Are you looking for a fresh and easy side dish for a hot day? Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad is a great way for you to take advantage of the bounty of fresh vegetables this time of year! It is also naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.
Isn’t this time of year so exciting for vegetable lovers? The produce seems more colorful and I get so excited about what will be harvested in the coming months. This Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad takes advantage of all that gardens and markets have to offer during the warmer months.
Great Hot Weather Recipe
It is already pretty hot where we live in the South….as in 90 degree days…whew! The easiest way to beat the heat in the kitchen is to head to the grill, while keeping your house nice and cool inside.
So many vegetables taste great when grilled and corn is no exception. Grilling the corn imparts a much richer, more in depth flavor and the sugars in the corn actually begin to caramelize.
To Husk or Not to Husk? That is the Question….
There is a debate in my house on whether grilled corn tastes better husked or not. Grilling the corn with the husks on essentially steams the corn, which is nice if you just want to serve basic corn on the cob. However, grilling the corn once husked gives it that nice caramelized flavor and adds some “oomph” to a simple salad.
Grilling Corn
You can grill the corn without anything on it or you could baste a little olive oil on the corn before tossing on the grill. If you are planning to serve with the vinaigrette according to this recipe, you may want to grill the corn “naked”, as the vinaigrette will offer plenty of flavor.
Corn cooks best over medium high heat on a gas grill for about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to place the corn on the grates with a few grates between each piece, so you can easily roll to the next side when one side has cooked thoroughly. Make sure to use your tongs to turn the corn on the hot grill!
Close the grill cover and cook the first side of corn for 4-5 minutes. Check to make sure you don’t burn the corn! Rotate the corn to the next side and repeat a total of two more times to completely cook each part of the corn.
Remove the corn once all sides are cooked and set aside on a plate to cool.
Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
While the corn is cooling, you can make your vinaigrette if you have not already done so. This vinaigrette stores well in the refrigerator, so I will often make it ahead of time. I use jelly jars for my homemade vinaigrettes. Simply add all ingredients, tighten the lid and shake!
Tasty Tip: If you decide to prep the vinaigrette in advance, simply remove from the refrigerator about ten minutes before you are ready to use it to allow it to emulsify.
Next, slice the tomatoes and chop the mozzarella if you are not using the pearled mozzarella. I choose to use grape tomatoes because I think they taste better than regular tomatoes at this time of year.
Once larger varieties of tomatoes are in season, feel free to substitute with your favorite type of tomato. Simply slice a larger tomato into quarters, remove the seeds and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Once the corn is cooled, place the corn on a cutting board and slice the kernels off the cob by standing the corn on its’ end. I like this cutting board because it has a nice tray to collect the kernels as they fly everywhere you carefully chop!
Transfer the corn kernels to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and mozzarella to the bowl with the corn.
Next, add approximately three tablespoons of vinaigrette and toss the salad well with a spoon to coat the ingredients. Feel free to add more or less vinaigrette according to your taste! Sprinkle with a little sea salt (I love Himalayan pink sea salt!) and enjoy this salad at room temperature.
Make-Ahead Tips
This salad can be prepped ahead of time if you plan to serve it later in the day or even the next day. If you do not like refrigerated tomatoes (I don’t), leave those out until you plan to serve the salad. The salad will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator.
Serving Suggestions for Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad is a great side dish to serve with a grilled protein. We served it over Mother’s Day weekend with shrimp, chicken, a simple green salad and Perfect Creamy Deviled Eggs.
Adaptations for Vegetarians
This salad is naturally vegetarian, but is also very tasty served over cooked quinoa or a green salad for a more complete meal.
Adaptations for Vegans and Lactose-Intolerant
Omit the mozzarella if you are vegan or lactose-intolerant. You could substitute the mozzarella with avocado to replace the creamy factor from the cheese.
I plan to make this Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad again for Memorial Day! Everyone I have served this salad to has loved it, even my nineteen-month-old niece, which means it is a winner!
Make sure to pin this recipe to your Pinterest page for later! You can also find all of my recipe pins on Rest and Relish’s Pinterest page.
I would also love for you to rate and review this recipe below and tag @restandrelish on social media if you try it!
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy this Mediterranean Orzo Salad!
Ingredients
Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 3 ears sweet corn
- 4 oz. fresh mozzarella I buy the mozzarella pearls for salads or you can dice whole mozzarella.
White Wine Vinaigrette
- 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 t. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 T. white wine vinegar
- 1/2 t. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 t. honey
- 1/4 t. Kosher salt
- 1/8 t. black pepper
Instructions
White Wine Vinaigrette
- Combine all ingredients in a jelly jar. Tighten lid and shake until blended.
Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
- Grill the ears of corn over medium high heat for 20 minutes total. Using tongs, turn each ear a quarter turn after cooking for 4-5 minutes for a total of three times. Remove from heat and let cool for approximately five minutes.
- Slice tomatoes vertically in half and add to large bowl. Dice mozzarella if not using pearled mozzarella and add to tomatoes in bowl. Slice corn off cob and add to tomato-mozzarella mixture.
- Add approximately 3 T. of vinaigrette and toss all salad ingredients with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve at room temperature.
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