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Dilled, Crunchy Sweet Corn Salad With Buttermilk Dressing

Name: Dilled, Crunchy Sweet Corn Salad With Buttermilk Dressing
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 6 as a side dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 clove shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced; 3 ears of fresh, uncooked corn, the kernels scraped from the cobs with a sharp knife (about 2 3/4 cup); 4 Persian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch dice; 1 long red sweet pepper, seeded, ribs removed and diced; 1 small handfull fresh dill (about 4 smallish sprigs), minced; 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley; 1 handful crumbled Feta cheese, rinsed, as a garnish; 1/4 cup buttermilk; 2/3 cup plain European style thin yogurt, stirred; 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar; 3 tablespoons minced Vidalia or other sweet onion; 1 small clove garlic, minced and mashed with a pinch of salt; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

by: creamtea

June 28, 2011

37 Ratings

Dilled, Crunchy Sweet Corn Salad With Buttermilk Dressing

Photo by Ty Mecham

Prep time 40 minutes
Serves 6 as a side dish

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Whenever I cook corn for my family, I cut off the tips, the better to fit the ears into my soup kettle. I always find myself nibbling the sweet kernels from those tips and wondering how else these little nubbins could be used. So when Amanda and Merrill announced the competition for best uncooked dish, I decided to try for a crunchy, chunky salad starring uncooked corn that would be colorful and satisfying. Here is the result. You could replace the shallots with some minced chives or scallions. This salad could replace cole slaw or potato salad as a side dish for a hefty sandwich. - creamtea —creamtea

Test Kitchen Notes

Creamtea's thoughtfully composed corn salad has none of the rough edges a raw salad often brings. The dressing, tangy with buttermilk and yogurt, envelops the crunchy corn, peppers and cucumbers in a silky cloak. We love the hit of herbs (dill and parsley) and the zip of onion and garlic in the dressing; the creamy crumbles of salty feta are a perfect counterpoint to the sweet corn and peppers. - A&M —The Editors

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What You'll Need

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Dilled, Crunchy Sweet Corn Salad With Buttermilk Dressing

Ingredients

For the salad:
1 clove shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 ears of fresh, uncooked corn, the kernels scraped from the cobs with a sharp knife (about 2 3/4 cup)
4 Persian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch dice
1 long red sweet pepper, seeded, ribs removed and diced
1 small handfull fresh dill (about 4 smallish sprigs), minced
¹/₄ cup minced fresh parsley
1 handful crumbled Feta cheese, rinsed, as a garnish

For the dressing:
¹/₄ cup buttermilk
²/₃ cup plain European style thin yogurt, stirred
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons minced Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 small clove garlic, minced and mashed with a pinch of salt
¹/₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Directions

Salt the shallot slices in 1/2 t. salt and allow to sit about 20 minutes to draw out any harshness. Rinse well with water and pat dry with a paper towel. In a large bowl toss the corn kernels lightly to separate them, add the shallot and the remaining salad ingredients and toss again to combine.
In a smaller bowl combine the buttermilk, vinegar, onion, yogurt, and garlic and whisk to combine. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking, until amalgamated. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.
Serve the salad slightly chilled, garnished with the feta cheese. Pass the dressing separately.

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Kirsten Gillies
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231 Reviews

ivy G. May 30, 2024

Always a favorite! I made this salad this weekend after a visit to the Ojai, CA farmers market.
I added watermelon radishes and fennel. You can never have enough crunch!

Diane August 14, 2023

So many diversions but this is a great salad. I cooked the corn and scraped kernels from the cob. Did not have shallots so used red onion but put them in the salad, not the dressing, after dicing the cucumber and red pepper. Used cilantro as I was unable to get dill and favor lime juice with cilantro and ended up putting lime juice and EVOO, S&P in the salad. I had decided I would serve the Feta on the side as well as the dressing on the side and this salad was a hit.

creamtea August 15, 2023

I'm so glad you liked it, Diane. (I also made it just last night for dinner). I like your changes--cilantro and lime are great partners! Thank you for trying out my recipe!

E E. July 14, 2023

The salad was good, the dressing was not.

anne January 20, 2023

I've been making this for years now. Made it for pot luck at work and it was gone first and everyone wanted the recipe. I also add some big fat chilled gulf shrimp, cut in half or thirds, depending on their size and boy is that ever good. This salad is always a huge hit, I even make it when corn is off season if I find some good imported cobs at the market. I know! it's a no-no, but I can't help myself. Sometimes they are starchy, but a quick sautee in some butter then chilled is just fine. Don't get the corn soft, just cook enough to soften up that starch. It's a winter treat!

creamtea January 20, 2023

I'm so glad you like my recipe and it was a hit at the potluck! Great ideas for changing it up!

