The 4-Ingredient Corn Salad I’ve Been Making for Years

I grew up in central Indiana, where corn fields were as common as strip malls and fast food restaurants. As a kid, I remember passing farms on my way to and from summer camp, watching them transition from tiny green sprouts into towering, giant stalks. 

While most of that corn was grown for animal feed, there were also plenty of fields filled with what we called Indiana sweet corn. Unlike feed corn, sweet corn kernels were plump, juicy, and sugary sweet. My mom would buy ears from a local farm stand, and we’d often eat them right off the stalk. 

I still love eating corn on the cob, but occasionally I want to enjoy those big juicy kernels off the cob. That’s when I make my favorite four-ingredient corn salad.

How I Make My Corn Salad

This salad is only as good as your corn. That’s why I’ll only make it in the late summer when sweet corn is at its seasonal best. 

Once I’ve secured my sweet corn, I briefly cook it either in the husk on the grill or in a pot of boiling water. After letting it cool, I use my knife to remove big chunks of kernels (I explain how to do that below). I add those to a bowl along with some green onions, fresh lime juice, olive oil, and a bit of salt and pepper. Toss ever so gently to combine and serve—it’s that simple!

How To Remove the Corn from the Cob

Part of the reason this salad is so good is that instead of cutting off individual kernels of corn from the cob, I remove it in big multi-kernel pieces. You can use any method for cooking it (including microwaving!), but to make life easier, I recommend cutting large ears of corn in half beforehand. 

Place a cutting board on a damp kitchen towel or paper towel to keep it from moving around. Stand a cob upright, flat-side down, on your cutting board and place your knife (a sharp paring knife will do the trick) as close as possible to the core of the cob and run your knife downward, keeping your knife tracking just along the core. 

If done correctly, you’ll get big pieces that are easy to scoop up and fun to eat. If you end up with some single kernels, don’t worry—they’ll be delicious, too!

How To Make My 4-Ingredient Corn Salad

To make six servings, you’ll need: 

• 4 large ears sweet corn, husked and silks removed, halved
• 4 green onions, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 lime, zest and juiced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the corn using your preferred method (grilling, boiling, or microwaving). Do not overcook. Let cool slightly.

Place a damp kitchen towel or paper towel on a stable work surface and place your cutting board on top.

Set a corn cob cut side down on the cutting board. Hold the top of the cob with your non-dominant hand, then grasp a sharp paring knife in the other. Place the knife at the top of the cob (about an inch or so away from your fingers), then use a back-and-forth sawing motion with a bit of downward force, to remove the kernels from the cob, staying as close to the inner core as possible. Flip the cob to remove the remaining kernels, then repeat with the remaining cobs.

Place the cut kernels in a bowl and add the green onions, lime zest and juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Toss gently to combine.

Tweak This Recipe

Your corn salad doesn’t have to end there. I’ve been known to throw all kinds of extra goodies in this versatile dish. For example, I love adding leftover grilled vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers. If I have extra herbs lying around, I’ll add those, too. Cilantro is great, but parsley and basil are also delicious. 

You can bulk up the dish by adding a can of drained black beans and green chiles. I’ve even served my corn salad over grilled fish and chicken with great success!