This vegetarian corn salad takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and is a delicious addition to barbecues, picnics, and gatherings. Turn any meal into a fiesta with this fresh summer side!
I rarely ate corn growing up, and if I did it was usually in the form of a corn chip or popcorn. Corn is just not celebrated the same way in Australia as it is in America, probably because we produce less of it.
Over the years, I’ve come to enjoy corn more and more, particularly in it’s raw form. I can live without high fructose corn syrup, and all the highly processed corn products out there, but fresh, crunchy, burst-in-your mouth corn is something I can get behind.
Does Corn Have Health Benefits? Clearing Up ‘Cornfusion’
As I was pulling together this recipe, I did a quick scan of corn’s nutrient profile and the results were surprising. I’ve known for sometime that corn is considered a whole grain, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. One large ear of corn provides almost 4g of fiber and is a good source of:
- Vitamin C
- Several B-vitamins
- Folate
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Potassium and;
- Manganese
These nutrients support a variety of functions including immunity, energy production, cell division, muscle function, bone health, and blood pressure regulation. In addition, corn is a rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids which help protect the eyes against macular degeneration [1]. Who knew that raw corn was such a nutrient powerhouse?!
Alas, you can feel good about adding this refreshing, bright salad to your recipe repertoire. Moreover, it’s delicious, healthy and requires only a handful of ingredients. Embrace the a-
Summer Corn Salad with Stone Fruit and Feta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: side, appetizer, snacks, vegetarian, salad, corn, summer, barbecue, gluten-free
- Cuisine: American, Mexican
Description
This vegetarian salad takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, and is a delicious addition to barbecues, picnics and gatherings. Turn any meal into a fiesta with this fresh, summer side!
Ingredients
- 3 ears of corn
- 2 large nectarines (2 cups)
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red onion
- 1/4 cup fresh feta
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp lime juice
Instructions
- Shuck the corn and chop off the bottom of the cob. Use a shark knife to slice the corn kernels off the cob.
- Remove the pits from the nectarines and dice into 1cm (~½ inch) cubes.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes, and finely dice the red onion.
- Finely chop the cilantro.
- Add the corn kernels, diced nectarine, halved cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro to a medium-large mixing bowl.,
- Crumble the feta into the salad.
- Add the olive oil and lime juice to the bowl. Season the salad with salt and pepper, and gently toss with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are combined.
- Store in the fridge overnight or serve cold immediately.
Hungry for more? Find additional recipes here.
Reference
[1] Lutein and Zeaxanthin—Food Sources, Bioavailability and Dietary Variety in Age-Related Macular Degeneration Protection. Bronwyn Eisenhauer, Sharon Natoli, Gerald Liew, Victoria M. Flood. Nutrients. 2017 Feb; 9(2): 120. Published online 2017 Feb 9.
