I appear to be on a true cucumber “kick” at the moment because I want it in everything and on everything 🤣. And because I am enjoying so much cucumber, you will have to live with another cucumber recipe this week – a Refreshing Corn Salad with Lime Dressing.
As with most of my recipes at the moment, this salad requires little to no effort or time spent in the kitchen. Summer time is there to be enjoyed outside (whilst, of course, also having delicious food at hand 😉). Beautiful corn meets cucumber, peppers, herbs of your choice, and red onions that have marinated in lime. You then complete this dish by adding more lime juice, salt, pepper, a little bit of cayenne for that extra kick, and olive oil. It is a totally “zingy” experience that hits the spot.
Personally, I used cilantro in this salad. It would also likely work well with chives, parsley, or basil. Just use what you have on hand – or leave it out. The choice is yours. For the pictures (and whilst I gobbled the salad up after 🤪), I also added some feta cheese, which was a really nice addition to this salad. You can, of course, and as always – totally make this recipe your own by adding your choice of protein. This salad also works great as a side for a BBQ or as a main, whichever you prefer.
Why is this Refreshing Corn Salad with Lime Dressing good for you?
Corn
Not a product that I use often on the blog, so I thought I would write today about corn. Corn is classified as a grain. It is a member of the grass family, along with grains such as wheat, oats, and rice. Corn comes in a range of different colors from yellow to blue and purple varieties. In the US, corn is the most planted crop in terms of acreage, however, only about 5% is used for fresh consumption. Mass production tends to focus on feeding livestock, ethanol fuel, and refining the product (into e.g. flour for mass production). The health benefits of corn are oftentimes overlooked, which is a shame. Corn contains both vitamin B3 and B6, as well as mineral phosphorous. In fact, in countries where corn is a large staple in terms of food components, it is relied upon in order to avoid vitamin B3 deficiencies.
Corn contains a large number of antioxidants, mostly different types of carotenoids and quercetin. By now you likely know how important antioxidants are for combating free radicals and thereby reducing oxidative stress in the body. A variety of antioxidants from different food sources (hereby born is the sentence “Eat the Rainbow”) is thereby key. Corn also has a high ratio of insoluble to soluble fiber. Did you ever feel that corn was not fully digested after eating? That is the insoluble fiber, making its way through your digestive tract largely intact. Unfortunately, the exact steps in terms of the digestion of corn are not clear to researchers yet. We do know, though, that some components of the fiber are converted into health-supporting substances.
Please remember that a lot of corn in the US is genetically modified
In any case, fiber is super important for our gut health and continues to support a string of health-related benefits (e.g. blood sugar regulation, cholesterol absorption, and blood pressure reduction), all of which ultimately support our heart in being healthy. Last but not least, I would like to stress that a lot of corn is genetically modified, especially in the US. Try to buy corn organic in order to avoid this gene modification.
How can I adjust this Refreshing Corn Salad with Lime Dressing to my Dietary Requirements?
This recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and nut-free. Due to corn being classified as a grain, unfortunately, it is not paleo-friendly.
Similar Recipes on the Blog
There are so many delicious, refreshing recipes on the blog 😍. I have done a round-up with things that contain cucumber below (even snuck in a dessert – no worries though, that is without cucumber 🤪):
- Cooling Cucumber Soup
- Easiest Yummy Chickpea Salad
- Spicy Peanut Butter Noodle Salad
- Easy, Simple Summer Salad
- And for dessert – how about these Orange Blueberry Muffins, which are made with corn flour
And that is it for this week 🥳. I hope you enjoy this Refreshing Corn Salad with Lime Dressing and it will add a delicious and satisfying “zing” to one of your next meals. As always, please let me know how you like the recipe by either commenting below and/or rating the recipe. You know I love hearing from you!! Happy salad-making everyone 🌽.
Refreshing Corn Salad with Lime Dressing
Course: Main, sideCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy2
servings20
minutesThis Refreshing Corn Salad with Lime Dressing is cooling and delicious on a warm summer day. Dive into this burst of color and enjoy!
Ingredients
- For the refreshing corn salad
1 1 red onion
Juice of 1 lime
350 gr. 350 corn – see notes* for details
1/2 1/2 a cucumber
1 1 red pepper
A large handful of herbs – see notes* for details
- For the lime dressing
3 tbsp 3 olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
3/4 tsp 3/4 salt
A little bit of cayenne (optional)
Pepper to taste
How to
- For the refreshing corn salad
- Peel the red onion and finely slice. Add to a small bowl and add the juice of 1 lime on top
- Wash the corn and add to a large salad bowl (see notes* if you would like to use corn from the cob). Wash and cut both the cucumber and red pepper into small squares. Add to the salad bowl. Finally, wash and chop the herbs of choice and add them to the bowl. Add the cut red onion along with the juice from the lime
- For the lime dressing
- Add the additional lime juice, olive oil, salt, cayenne (if using), and pepper to the salad and mix well. Do a final taste test and adjust any seasonings. Serve immediately or chill for up to two hours in order to let the flavors develop. Serve with some crumbled feta cheese on top or protein option of choice. The recipe serves 2 as a main and 4 as a side. Enjoy!!!
Notes
- * You could also steam your corn fresh and add it. I would presume you need about 1 cob
- * Use herbs of your choice and liking – I used cilantro. Parsley, chives, or basil should work just as well. You can also leave the herbs if you do not have any at hand
Mega!
Danke 🙂