Bright and beautiful.
At any backyard barbecue, you need at least one good side dish: something to complement and balance out all that juicy rich meat. You could choose something as basic as a tray of crunchy carrot sticks or opt for something as substantial as a zippy potato salad. Or you could try this Summer Corn Salad.
Bright and zingy. Packed with summer sweet corn and cherry tomatoes, punctuated by the briny feta cheese and bitter arugula, and tossed in tangy vinaigrette, this salad is perfect for any summer party. It’s particularly delicious with steak—you can even serve it as a side relish, eaten bite-for-bite with the meat—but it’s also a complete stand-alone side that makes a great addition to any summer meal.
This salad is also great for backyard barbecues because it’s low-maintenance: simple to make and ideal for serving outside. It’s easy to prep ahead: the corn and lima beans can be cooked hours in advance, tossed in the vinaigrette, and left to marinate in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat, just add in the pickled onions, feta, tomatoes, and arugula, and serve! And, unlike a lot of summer salads which are mayo-based or full of tender greens that wilt quickly, this salad will hold up and still taste delicious, even after an hour on a picnic table in the heat. That alone makes it the ultimate backyard barbecue side.
Tangy, fresh, exploding with seasonal summer veg, this salad will be a delicious addition to your summer table.
Still trying to decide what to serve with those 4th of July hamburgers? Look no further. Grab a basket of corn at your local farm stand and start shucking!
Enjoy!
Summer Corn Salad with Lima Beans, Tomatoes, and Arugula
Serves 6
For the vinaigrette:
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated
¼ teaspoon paprika
For the corn salad:
3 ears corn, husked (for about 2 cups kernels)
1 cup frozen lima beans, thawed
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for salting the water
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved and seasoned with salt
½ cup pickled red onions, cut into 1-inch-long pieces*
Handful of arugula
Method
For the vinaigrette:
Add vinegar, shallot, and ½ teaspoon salt to a large, nonreactive bowl and leave to set for 15 minutes (this will dissolve the salt for even distribution in the vinaigrette and also reduce the shallot’s bite). Whisk in olive oil, garlic, and paprika.
For the corn salad:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling. Add the corn and boil 5-6 minutes, or until kernels are tender when pierced with a knife. Remove and set aside to cool. Once cooled, carefully cut the kernels off the cobs using clean swift motions. Try not to squash or mangle the kernels. Set aside.
Return the pot of water to boiling. Add the frozen lima beans and simmer 3 minutes, or until warmed through. Do not boil or leave in the water too long, or they will split and become mushy. You want to retain their shape and texture! Drain.
Add both corn and lima beans to the bowl with the vinaigrette and ½ teaspoon salt and toss well to coat. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the corn and lima beans to marinate.
When ready to serve, toss with pickled red onions, halved cherry tomatoes, feta crumbles, and sprigs of arugula. Eat at room temperature.
Pickled Red Onions
(Makes about 1 cup)
1 red onion, sliced thinly
¾ cup white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
½ teaspoon sugar
Method
Bring 2-3 cups of water to a boil on the stove (using a tea kettle is ideal). Place the sliced red onion in a colander and set over the sink. When the water is boiling, pour it carefully over the red onion, allowing the water to run down the drain. This blanches the onion, removing some of its bite.
In a large glass bowl (avoid metal or plastic), whisk together vinegar, sugar, and salt. Shake any excess water off the red onions and add to the vinegar solution. Stir so the onions are evenly coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.*
*Pickled onions will keep for a long time in the refrigerator. Make sure to store them in glass (metal might react with the vinegar and plastic containers will absorb the strong flavors). Serve with everything from rich meat braises to roasted vegetables to rice pilaf.
Originally posted June 30, 2020.
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