Tomato Corn Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This Tomato Corn Salad is fresh and flavorful! It's made with sweet corn, grape tomatoes, avocado, and peppers tossed in a basil vinaigrette.

If you're looking for a healthy salad that's packed with late summer veggies, be sure to check out this Corn Tomato Salad! It's full of bright Italian flavor and makes a great side dish or appetizer.

The late summer months are one of my favorite times of year to cook because of all the fresh produce and herbs available from the garden or local farmers market. It's the time that we in Minnesota look forward to all winter and spring when we start to plan and plant our gardens.

There's nothing like being able to utilize seasonal produce and when it comes to the late summer months, it's all about the sweet corn and tomatoes. This dish is made with sweet corn and grape tomatoes that are tossed with diced bell peppers and avocado along with a vibrant basil vinaigrette dressing.

The basil vinaigrette gives this salad an Italian twist and it can be enjoyed as a side dish alongside some grilled or roasted chicken or your favorite BBQ meats, but it can also be eaten as an appetizer with some tortilla chips, crackers, or crostini or toasted bread.

The corn provides this salad with a natural sweetness, the tomatoes are tangy, the avocado creamy, and the basil vinaigrette is pungent and aromatic.

Jump to:

• Ingredients For Tomato Corn Salad
• Which Tomatoes Are Best For Salad?
• How To Cook Sweet Corn
• How To Make Basil Vinaigrette
• How To Make Tomato Corn Avocado Salad
• What To Serve With Corn Tomato Salad
• Can This Salad Be Made Ahead Of Time?
• How Long Does This Salad Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Tomato Corn Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients For Tomato Corn Salad

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 10 oz. Grape Tomatoes (equals 1 dry pint) (or cherry tomatoes)
• 3-4 cobs Sweet Corn (yields 3 cups corn kernels)
• 1 Bell Pepper (red, orange, or yellow) (diced)
• 1 ripe Avocado (diced)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 small Shallot
• 1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
• 1 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar (can use red wine vinegar)
• ½ tsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp. Maple Syrup (or honey)
• ¾ tsp. Kosher Salt (split)
• ¼ tsp. Pepper (split)
• ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Which Tomatoes Are Best For Salad?

When it comes to salads, it's best to choose a variety of tomatoes with a low water content so that they do not become mushy and make the salad unnecessarily watery.

My favorite variety of tomato for salads are grape or cherry tomatoes. They're small, flavorful, and distribute easily throughout the dish.

You can also use Roma or San Marzano tomatoes if that's what you have on hand. Make sure to dice the tomatoes if you use one of these varieties.

You can leave the grape or cherry tomatoes whole if you like, or chop them into halves or quarters. I prefer grape tomatoes diced into quarters, but you can chop them into halves if you prefer a larger bite.

How To Cook Sweet Corn

We're pretty serious about sweet corn here in Minnesota. We look forward to it all year and its something that nearly everyone in this state enjoys during the late summer months.

Corn is naturally sweet and adds a nice sweetness to this salad that helps to balance out the tanginess of the tomatoes. It also pairs nicely with the flavor of the bell peppers, avocado, and the pungent flavor of the dressing.

The process of cooking sweet corn is simple and one of the easiest methods is to boil it on the cob and then to cut the kernels off the cob with a knife once the corn has cooled.

This Tomato Corn Salad calls for 3 cups of corn kernels, which yields 3-4 large ears of sweet corn.

When it comes to choosing the best sweet corn, opt for corn cobs that have bright green husks, golden colored silk that's not dried out and is even a little sticky. If the cob of corn appears dried out, it will lack in texture in flavor.

If possible, it's best to choose local sweet corn in season, but you can always grab what's available at your local supermarket.

You can also substitute frozen corn for fresh sweet corn, but the flavor will not be quite as robust.

1. To cook the sweet corn, start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Remove and discard the corn husks and silk from 3-4 large ears of sweet corn. Cut both the top and bottom portion of the cob off with a knife and discard (this helps to allow the cobs to fit nicely into the cooking pot and provides a flat surface with which to cut the kernels from the cob with a knife).
3. Once the water is boiling, carefully use tongs to place the cobs of corn into the pot and make sure that they are evenly submerged in the water.
4. Cook for 5-6 minutes.
5. After cooking, remove the cobs of corn from the pot with the tongs and place into a strainer to drain. Allow the corn to cool before cutting the kernels from the cob with a knife.
6. Once the corn cobs are cool to the touch, place the bottom end of each cob onto a flat surface and slice the kernels off with a knife. Set the corn kernels aside (yields 3 cups of sweet corn kernels).

Love sweet corn? Check out these recipes!

