Napa Sweet Corn Salad is full of fresh flavors and lots of crunch. Serve as a healthy side dish with any summer dinner, or take to a BBQ!
Although the only visual proof my husband and I have of taking a babymoon a couple months back is a picture of my iced tea cheersing his Hendrick’s martini, it happened! 24 hours in Kansas City, Missouri — they never saw us coming. Probably because our visit was so short that the city could have blinked and missed it, but it was a great time nonetheless.
After checking into our hotel we bellied up to the bar at Cooper’s Hawk for lunch. There are many local restaurants in KC but Cooper’s has a great GF menu, and I was hangry, so inside we went. I ordered the Napa Chicken Salad which doesn’t sound particularly life changing but it was magical. Not because of the chicken or greens, but because everything but the kitchen sink was loaded on top.
That said, this salad is all about the toppings. Napa Sweet Corn Salad is my at-home recreation and it’s so delicious that I promise it’ll become your new go-to summer side dish / potluck salad.
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Pin ItRaw Sweet Corn Salad
Summer is synonymous with sweet corn season here in the state of Iowa. Did you know that less then 1% of all the corn grown here is sweet corn? Some food for thought, har. Iowa sweet corn is so candy-sweet and tender that I like to eat it raw like in this salad.
Yes, you can eat raw fresh sweet corn. It’s sweet and crispy — such a treat!
That said, raw sweet corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, avocados, chopped apples, almonds, green onions, and fresh basil are drizzled in a 4 ingredient homemade Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette to create the crunchy, crispy, creamy, fresh, healthy, and delicious side dish that’s perfect for serving with dinner, or taking with you to a summer BBQ, potluck, or picnic.
How to Make Napa Sweet Corn Salad
Start by adding all the goodies into a big bowl – that’s:
- Sweet corn kernels
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped avocado
- Chopped red apple
- Sliced or chopped almonds
- Chopped fresh basil
How to Slice Kernels Off the Cob — No Mess!
Next shake or whisk up the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette to drizzle on top – that’s:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper.
Taste then add more honey if you like, though remember the sweet corn and apple add sweetness to the salad.
Drizzle your desired amount of dressing on top then toss everything to combine and serve it on up.
Take to a summer picnic or potluck, or serve with dinner (this dish pairs perfectly with grilled meats, if I do say so myself!) No matter how ya eat it, I hope you love this bright and colorful, healthy summer salad — enjoy!
More Summery Side Dishes
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
- Sweet Corn Caprese Salad
- Best Baked Beans EVER
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad
- Green Beans with Bacon
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
- Peach Caprese Salad
- Mojito Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet corn kernels, ~3 ears
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 3 small or 2 large green onions, chopped
- 1 small avocado, chopped
- 1 red apple, chopped
- 1/3 cup sliced or chopped almonds
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil, chopped
For the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Combine ingredients for the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette in a jar or bowl then shake or whisk to combine. Taste then add up to an additional 1/2 Tablespoon honey if desired – remember that the sweet corn and apple will add natural sweetness to the salad. Set dressing aside — can be made up to 5 days ahead of time.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl then drizzle over desired amount of Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette and stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to several hours.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Had this tonight with peaches instead of apple and served on romaine. Great summer salad and the dressing was delicious. Just the right tang, with no extra honey needed.
Made this for dinner tonight along with grilled black bean burgers and cherry crunch. It is definitely a keeper!!
Q39 and Jackstack are the best and have great gf menus!
Corn is my favorite, hands down. Can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds delicious.
I highly recommend Q39 and Joe’s KC, but also would suggest Char Bar (in Westport) and Slap’s (a little off the beaten path, but SO worth it). You can’t really go wrong! Can’t wait to try this recipe also :)
I made something like this recipe recently. Corn, tomatoes, avocado, onions, bell pepper, and cucumber. Dressed it with Olive Garden bottled dressing. I am not celiac, so I don’t know if that dressing contains gluten, but if it does perhaps one of your homemade dressings would work. Anyhoo, this salad was delicious and pretty!
Jack Stack BBQ is a MUST try in KCMO!! I’ve been to several of their locations, and they are all incredible! The smoked chicken is so juice and tender, the ribs are amazing, their BBQ sauce is perfectly tangy, the cheesy corn is mouth watering and you absolutely have to try their carrot cake for dessert! I promise you won’t be disappointed!! My husband and I took a detour through KC on our way home from the Ozarks last weekend just to stop at Jack Stack for dinner :)
I love the Union Station location. It’s a cool area. I live in KC and everyone has their opinion on the best. It’s subjective, but Jack Stack Union Station is my favorite and where I take guests.
Joe’s KC was a favorite for me before celiac, but after, it just makes me nervous. They helped me find gluten free options, but when we opened our food there was white bread on eh-very-thing, including the ribs! Basically they understood what does/does not have gluten in it, but didn’t understand the concept of cross contamination at all. You can expect to wait in line and probably will need to take your food to go, so all in all, this one’s kind of a bust for me now.
I have, however, had great experiences with Jack Stack and their cheesy corn casserole is to die for!
I didn’t know you could eat corn raw, I thought it always had to be cooked Lol Gotta try this one!!
Post idea – could you put together a post of just your salad dressings? OMG – they are the best! You have never let me down and this one sounds delicious! Currently, your Best Ever Italian Dressing is soaking into half a bag of kale mix for my lunch today.
What used to be called Oklahoma Joe’s is excellent (I think it’s called Joe’s Kansas City now), and you can’t beat Arthur Bryant’s burnt ends, though you would need to be sure to tell them not to put white bread on your tray. I’ve never had LC’s, but my husband has and he says it’s really good bbq too.
This looks delicious! I’m always looking for new ways to eat sweet corn. I love the stuff, but can’t eat it directly off the cob anymore due to teeth issues. My husband cuts it off the ears and cooks it in a big cast iron pot. We’ll have to give this salad a try–thanks for the recipe!
Next time you are in KC, hit up Q39 for some tasty BBQ!
Thank you!!