Grab the three best things in your produce section this summer and make this Fresh Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Salad. Watch the video showing you how to make this salad, then scroll to the bottom of this post and print out the recipe so you can make it at home!
Do you have any friends on that Raw Food Diet? That diet where you eat all raw foods with the thought that raw food is better for your body? I have to admit, I couldn’t do it. I cook and bake every day, and I kind of like my food cooked!
This Fresh Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Salad, however, may please everyone. It happens to be an *uncooked* vegetable salad, which is the kind of side dish that you wish for on a hot and humid summer day where the thought of turning on the oven or the stove is pretty unbearable.
In that beautiful salad bowl above, none of that is cooked. If that sounds weird to you, it shouldn’t. I serve up this salad at summer BBQ’s, and I don’t tell anyone that it’s a raw salad. And guess what? They love it!
It all starts with fresh corn. Visit your local Farmer’s Market and find some gorgeous, fresh sweet corn. The sweeter and fresher your corn, the better your salad will be.
How to Make Fresh Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Salad:
Shuck your corn and rinse it too, getting as many of the silky strings off as you can. Cut the corn off the cob. The best way to do this is to stand it up inside of a deep bowl like this one and use a knife to cut down the sides of the cob. The corn will gather into the bowl. This avoids the big mess you have when you try to cut the corn on a cutting board where corn kernels splatter everywhere!
Next add diced zucchini (again… raw)!
Then add some halved pear or cherry tomatoes. This time of year you can find them multi-colored, and they’ll be fresh and sweet too.
And finally, add some slivered fresh basil.
Drizzle in a simple, homemade Honey-Lime Vinaigrette and toss. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours to let all of the vegetables get nice and chilled and take on the flavors of that vinaigrette.
Sprinkle with a generous dose of salt and pepper, and serve!
This Fresh Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Salad just so happens to be dairy-free, gluten-free, low-fat and Weight Watcher’s friendly too! If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below. Additional nutritional information can also be found on the card. And, let me know how you like it!
Fresh Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Salad
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 6 medium to large corn on the cob, shucked
- 3 small to medium zucchini, rinsed and trimmed
- 1 pint pear or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ cup slivered fresh basil
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the corn off the cob by placing it upright in a deep bowl, and cut down the sides of the cob with a sharp knife.
- Dice the zucchini into ½-inch pieces (leave the skin on) and add it to the bowl. Add the tomatoes, and stir to combine.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, honey and lime juice. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Garnish with fresh basil.
- Cover the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 4 hours until ready to serve. Toss again before serving to re-distribute the dressing. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper just before serving.
I love the recipe. Is it okay to make a day ahead?
Yes!
I absolutely adore this recipe. I’ve made it twice but skipped the basil since I don’t like basil. I also cooked the corn since I like corn better that way. All else stayed the same. It’s a 10/10.
Great summer recipe! The lime and honey vinaigrette makes it taste amazing. Out of all the recipes like this I picked this one too. Thanks!
I pick your salad out of a lot other corn salads just because of how simple it looked. Can’t wait to try it.
Delicious, we loved it. I had to use a red pepper in place of the tomatoes, but it worked out great!
Question: how would this be with Thai Basil with or besides Genovese Badil?
Haven’t tried those, but I bet they’d be good!
Awesome recipe you have there. I’m not a fan of veggies but this one looks really interesting and delicious!
That is the exact kind of recipe that I have been looking for….a healthy fresh adn seasonal side. I am saving it for our next BBQ. Thanks for sharing it!
made this tonight, wasn’t sure if i would like the raw zucchini and i LOVED IT. Great one!
Made this last night for a big BBQ party. It was amazing! This is going into my summer salads standard rotation! So fresh and so flavorful.
I just made this for my weekly salad club and everyone loved it. Thanks, Lori!
Loved it, but made one teeny change. Since tomato season is so short in Minnesota, we take extra care of them! Refrigerating reduces the flavor of tomatoes. So, I added the tomatoes just before serving.
Otherwise, followed your recipe. Really delicious!
Healthy, colorful, pretty and gluten free. That’s for me!
This recipe is the absolute picture of “summer on a plate!” Good and good for you…thanks as always!
i don’t think I could last more than one day on a raw diet. I love to bake and eat the results but when it comes to summer dinners all I want is a fresh veggie salad, just like this one. Wonderful combo of flavors and color.
Perfect for summer! I just found your site and super excited to keep following! 🙂
I will definitely be making this- simple and delicious!
This would be perfect for our upcoming block party! Love how simple it is and that it doesn’t require me to heat up the kitchen!
Lori, this looks wonderful!!
ooh i love all the bright colors! yum!
I am eating this as I type! So delicious and it fits in with my diet! Basil and zucchini fresh from the garden makes it extra delicious! I am also making your greek salad cucumber bites tonight for a girls night out! I wanted to make something that did not require turning on the oven and that recipe looks to be a hit! All of my favorite things wrapped up into one delicious bite!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes!!
Your salad looks amazing and fresh!! I can’t wait to try out your recipe.
This is my favorite kind of thing to eat in the summer! So fresh and healthy – it looks delicious!
Love this! 🙂 looks so great!
I could just eat this up with a spoon! Sounds heavenly!
My husband wanted to try a raw diet 2 yrs ago when we were trying to get in shape for a upcoming vacation… 3 days in and I caved. I like hot food!
That dressing especially looks yummy! Light and delicious, perfect for summer!
I’m making this for my next bbq. I LOVE the fresh sweet summer corn and this salad will be perrrrrfecto! 🙂
I’m not a raw food gal either but I could definitely get on board with this! How refreshing!
Oh yum. I cannot wait to try this. Fresh and simple with some of my favorite summer veggies.
Yeaaaaah! I totally made a raw salad about 2 weeks ago and am still thinking about it. Now I have to make this one.
Freshness in bowl..
I love eating raw zucchini, only if I can get my kids eat it too..
I will try this.. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I don’t think I could handle a raw food diet either Lori! But this is one dish I don’t think I could get enough of. Love all of the fresh veggies together in one large bowl. 🙂
I posted something super similar today! Great minds. 🙂
I love the sound of that vinaigrette…totally swooning.
I couldn’t go permanently raw either (I need a good hot meal at least once a day) but I could pretty much eat this salad nonstop, I’m sure.
I adore fresh corn salads like this in the summer. This one is perfect for an August picnic!
This salad is summer in a bowl!
I could eat this with a spoon, but it would be fantastic over fish or chicken. Lovely, fresh recipe, Lori!
This is beautiful! And I do have a handful of friends on a raw diet — this looks like a perfect dish to serve! 🙂
Love this! I could eat this sorta stuff all summer long!
What a great salad! This would be perfect to take to a BBQ!
Lori this is my kinda recipe…I love it! The freshness, the raw veggies, the pop of color, that dressing, totally perfect!