• Sweet Corn Cauliflower Soup
• Vegan Potato Corn Chowder
• Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole
• Southwest Corn Tomato Pasta Salad

How To Make Basil Vinaigrette

The thing that makes this Tomato Corn Salad extra tasty is the addition of a homemade basil vinaigrette. This vinaigrette is easy to prepare and made with a few simple ingredients, but packs a lot of flavor.

For optimal taste and texture, it's best to prepare this basil vinaigrette using a small food processor. A quality food processor will evenly puree all of the ingredients and will emulsify the dressing with the addition of extra virgin olive oil.

This basil vinaigrette is made with fresh Genovese or Italian basil leaves, garlic, shallots, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, kosher salt and pepper, and extra virgin olive oil.

All of the ingredients are placed into the food processor and pulsed until combined and the olive oil is then added slowly and pureed until emulsified.

It takes a minute or two to properly puree the dressing. The vinaigrette will be a little chunky at first, so it's important to puree until it's smooth and easily pourable.

1. To make the vinaigrette, start by peeling 2 cloves of garlic. Once peeled, roughly chop the garlic into chunks.
2. Peel 1 small shallot and cut into chunks.
3. Roughly chop 1 cup of fresh basil leaves.
4. Place the basil, garlic, and shallots into a small food processor along 1 Tbsp. of white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar), ½ tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. maple syrup (or honey), ½ tsp. of kosher salt and ⅛ tsp. of pepper.
5. Pulse all of these ingredients until chopped.
6. Slowly pour ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil into the basin on top of the food processor while pureeing at the same time. Continue for 1-2 minutes, or until the vinaigrette has emulsified and is smooth and easily pourable.

The basil vinaigrette will have a strong and pungent flavor on its own. The flavor balances out when added to the sweet corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado.

How To Make Tomato Corn Avocado Salad

All that's needed to make this salad is to cook the sweet corn, dice the tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado, prepare the basil vinaigrette, and then toss all of the ingredients until completely combined in a large mixing bowl.

As mentioned, it's best to use grape or cherry tomatoes and to cut them into halves or quarters, depending on your preference.

I recommend using red, orange, or yellow bell peppers instead of green bell peppers, as these colors tend to be sweeter and less vegetal than green peppers.

It's important that the avocado used is ripe, so that its easily diced, but not so ripe that it's completely mushy.

1. To make the salad, dice 10 oz. (equals 1 dry pint) of grape or cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on your preference.
2. Dice 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, discarding the seeds and membranes.
3. Cut 1 ripe avocado in half and remove and discard the pit. Score the avocado with a knife.
4. Place the 3 cups of cooked sweet corn kernels into a large mixing bowl. Add the diced tomatoes and bell peppers to the bowl. Spoon the scored avocado into the bowl as well.
5. Slowly drizzle the basil vinaigrette over the salad and carefully combine with a large spoon. Continue with the remainder of the dressing, carefully stirring until all of the ingredients are completely combined.
6. Sprinkle ¼ tsp. of kosher salt and ⅛ tsp. of pepper over the salad and stir until combined.

What To Serve With Corn Tomato Salad

The great thing about this dish is that it's super versatile and can be served as an appetizer, a salad, or a side dish.

It's a bit like salsa in terms of texture and ingredients but also a salad in terms of flavor and freshness.

You can serve this dish as an appetizer at your next party with some tortilla chips for dipping. It also goes great with crackers, crostini, or any type of toasted bread.

It can also be served on its own as a salad or as a side dish. The Italian flavors in this salad are perfect served alongside grilled or roasted chicken, Italian sausages, or this Italian Chicken Sandwich.

A salad like this one is a great side dish for a summer BBQ served with grilled shrimp or seafood. It can also be served as a side for pasta dishes or as a topping for tacos.

Looking for more summer salads? Don't miss these!

• Summer Pesto Pasta Salad
• Italian Quinoa Salad
• Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad
• Summer Roasted Vegetable Salad
• Arugula Tomato Salad

Can This Salad Be Made Ahead Of Time?

Yes, this salad can be made the day ahead.

Simply prepare as directed and cover with plastic wrap before transferring to the fridge for storage.

Stir the salad before serving if making ahead to make sure all of the ingredients are equally distributed.

How Long Does This Salad Last In The Fridge?

This salad lasts 2-3 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Can It Be Frozen?

For optimal taste and texture, I do not recommend freezing this salad.

It's best enjoyed right away or within a few days.

Love salads? Check out these recipes!

• Southwest Black Bean Corn Salad
• Grilled Corn Salad with Feta Dressing
• Pickled Beet Feta Salad
• Italian Green Bean Salad
• Marinated Tomato Salad

Looking For More Salad Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Chickpea Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

Greek Chickpea Salad

Green Bean Salad