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.
I am an Iowa native and I can’t tell you how much I miss sweet corn!! Do you think I could sub frozen corn in this that’s been thawed or cooked and chilled?? The fresh corn here in Arizona is just not good. Thanks for all the awesome recipes. I love so many of them!! And I love reading about things back home like HyVee. Lol.
You bet – I think that would work just fine!! :)
Help! I plan on making this for a reunion tomorrow. Instead of fresh basil, how much dried would you advise substituting?
Just made this and it’s wonderful! Really great dressing! I better check out more of your recipes!
So glad to hear it, Janie! Thanks so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Oh boy, I know what you mean about shucking corn. My views on that have completely changed since I discovered cooking corn in the microwave. You just cook it for a few minutes, unshucked, then chop off the stem end and the silks and everything slide right off. I still love some grilled corn though. :)
I’m super picky about tomatoes – any ideas for substitutions. Bell peppers raw or roasted? Some kinda fruit? Just leave them out and use more of the other ingredients? That dressing does sound awesome, and I think I even have all the ingredients for the dressing at least!
I think raw red peppers would be great! Or you can just omit them entirely – there’s so much else going on that it will still be a delicious salad without the tomatoes.
Hi Kristin – this looks great, thanks! Will make for a BBQ I’m hosting in a few weeks. Question for you, though – do you have any suggestions for how to make this ahead, maybe the day before or so? Leave out apple, avo dressing? Let me know – thank you!
THIS recipe is the exact reason why I love you!! Running the risk of sounding overly cheesy, you are my internet version of The Golden Girls. No matter what’s going on in my life or in the world, I can click to you and it’s a happy space :)
Fixed this last weekend- so so delicious! My whole family loved it!
My husband wants corn on the cob like 4-5x per week in the summer, and I burn out on it faster than he does, so I cut the kernels off the cob and put it in my salads. So good!! I’ve never thought to make it the primary ingredient though. This seems like a solution he and I would both be happy with :)
I made this last night as a side dish for a BBQ. It was easy to make, light and delicious! I made the dressing on the side and added it when we got ready to eat.
I’m so glad you loved it! Perfect for a BBQ!
Made this last night it was soo good!!
Love it!! Thanks, Valerie!
The timing of this recipe couldn’t have been better. Sweet corn just came available today at the farmers market. I a little skeptical of the combination, but based on past success of IGE salads, I made as instructed. This may be my new favorite summer salad. Such a great combination of flavors and textures. Delicious served as is or over a bed of greens.
Music to my ears – thank you so much for sharing, Rachel!
Just made this and LUV it! Thank you for sharing!
Thank YOU, Ruthie! So glad you loved it!
Yes, add me to the votes for Q39 and Slap’s! Char Bar in Westport is a fun option too. (And I cannot. Wait. To. Make. This. Salad!)