Our Corn and Tomato Salad has a tangy yet smokey chili flavour when tossed in its creamy dressing. It is the perfect quick and easy barbecue side dish for gatherings and cookouts. Free from the top allergens, gluten free, and dairy free, this summer side salad is picnic perfect.
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The Quick Lowdown:
Flavour/Taste: A creamy chili lime flavoured gluten free corn salad recipe.
Texture: Crisp and crunchy. The kernels pop in your mouth for a cooling feel.
Speed: If you have the corn cooked this side dish comes together in minutes.
Difficulty: This is a perfect beginner recipe. Once the chopping is done, get the kids to do the mixing.
Meal Prep: To save time, cook extra corn with other dinners. Use a food processor to speed up the chopping.
Why We Like This Recipe
I love a great salad side dish in the summer, like this corn and tomato salad. Something I can whip up quickly that doesn't require too much cooking or work. I find the heat of summer really drains me and we need to make something relatively simple to go with our main course.
The other bonus, for me, is if it keeps well overnight and can be brought with us places without too much difficulty. This means we can eat it at picnics and BBQs, or when we are out on family adventures in a cooler with ice packs.
I love to use leftover dinner side salads as an easy lunch for myself the next day. I can add a bit of cooked chicken or canned beans to bump up the protein and I have a simple meal. Grabbing a quick bite for us can be tough with my MCAS and the kids' multiple food allergies.
Ingredients
- Corn
- Grape Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Egg and Soy Free Mayo
- Smoked Paprika
- Chili Powder
- Lime or Lemon Zest
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lemon or Lime Juice
- Sea Salt
- Ground Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
The Ingredient Low Down
Corn
We like to use corn on the cob for this summer side dish. If we are making it at other times of year we use canned or frozen whole kernels. If using frozen, thaw, cook and cool them first. If using canned drain, rinse and pat them dry before adding to the salad.
For extra flavour, instead of boiling the corn - try grilling the corn on the cob in the husks, with silks removed. Soak the cobs in the husks in water and then grill them on the BBQ.
Grape Tomatoes
We like to use grape tomatoes but you can use a hot house, roma or cherry tomatoes cut in medium diced pieces. Do what works for you and fits your budget!
Red Onion
For both the colour and the flavour red onion is the best onion to use in this gluten free corn salad recipe. If you really are not an onion fan, opt for shallots rather than red onions. They are still light purple in colour but with a much softer onion flavour.
Egg and Soy Free Mayo
We like to use an oil based mayo substitute. Mama Yo! Mayo in Canada also doesn't have mustard and is egg and soy free. Hellman's Vegan is a popular brand that may be suitable depending on their current processing practices and your food allergies. Check with the manufacturer for shared lines and facilities with your food allergies before you buy any substitutes.
You can also make vegan mayo with aquafaba (chickpea or bean canning water), neutral oil, lemon juice, and spices.
Smoked Paprika, Chili Powder, Sea Salt, and Ground Pepper
It is always a good idea to check with the manufacturer for shared lines on spices. Those with cashew allergies should check with their medical team before buying anything with pink peppercorns. They are not pepper, they are from the cashew family.
Lime or Lemon
Either lime or lemon work for this recipe. We have used both depending on what was on sale that week. The fresh varieties are best rather than concentrated lemon or lime juice. One fresh lemon or lime is enough for this recipe.
Wash and soak the skin well to get any wax off of it before rolling the citrus on the counter to get the most juice from it. Zest the lime/lemon, then cut and juice.
You can zest and juice lemons and limes when they are on sale and freeze the juice and zest. Thaw it before using it in the recipe.
Fresh Cilantro
For the best flavour fresh cilantro is preferred for this recipe over dried. If you use a food processor to chop it up you can also use the stems. Hand chopping - the leaves work best.
How to Make Corn Salad
Cook the Corn
Remove the husks and silk from the corn on the cob. Boil the corn in a large pot of salted water for 10 minutes. Start timing after the water is boiling with the corn in the wat
er. When done, remove the corn and let it cool. Carefully, cut the corn niblets off the cob with a knife. Chill the corn overnight in the fridge.
Cut Up the Salad Ingredient
Dice the red onions, slice the tomatoes, zest the lemon or lime, and chop the cilantro.
Mix in Dressing
Put all the corn and tomato salad ingredients in a large bowl. Measure and mix in all the dressing ingredients until they are well together. Chill until ready to serve.
Corn Cooling Tip
If you don't have all night to wait for the corn to chill you can put the warm corn niblets that have been cut from the cob in a large zippered freezer bag. Close the zipper end of the bag all except a little bit. Lay the bag in a bowl of ice water, or in a clean sink with cold water.
It works best if the corn is in a flat thin layer as opposed to a large bunch at the bottom of the bag. Keep the zipper out of the water by clipping it to the bowl or sink. Flip to cool the other side and it should cool in around 10 minutes, if the water is ice cold.
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Substitutions, Variations, & Adaptations
- Black Beans - Add in canned black beans that have been rinsed for extra protein. Corn and black bean salad makes the perfect bbq side dish.
- Quinoa - Pump up the protein in this salad by adding 1 cup of cooked and cooled quinoa. You may need a bit more dressing to get the same flavour.
- Avocado - Adding 1-2 cubed creamy avocados to make this a corn and avocado salad is the perfect adaptation for this side dish.
- Cucumber - nothing is more cooling than dicing up an English cucumber and adding it to the salad. Corn salad with cucumber will not be able to be kept as long as without the cucumber. If you want to reduce some of the liquid the cucumber releases over time, scoop out the seeds before dicing.
- Spicy - Dice up a jalapeno and add it to the gluten free corn salad recipe for a heat kick. Add in a pinch of cayenne to the dressing as well to amp it up even more.