Darian September 26, 2022

Suffering from a broken A/C down here in (still sweltering) Florida, so this was a perfect dinner while we waited for the ever-elusive A/C Repair Person. I used basil instead of dill per other reviews due to personal preference. Overall it was a great dish and really hit the spot in these circumstances. I found there was more dressing than needed, but that's never a bad thing.

creamtea September 29, 2022

Thank you for trying my recipe, but most importantly, I hope you and yours stay safe and sound (and well-fed) through this hurricane season! -Lisanne

Darian September 30, 2022

Hi Lisanne, thank you for your well wishes - we made it through Hurricane Ian in one piece (including our newly fixed A/C unit). We look forward to enjoying your dish again many times in the future!

marionse June 24, 2022

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Pushok June 16, 2022

test test

Anna G. August 3, 2021

This was a hit for my entire family, even my veggie-hesitant 12 and 14 year-olds! I used cilantro and dill and added fresh lime juice to the dressing. Love adding new dishes to the family menus.

creamtea August 3, 2021

So glad you and your family liked it! Thank you for trying my recipe!

anne September 2, 2024

I've added cilantro too, as well as lime on occasion and it is so good! Someone in my crew doesn't like red pepper, so I threw in some tomato. One night I used up what was left of some roasted beets and large diced radish. Still amazing! I think if you stick with the corn and buttermilk dressing, anything is game.

Judy S. September 13, 2020

I came this evening looking for a new salad dressing. Then realized I had all of the ingredients for the whole shebang exactly as written. Had to try it and it's fabulous! Thank you! I've been making lots of fresh corn salads this summer, usually grilled first with fresh peaches, other crunchy veggies, parsley and dressed with lime juice and a little olive oil. But yours will now be a regular, too!

creamtea September 15, 2020

Glad you liked it! Thank you for trying!
-Lisanne

Dee September 2, 2020

My favorite salad!

creamtea September 2, 2020

thank you so much!

nancyg July 6, 2020

Need a salad for 90* weather tonight. Will make this and add canned salmon on the side. That should be good with the dill & other ingredients. Nancyg

Heather July 5, 2020

Outstanding, as others have noted. Would have loved dill, but alas it was impossible to find fresh in markets, basil substituted nicely, about 1/4 cup after chiffonade.

creamtea July 5, 2020

I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for trying it. I bet basil would be delicious!

ElleRossi April 6, 2020

Love love LOVE this salad! We make it as it is called for, however had to sub feta for cottswold cheddar with chives this time and HIGHLY recommend ! This is a standard offering in our household when corn is in season

creamtea April 7, 2020

Hi Elle! Thank you so much for your feedback. It's great to know you've been using my recipe in different ways. The Cotswold cheddar sounds like a great substitution! I may play around with it myself!
-Lisanne

Richard C. August 9, 2019

Just saw this on the channel....OH MY GOODNESS!!...Looks amazing...and was never a corn in my salad kind of guy...But..ANY recipe on Food52 is worth a try!...SOOO love all the great recipes and techniques!!..THANK YOU SO MUCH!

creamtea August 11, 2019

Thank you for your comment! I hope you try my recipe. Let me know how you like it!
-creamtea

Rhetta July 28, 2019

I'm going to make this tomorrow but what is a "long red pepper"? A bell pepper or a hot Fresno?
Thank you!

neighome July 28, 2019

I used red bell pepper

Rhetta July 28, 2019

Thank you! Looking forward to tasting this!

creamtea July 29, 2019

A sweet bell pepper. Around this time of year, our markets get a sweet, pointed variety, but any red bell pepper will do.

Rhetta July 29, 2019

Thanks so much ~ making for dinner tonight!

creamtea July 29, 2019

I hope you enjoy! Thanks for trying my recipe!!

BoulderGalinTokyo October 5, 2018

YUM! Made for a third year in a row- what a winner! Loved how you nibbled your way into a great recipe!

creamtea October 5, 2018

Thanks BoulderGal! I'm so glad to learn this!

Kirsten G. October 4, 2018

Being asked for the recipe of a dish you bring to a party, is a wonderful compliment, and a nice indicator that you've invested your time in a winner! I brought this salad to my book club and everyone raved. 10 out of 12 people contacted me afterwards, and requested the recipe. I couldn't find fresh dill, and had loads of thyme and oregano growing on my patio, so I chopped them up and it was wonderful. This is a great, simple, fresh salad.

creamtea October 4, 2018

Thank you for letting me know Kirsten! I'm so delighted you and your book club members enjoyed my recipe!

neighome September 8, 2018

Perfectly refreshing for a hot summer day. I boiled corn 90 seconds. Recommend making half the dressing unless you want leftovers.

creamtea September 8, 2018

neighome, thanks for trying! Glad you liked it.
-creamtea

Joanne July 25, 2018

This is an awesome salad! Loved it last year and couldn't wait to make it again as soon as this year's corn was ready. I used an english cucumber instead of the persian, but otherwise stayed true to the recipe. It keeps well overnight in the fridge, too, so I can get a couple of meals out of it for the two of us. Thanks for such a wonderful complement to my summer!

creamtea August 6, 2018

Thanks Joanne! I'm so glad you liked it!

Ashley July 12, 2018

This is the corn confetti-type salad I can get behind. Rock star recipe that will feature prominently in my summer meals, forever. Substitute as needed but it's seriously great as written. Well done!

creamtea July 22, 2018

Thank you very much, Ashley! So glad you like it!
-Lisanne