This avocado corn salad with lime juice and fresh basil is the perfect healthy summer side dish because there’s no cooking involved!
Obviously I love salads, but what I really love is unconventional salads that use unique ingredients and this corn and avocado salad is just that. You can eat it on its own, as a side or add it to a bed of greens with protein to make a meal sized salad. I love topping it with my grilled chicken or air fryer chicken cutlets.
The summer heat makes me crave cool and refreshing meals and the last thing I want at a cook out is a heavy, warm dish to go along with a burger. I’ve found this corn salad to be the perfect healthy summer side dish. Everyone loves it and it’s so easy to toss together. The hardest part is cutting the corn off the cob and removing the silks, but even that isn’t too hard!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy – With simple ingredients and minimal prep, this salad comes together in no time, making it perfect for busy days.
- Versatile – This salad can be served as a side dish, a topping for tacos, or even as a dip with tortilla chips.
- Make-Ahead Friendly – The flavors meld beautifully when allowed to marinate, making it an excellent option for meal prep.
Ingredients in Avocado Corn Salad
- sweet corn – we’re using fresh uncooked sweet corn for the star of this salad.
- red onion – the perfect way to add a bit of flavor and crunch. You can use yellow onion if needed.
- avocado – for some creaminess and healthy fat.
- lime juice, basil, sea salt and ground pepper – instead of an elaborate dressing, we’re using these four items to add a light and refreshing flavor to the salad.
Notes and Substitutions
Protein – You could always add protein by tossing in about 1/2 cup of beans (chickpeas or black beans would be delicious) or adding in some chopped grilled chicken. This apple cider vinegar chicken would be yummy.
Feta cheese – This would be a great addition to the salad. You could even do vegan feta if needed.
Sweet corn – We’re using raw and uncooked sweet corn, but of course, you can always quickly cook the corn if you want! If you use frozen sweet corn it should be fine, however, I haven’t recipe tested it. I would recommend putting the corn in a strainer to defrost so any excess liquid is removed from the corn. You don’t want the salad to be watery.
How to Make Avocado Corn Salad
Step 1: After husking and cutting corn from the cob, pull out as many corn silks as possible. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add the lime juice and serve immediately or allow it to marinate for a few hours.
Recipe Tip
Use the freshest corn you can find for the best flavor. Raw sweet corn adds a delightful crunch and sweetness to the salad.
Easy Way to Remove Corn from the Cob
One little trick I use to make sure the kernels don’t go everywhere and make a huge mess is to put a small bowl upside-down inside of a large bowl. If you just use a single large bowl you can’t get your knife all the way down to the end of the cob.
Stand the corn, large side down, on top of the small bowl and use a knife to slice the kernels off the cob. The kernels will fall into the bottom of the bowl instead of all over your countertop.
You can also use a bundt or angel food cake pan for this, but I don’t bake a ton of cakes so I don’t have a bundt pan at the moment.
How to Serve Avocado Corn Salad
I usually serve this as a side salad at potlucks, but it would work great as a dip as well. I tried dipping it with chips and it definitely works. It’s like a corn and avocado salsa.
How to Store Avocado Corn Salad
This salad stores super well!
To make it in advance: I would recommend leaving the avocado out and adding that in right before serving. The rest of the salad can be fully assembled and stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
To store leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Eating raw sweet corn right from the cob is perfectly okay to eat. It tastes just as delicious as cooked corn and is just as nutritious.
In general corn can be hard to digest (I’m sure you’ve noticed this just by taking a look at your poo after eating corn) and it may cause digestion problems in people with bowel conditions like IBS. I personally have no stomach issues with eating raw corn, but like most vegetables, raw corn is harder to digest than well-cooked corn. Cooking softens the kernels and begins break-down process, which can be helpful if you feel raw corn upsets your stomach. If you prefer to make this salad with cooked corn, I have instructions in the notes section of the recipe
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