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Corn + Arugula Salad

Corn and Arugula Salad features sweet corn, diced red pepper & red onion tossed with fresh arugula and dressed with lemon, salt, and pepper for a simple, easy, and delicious summer salad!

top down view of corn arugula salad in white bowl with fork and items surrounding.

Fresh corn off the cob is one of my favorites. It’s especially best in summer when at its peak of sweetness and crispness!

Today we’ll be pairing crisp, sweet corn with colorful red bell pepper, red onion, fresh arugula, and tossing it with a little lemon juice, salt, and pepper creating a most delicious summer salad.

It’s a perfectly simple, fresh, and colorful salad. And if you’re a lover of corn like me, you’re going to absolutely love it!

Ready in minutes, this easy summer corn-arugula salad can be served as a healthy side dish or light meal.

top down view of ingredients used to make corn arugula salad recipe.

Ingredient Notes

Inspired by a visit to Whole Foods, I saw a Corn Arugula Salad and knew I needed to create my own. Once home, I came across this recipe from Food & Wine and loved the minimal ingredients used.

With only a few changes made, here is everything you’ll need:

  • Corn – fresh corn off the cob is best, but you can use canned or frozen corn
  • Red bell pepper – adds sweetness and color
  • Red onion – adds a nice pop of color and texture, can sub with shallots too
  • Arugula – use fresh baby arugula, add more to your taste
  • Lemon – adds a wonderful brightness without being overpowering
  • Salt + pepper – to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon each to really bring out the flavors)
top down view showing the process of prepping veggies on a wooden cutting board.

How To Make Corn & Arugula Salad

This fresh and easy salad comes together in about 10 minutes. (Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post)

  • Prepare the corn and dice your veggies.
top down view of bowl with corn arugula salad ingredients added and lemon drizzled over top.
  • Place the ingredients in a large mixing bowl (shown above), along with the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  • Toss to combine, as shown below.

And there you have it – simple, easy, and most of all delicious!

Tips For Success!

  • Use the freshest ingredients. To ensure you have the best salad possible, I suggest with so few ingredients that you source out the best produce you can find.
  • Add protein. If you’d like to add a little protein, try tossing in some sprouted mung beans or any mixed sprouted beans. Their grassy, bitter flavor pairs well with the sweetness of the veggies.
  • Use fresh, cooked,or grilled corn. I didn’t boil my corn, as I love it as is. If you prefer your corn cooked, follow the original recipe noted above for boiling the corn before cutting it off the cob.
  • Add vegan feta. The original recipe calls for feta cheese, but it is omitted here and wasn’t missed in the least. You can always add vegan feta for variation.
  • Add coconut bacon. Try adding a handful of Coconut Bacon to the salad, or sprinkle your serving, for texture and smoky flavor.
top down view of freshly tossed corn arugula salad.

How To Store

  • Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
  • Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this corn arugula salad as it’s best eaten within a few days.

Serving Suggestions

More Easy Summer Recipes!

top down view of bowl with serving of corn arugula salad with items surrounding.

If you try this easy summer salad recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

Print

SWEET CORN + ARUGULA SALAD

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5 from 1 review

Corn Arugula Salad is a fresh and colorful salad for all corn lovers of the world! It’s the simplest of ingredients with lots of delicious flavor.

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Total Time: 10 min
  • Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
  • Category: Entree, Salad, Side
  • Method: mix
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 23 oz. baby arugula
  • 4 ears of corn, shucked (about 3 cups) *see notes
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 lemon, juice of
  • 12 tablespoons olive oil, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper, or to taste

Instructions

Prep corn: Remove the husks and stringy fibers from the corn cut/slice the corn off the cob. See this, 3 Mess Free Ways to get Corn of the Cobb, for a quick tutorial. Prep the bell pepper and onion.

Assemble: In a large mixing bowl, place the arugula, corn, bell pepper and onion. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and salt & pepper. Mix well to combine. Taste for seasoning adding more lemon juice or salt & pepper as needed.

Serve: Enjoy right away, or let the salad set for about 10 minutes (you can also chill it if you like). The arugula will soften and slightly wilt during that time making the salad look more proportioned and not so arugula heavy (it makes it a little easier to eat).

Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or so.

Notes

You can also use canned corn that’s been drained, or frozen corn that has been thawed.

For a little protein, try mixing in a handful of sprouted mung beans or mixed sprouted beans. Their grassy, bitter flavor pairs well with the sweet veggies.

Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Updated: This recipe was originally published in September 2016. It has been retested and updated with new photos and helpful tips in August 2020.

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6 Comments

  1. G, sanchez says:

    Served it with crab cakes. It was perfect

  2. This was so easy and delicious!






  3. I made this as a side for fish last night, and it was so easy and delicious! I’ll definitely make this again. Thanks!

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Wonderful, so glad you liked this, yay!

  4. Can you use frozen corn?

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Absolutely, just cook the corn according to package directions, or let it thaw and use as is. I think gently warmed corn would be delicious! Enjoy :)

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