this salad. You can add them whole, halved, or even quartered if they are very large. Sungold tomatoes are my favorite, but a variety of colors looks great on the plate.
Red onion – Sliced red onion is great for a bit of bite in a salad, especially with sweet corn and tomatoes. Slice very thinly or cut into a small dice.
Goat cheese – Look for goat cheese crumbles, which are perfect for shaking onto a salad. Soft chevre can also be broken up and added to the salad, and will add a more creamy texture.
Vinaigrette – I include an easy dressing in this recipe. All you need is red wine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper! You might not use the entire batch of dressing in this salad; simply save it for another use.
How to make roasted corn salad
If needed, cut the kernels off roasted corn cobs. You’ll need about 4 ears of corn to make this salad.
Heat a skillet over medium high and add a splash of olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until it gets toasty.
In a large serving dish or bowl, layer the arugula, corn, tomatoes, onion, and goat cheese.
In a small bowl or a mason jar, combine red wine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk until completely blended, then pour half the dressing over the salad.
Toss the salad to mix well, then add more dressing to taste. That’s it!
Recipe substitutions
If you don’t have fresh corn or leftover corn on the cob on hand, this recipe works just as well with frozen corn kernels.
I like to buy Trader Joe’s fire roasted corn just for making this salad! You can use anywhere from 10 ounces to 16 ounces of frozen corn, depending on how much you want in your salad.
Swap the goat cheese for crumbled feta cheese or cotija. Or, try a flavored goat cheese. Sun-dried tomato goat cheese crumbles pack in a lot of flavor!
Turn it into a pasta salad by adding cooked macaroni or shells. Be sure to rinse the pasta in cold water to shock it before adding to the other ingredients.
Use your favorite salad dressing instead of the vinaigrette.
Make it vegan by leaving out the cheese or using a vegan cheese.
Serving suggestions
There are so many ways to customize this roasted corn salad to your tastes!
Try a squeeze of fresh lime juice or over the salad just before serving.
Add pickled jalapeños or pickled red onions, or roasted red bell pepper.
Try it with crispy tortilla strips or creamy diced avocado.
Use it as a topping for slow cooker chicken tacos.
Add black beans to turn this corn salad into a meatless main dish.
Storage tips
This corn salad is best right after it’s made.
If you want to make it in advance, I recommend layering the salad ingredients, covering the bowl, and storing in the refrigerator.
When ready to serve, toss with the salad dressing. If you’ve made your dressing in a mason jar, you can just bring it along with you to your event and dress the salad on site.
Leftover salad will keep for 2 days, covered, in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the greens will wilt more the longer the salad sits.
more salads you’ll love
Make this roasted corn salad for the next potluck you attend. I promise, people won’t look at you funny for bringing a salad.
And if they do? Well, that’s their loss, and more of this for you to eat!
Roasted Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 cups roasted corn, from about 4 ears
- 5 ounces arugula, or arugula spinach mix
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 4 ounces goat cheese crumbles
For the dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet set over medium. Add corn and cook about 5 minutes, until warmed and toasted.
- In a large dish, arrange arugula. Pour cooked corn over the top, then add tomatoes, red onion, and goat cheese. Layer it pretty if you like.
- Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper until fully blended. Drizzle over salad just before serving and toss salad with tongs to mix.
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This salad is simply beautiful!
The corn is SO close to being ready here, and I was hoping to come up with a good corn salad recipe when it does. Thanks for doing that work for me. 😉
What a gorgeous salad and it contains two of my favorite things – corn and goat cheese!
I absolutely love the flavor profile of this salad. The only thing I’m stuck on is the arugula. Since I was pregnant, I can’t eat it.. but I want the rest of this by the tubful! Think butter lettuce might be an okay substitute? I know it’s not as bitter, but that’s kind of the point.
@Amber I’ll let you in on a secret… I normally hate arugula. But I had it on a salad recently that was dressed in a tomato vinaigrette, and it was really toned down, so I decided to try it in this one. I think the sweetness of the corn in this salad helps, but I totally understand your aversion. I don’t know if the butter lettuce would work as well because it’s pretty crisp. Can you do baby spinach? I used a “spring mix” when I made it again and that was nice, though I think that does usually have arugula.
This is gorgeous!!!