Storage and Meal Prep Instructions
Storage
This corn side dish can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge. It will lose a bit of liquid from the corn and onions, so the dressing will thin a bit. Instead of draining it, mix it well and use 1 tablespoon more of vegan mayo before serving the stored salad if the dressing has thinned.
Corn and tomato salad doesn't freeze well. We do not recommend storing it in the freezer.
Meal Prep
Cook the corn in advance and cut it from the cob to let it cool the night before. We plan our meals so that we make corn on the cob one night and have this salad 2 days later with dinner.
The onions and tomatoes can be cut and mixed with cooled corn in advance and left for up to 2 days in the fridge before adding the dressing. Store the gluten free corn salad without the dressing if prepping the night before and the corn, onions and tomatoes drained before mixing.
Equipment
You don't need specialised equipment for this corn and tomato salad recipe. There are items that are nice to have but you can work with what you have got in your kitchen.
- Large Pot - for boiling the corn. If you have a smaller pot cut/snap the corn in half and boil as many at a time as the pot can hold.
- Tongs - to pull the corn out of the water.
- Knife and Cutting Board - to cut the corn off the cob and dice the onion and cut the tomatoes. You can use a food processor or food chopper for the onions, if preferred. Don't bother with a special corn cutter. We have tried them all and nothing works as well as a good knife and cutting board.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons - to measure out the dressing ingredients and spices. You can also measure with your heart if that works better for you.
- Lemon Juicer - You can use any kind that works for you, or use your hands to squeeze the citrus to get as much juice out as possible.
- Zester - to easily get the zest off the lemon of limes before juicing. My personal favourite is the microplane zester as it gets the zest without the pith.
- Large Salad Bowl - If you are serving this gluten free corn salad recipe at a larger gathering use a travel bowl with a cover, like tupperware is perfect. For at home we just use a mixing bowl.
- Salad Spoons - to mix the salad we like to use salad spoons that double as serving spoons. They are one less dish to wash. If you do not have serving spoons, use a large dinner spoon instead.
FAQ
Yes, a budget friendly option to corn on the cob is to use cooked and cooled frozen corn. Follow the instructions on the frozen corn to cook it. Make sure it is free from allergens as some frozen vegetables are made on shared lines with common food allergens.
Yes, it can! The best way to keep it fresh is to make the dressing and mix it in a separate container and mix the salad ingredients in a separate bowl. When you are just about ready to serve the salad, mix the dressing into the salad ingredients. If you do mix it all together earlier, give the salad a good stir before serving so all the dressing doesn't fall to the bottom of the bowl.
Yes, you can make corn salad with canned corn. Instead of corn on the cob, a time and budget saving ingredient is canned corn niblets. Rinse them, let them drain to dry a bit, and use in place of corn on the cob.
What To Pair With
We serve this corn and tomato salad at just about every barbecue and picnic. It works well with burgers and hotdogs, ribs, or chicken skewers. It also goes really well on a taco buffet or with a burrito bowl. We like to serve it with other summer side dishes and salads, such as our summer berry salad, or gluten free tabouli.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Tongs
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Lemon Juicer
- Large Salad Bowl
- Salad Spoons
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 Ears Corn on the Cob boiled, cut from the cob, and cooled
- 6 Grape Tomatoes each one cut in 4 round slices
- 2 Tablespoons Red Onion diced
Dressing
- ¼ Cup Vegan Mayo, egg and soy free soy and egg free
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Lime or Lemon Zest roughly ½ lime or lemon
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro chopped
- 1½ Tablespoons Lemon or Lime Juice about ½ lemon or lime
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Pepper
Instructions
- Remove the husks and silk from the corn on the cob. Boil the corn in a large pot of salted water for 10 minutes. Start timing after the water is boiling with the corn in the water. When done, remove the corn and let it cool. Carefully, cut the corn niblets off the cob with a knife. Chill the corn overnight in the fridge. (See Notes for a short cut)3 Ears Corn on the Cob
- Dice the red onions, slice the tomatoes, zest the lemon or lime, and chop the cilantro.6 Grape Tomatoes, 2 Tablespoons Red Onion, 1 Tablespoon Lime or Lemon Zest, 1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro
- Put all the corn salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix all the ingredients together well with two large spoons. Chill until ready to serve.¼ Cup Vegan Mayo, egg and soy free, ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika, ½ teaspoon Chili Powder, 1½ Tablespoons Lemon or Lime Juice, ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt, ¼ teaspoon Ground Pepper
Video
Notes
Allergy Note 1
Always check that each ingredient is safe for you. Reading all the ingredients and labelling as well as checking with the manufacturer should always be done before buying any product. Each person's allergies are different and only you and your medical team can determine what is best for you. Checking with the manufacturer is best practice to see if shared lines, or facilities are used when making any of the suggested products. Just because a product is right for us does not mean it is safe for anyone else. You must do your own research on each product.
Allergy Note 2
If making this recipe for anyone with an allergy always check with them for suitable products and ingredients. Each person knows their allergies best and can advise on what is safe for them to eat. Keep in mind that if making for another person they may not be able to eat it with shared prep surfaces, cooking equipment, and kitchens or other safety reasons.
Allergy Note 3
This is not medical advice. Always discuss your allergies, nutrition, and suitable products and recipes with your medical team before using.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
"The Allergen Free Kitchen" is not a registered dietician or nutritionist, does not replace a registered dietician or nutritionist and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend you consult with your medical team to find a registered dietician or nutritionist and for you to calculate the nutritional information. Calories and nutritional values can vary vastly depending on which brands were used and any substitutions used.
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Food Safety
- Cook corn to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
- Always check ingredients for allergens
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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