My Creamy Sweet Corn Salad recipe is an easy summer side dish with lots of fresh basil and a yummy sour cream and buttermilk dressing. This simple salad could easily steal the show at your next barbecue!
Creamy corn salad is one of the highlights of summer
This is not a year round recipe, much as I would like to tell you that it is. The corn has to be fresh and in season, so be sure to make it in high summer when the corn is glorious, and you won’t regret it. We look forward to it every year.
Ingredients for a simple corn salad
- corn on the cob ~ this salad depends on great fresh corn: white, yellow, or bicolor. While most recipes for corn salad will tell you you can substitute frozen corn ~ I won’t. It just isn’t the same.
- red onion ~ I love the bite it gives to the salad. You could substitute green onions if you prefer.
- fresh basil ~ lots! Corn and basil are best buds.
- mayonnaise ~ don’t shy away from this summer salad workhorse, and make your own, if you like.
- sour cream ~ I love the tang.
- buttermilk ~ this thins down the dressing and adds great flavor.
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper ~ I like it simple, but I’ll sometimes add some smoked paprika for an extra kick.
How to par steam corn for summer corn salads
Everyone has their favorite method, but par steaming makes the corn sweet, tender but still crunchy, and bright yellow.
- Husk the corn and remove as much of the corn silk as possible.
- Load the corn in the steamer basket of a deep pot, mine is from Lagiole and it works for pasta too. Add enough water to come up just past the bottom of the basket.
- Bring the water to a boil, cover, and steam for 5 minutes, no longer.
- Immediately plunge the hot corn into an ice bath to stop the cooking and set the color.
- Once cooled, let the corn dry on a clean kitchen towel before removing the kernels.
You could also grill, char, or blister your corn for this salad, find directions in this post for Blistered Corn and Asparagus Salad.
The best way to remove kernels from a corn cob
Corn on the cob is great, but sometimes you need to release all those niblets for a fresh corn salad like this, creamed corn, or a corn casserole. I stand my corn on a baking sheet (stem end down) and slide a sharp knife down the cob to remove the kernels. A baking sheet works better than a bowl because you have greater stability and complete access to the whole cob. The baking sheet catches all the falling kernels.
Sometimes corn kernels slice off the cob in sheets, like mine did. No worries, just break them apart as you add them to your bowl.
This corn salad highlights fabulous summer corn
But if you want to go rogue, I won’t stop you!
- Bring cucumbers into the mix.
- Make it a Southwest corn salad by adding beans, peppers, etc.
- Add cherry tomatoes, cukes, zucchini, …make it a farmers market medley.
- Sprinkle crisp bacon crumbles over top. Not into bacon? How about topping your corn salad with Fritos (it’s a thing.)
- Ina Garten omits the creamy dressing and goes with oil and vinegar.
- Add diced jalapeños for a kick.
- Give it a south of the border vibe with lime juice, cilantro, and Mexican créma in place of the sour cream and buttermilk. See my Mexican Street Corn Salad for inspo.
To make this corn salad ahead
- Prepare the salad a day ahead but toss with the fresh basil right before serving. You may want to toss with some extra dressing if necessary. Taste for seasoning, too, it might need more salt or black pepper.
I love potluck salads!
- Russian Beet Salad with Sour Cream and Dill
- Lentil Salad with Cucumber and Mint
- Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad
- Mediterranean Bean Salad
WANT TO MAKE THIS CORN SALAD THIS SUMMER?
PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE BOARD SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT.
JOIN ME ON PINTEREST FOR MORE CREATIVE RECIPES ~ I LOVE TO PIN
Creamy Sweet Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ears sweet corn, (1 ear per serving)
- 1/2 cup minced red onion
- 10 fresh basil leaves
dressing
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 5 Tbsp buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
- fresh cracked black pepper, to taste, I add lots
- paprika or smoked paprika, to taste, optional.
Instructions
- Shuck the corn and remove as much of the corn silk as you can. Steam the corn for 5 minutes in a large pot of boiling water with a steamer basket insert. You can also simply boil the corn in a large pot of salted water. Don't over cook the corn, it only needs 5 minutes.
- Drain and immediately plunge the corn into ice water. This will stop it from cooking further, and will keep it bright yellow. Let the corn fully cool in the ice water, then let dry on a clean kitchen towel. Remove kernels from the cob and add to a large bowl.
- Meanwhile whisk together the dressing ingredients, and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the paprika of you like.
- Add the onion to the bowl with the corn and toss with enough dressing to generously coat everything. Note: you may not use all the dressing. Chill the salad until you are ready to serve. Just before serving, roll and slice the basil leaves into thin ribbons, and add them to the salad. Toss with more dressing if needed.
- The salad keeps a day or two in the refrigerator. You can refresh the dressing if needed.
Notes
Serving suggestions…
Fresh corn salad goes with just about any summer meal, especially grilled meats and fish.Nutrition
Crisp and fresh. I use organic frozen corn as I could not find any non GMO cobs. But still fantastic. Oops took your suggestion and added smoked paprika (quite a lot) and a little shake of cayenne but worked out fine. Otherwise followed your recipe as usual ! Made this morning and will enjoy over some micro greens with fried cod or grilled trout
Sounds like my kind of meal 🙂
So Unique!
Thank you, Sue, for such a delicious summer salad! It was quick to make with 3 main simple fresh great ingredients.
I had never paired corn and basil before and was not sure how they would complement each other, but the end result was so unexpectedly tasty – at least unexpected for me! The wee bite of the red onion was the perfect supporting player.
Because I wanted to preserve the freshness of the basil, I have just served out what was needed for a meal and then added in the appropriate amount of basil chiffonade. The corn salad has stayed creamy in between servings and it tastes as flavourful and fresh as the first day – working on day 3!
Another winner and keeper in my book, Sue . . . thank you again for your creativity and for sharing that wealth with your followers!
As a note of interest, I did add sweet Hungarian Paprika – 1/8 teaspoon – and for our family it was the perfect amount! I also only used a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt for the main recipe and then everyone can add more of one or both as their tastes desire. I have found the flavours in the dressing develop in a lovely way as the salad has sat overnight in the fridge.
Do you make corncob jelly with the cobs?
No, I’ve never done that, interesting!
Haven’t tried this yet, but wanted to say I love using the word chiffonade which is what you are doing with the basil. ??
Yes, it’s so pretty!
Hi Sue, I love these summer recipes. I noticed you use buttermilk throughout. Is there any substitute? I never have it on hand and when I do, most of it goes bad. Do you have a special way of making regular milk or half and half into buttermilk? Thank you so much for all of your fabulous recipes!
put a teaspoon of vinegar in you reg mild and it will be buttermilk.
I made the corn salad last night and it is fabulous!!! I used the remaining dressing in my potato salad with beets, sprinkling a bit of apple cider vinegar on the potatoes before adding the dressing and it was spectacular also!! I love beets!!
I use an angel food pan or bundt pan when cutting corn off the cob. Just stick cob in hole and slice downward. No mess