This easy Corn Avocado Tomato Salad is made without onions for the perfect side dish to serve with everything you're grilling this summer! With only 4 ingredients, it's creamy, flavorful, colorful and only takes 10 minutes to make.
This 4 ingredient, 10 minute salad is absolutely one of my top go-to salads to make in the summer because not only is it light on calories, I usually have everything on hand to make it. It also doubles as a side dish. Stir in cooked chicken and it's a main dish!
There are no onions in this salad recipe but my Tomato-Basil and Vidalia Onion Salad has onions if you are an onion-lover. Another simple salad with corn and tomatoes you might like to try is Tri Color Quinoa and Tomato Corn Salad. You can always add green onions, sweet onions, or purple onions, if you choose.
Although I don't grow fresh corn in my garden, I do grow many varieties of tomatoes. It seems avocado is always on sale somewhere, so I keep a couple on the counter in different stages of ripeness.
You don't even have to cook corn on the cob to use it in this southern summer salad, but I like to give it a quick sautee in a skillet, microwave-steam it while in the husk, or steam it off the cob on the stovetop.
If you cook the corn in a skillet first, you could easily serve this as a warm salad or side dish by quickly stirring in the remaining ingredients into the skillet just until thoroughly heated.
Shortcuts
The main shortcut for Corn Avocado Tomato Salad is using a bottled vinaigrette instead of making one from scratch. It's also good with just plain ol' salt and pepper!
- Salad dressing- I have quite a large collection of bottled salad dressings in my fridge to choose from. My favorite one to use for this is Ken's Steakhouse Simply Olive Oil Vinaigrette.
- Steaming corn in the husk- The corn silk just slides right off when you steam the whole corn on the cob (husk and all) in the microwave.
- No messy tomato chopping- Grape tomatoes are bite-size so you don't even need to cut them in half if you don't want to. I give them a quick vertical slice in half with a serrated knife because I find they are easier to spear with a fork when eating.
Ingredients
Scroll down to printable recipe for ingredient quantities.
- Fresh corn kernels
- Grape tomatoes
- Chopped avocado
- Bottled olive oil vinaigrette
Tip: By using a lite vinaigrette, it makes for a pretty healthy side salad with only 117 calories for a ½ cup serving.
How to make
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Cut corn from the cob by slicing downward into a large bowl with a serrated knife.
- Cut tomatoes in half and chop the avocado.
- Stir tomato, avocado and vinaigrette into the kernels of corn. (Don't forget to remove the paper towel.)
Tip: Placing a damp paper towel in the bottom of the bowl helps prevent the ear of corn from slipping while cutting with a knife.
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Substitutions & Add-ins
- Frozen corn - You can use 1 cup frozen corn, thawed for two ears of fresh corn kernels.
- Chopped tomato- If you have whole tomatoes on hand, you can coarsely chop them.
- Onions- For a little crunch and color, stir in chopped purple (red) onion or sweet onion.
- Peppers- Stir in minced jalapeno pepper or green, red or yellow bell pepper also adds flavor and crunch.
- Herbs- Basil, parsley, chives, and even mint adds a zip of flavor.
- Cheese- Feta, Parmesan, and queso fresco cheese
- Salad dressing & vinaigrettes- I prefer a vinaigrette so I can see the pretty colors of this salad but a creamy salad dressing like Ranch or creamy Parmesan would taste good. Other options are zesty Italian, garlic and basil vinaigrette, lite Caesar, and Greek.
How do I make my own olive oil vinaigrette?
With just four ingredients, you can make your own olive oil vinaigrette. Whisk together ⅓ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons vinegar (lemon or lime juice), ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
Helpful Information
A quick and easy method to cut fresh corn from the cob is to first place a damp paper towel in the bottom of a large bowl. This keeps the tip of the cob from slipping and the large bowl catches any flyaway kernels. Stand the corn on the cob up on the paper towel and cut off the kernels, slicing downward with a paring or slicing knife.
To cook fresh on the cob in the microwave, place the ears of corn (unshucked-still in the husks) on a microwave-safe plate. For two ears of corn, microwave on HIGH, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Add 2 more minutes for every two additional ears of corn up to 6 ears at a time. Let stand 5 minutes to cool slightly. Cut off about an inch off the opposite end of the corn silk end. Using a hand towel, push the ear of corn up and out of the husks. The silk will be left behind.
Brushing or squirting lemon or lime juice on fresh avocado will delay the natural oxidation (browning) of avocado. The ascorbic acid in lemon and lime juice helps to keep it fresh. It's still safe to eat avocado if it turns brown.
What to serve with fresh corn salad
I recommend serving this simple corn salad with grilled meats, on fish tacos, and at potlucks and cookouts.
How to store
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, covered or in an air tight container. Keep in mind, the avocado may start to turn brown after a few hours but still fine to eat.
Make Ahead: If you are making the salad ahead, you can wait to cut the avocado until right before serving or toss it in 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice before adding to the salad.
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Corn Avocado Tomato Salad (without Onions)
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Equipment
- Serrated utility knife
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn (about 2 cups corn kernels)
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup lite olive oil and vinegar vinaigrette (I used Ken's Steakhouse)
Instructions
- Remove husks and silk from ears of corn. Cut corn kernels from the cob into a medium-size microwave-safe bowl. I find that a serrated knife works well. See NOTES below for a tip on how to easily cut kernels off the cob. You should get about ½ cup of corn from each ear of corn.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute.NOTE: It is safe to eat fresh corn raw without even cooking it.
- Alternatively, see NOTES for how to steam whole ears of corn in the microwave before removing husks and silk.
- Coarsely chop avocado and cut tomatoes in half. Add them to the bowl of steamed corn.
- Stir in the olive oil vinaigrette. Serve immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Avocado may start to turn brown after a few hours but is perfectly safe to eat.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
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