Zucchini Corn Salad

This Zucchini Corn Salad is the BEST gluten-free summer salad! It’s packed in lots of veggies to complement the zucchini and corn and finished off with gluten-free blue cheese. It’s hearty, easy, and packed with lots of different flavors and colors.

This corn and zucchini salad is loaded with lots of veggies paired with blue cheese whose pungent flavor really brings out the natural flavors of the vegetables. With so many veggies in one bowl, the flavors get a little lost but this strong cheese adds a nice contrast making the flavor really pop!

Serve this up with your favorite summer dinner along with my gluten-free baked brie and some deviled eggs to start things off!

This Zucchini and Corn Recipe Is…

• Fresh and Colorful! We’re using a variety of different vegetables to bring lots of color and texture to the salad.
• Completely Gluten-Free But So Flavorful! While most vegetables are almost certainly gluten-free sometimes the problem comes from other random seasonings or ingredients you add! With my personal knowledge of creating great tasting food while being gluten-free, I’m sharing with you exactly how to do it!
• Perfect for Any Summer Gathering or Meal! This dish goes with everything and it’s perfect for feeding a group of any size. Serve it up for summer potlucks, picnics, cookouts, and family reunions.

Ingredients

Most of the ingredients for this zucchini and corn salad, you can buy right in the produce section of your local grocery store or even a local Farmer’s Market.

• Kale: Curly kale is best for salads so I highly recommend it. Fresh baby spinach, arugula, or field greens also work well though they have more fragile and tender leaves and will soften if left standing too long.
• Zucchini: Zucchini is best in the summer especially in July and August when it starts showing up in home gardens or local farms. You can also use yellow squash with similar results.
• Red Onion: This crisp onion is perfect for salads. Leave them out if you aren’t a fan or swap them for shallots or green onions if you prefer a milder flavor.
• Corn on the Cob: Use fresh corn when possible. It’s much sweeter and more flavorful. In a pinch, you can use frozen corn but I highly recommend the fresh.
• Tomatoes: I like using grape or cherry tomatoes for their sweeter flavor but you can also use heirloom tomatoes or Roma tomatoes if you prefer.
• Red Bell Pepper: Sweet bell pepper adds crunch and color. I’m using red but yellow or orange work well too.
• Carrot: Shred or make ribbons with your carrot. These are easier to eat in a salad.
• Celery: I love it for the extra crunch it gives the salad. You can easily leave it out if you aren’t a fan.
• Peas: I’m using sugar snap peas which are tender enough to pull the string and eat them straight from their pods. They have a nice crisp texture and sweet flavor.
• Blue Cheese: The best blue cheese brand to choose for guaranteed gluten-free is Crumbly Gorgonzola made by BelGioioso. Blue cheese isn’t always completely gluten-free because the mold spores added to it are grown on rye or wheat bread. Although research now is saying blue cheese is safe to eat! To be sure there’s no contamination you can go with a brand that is labeled appropriately, especially if you are Celiac.
• Fresh Basil: Chopped fresh basil adds wonderful pungent notes of anise, mint, and citrus. It’s best added just before serving the salad. It also makes a lovely garnish on top of the salad.
• Rice vinegar: This mild vinegar made from rice adds subtle acidity and balances the sweetness of the dressing. Apple cider vinegar has a similar acidity and makes a good substitute.
• Fresh ginger: The best flavor comes from fresh ginger. I don’t recommend trying the dressing with dried.
• Mayonnaise: A touch adds a bit of creaminess and fat to the dressing.
• Orange juice, honey and cane sugar: Adds natural sweetness to the dressing along with a bit of orange flavor. Use fresh orange juice if you can.
• Soy sauce and tomato paste: These add saltiness and depth to the flavor of the dressing. Make sure it’s a gluten-free soy sauce such as tamari.

Variations

• Add a Protein: You can quickly turn this side dish salad into a main dish by adding a protein. Some grilled chicken works great or consider some chickpeas or cannellini brans if you want to keep it vegetarian.
• Add a Grain or Pasta: Rice, cooked gluten-free pasta, or quinoa are a few that work great to bulk up the salad.
• Change the Flavors: Swap the dressing for your favorite vinaigrette, creamy dressing, or change up the herbs to change it up.

How to Make Zucchini Corn Salad

Gather all your ingredients and preheat the oven to 400° F. If possible, use the convection setting on your oven. It works better for roasting vegetables giving it some nice char. If you don’t have it don’t worry it will still work well in a regular oven.

1. Cook the Corn and Zucchini. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and place them on a baking sheet skin down so the yellow center is facing up. Add the shucked corn next to it without touching the zucchini. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and pepper and then bake turning it over halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
   
2. Make the Dressing: Whisk together all dressing ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Place it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
3. Assemble the Salad: Start with the kale in the bowl or on plates first. Top with the
   all the raw and cooked vegetables on top of the kale in individual piles. Also add the crumbled blue cheese in a pile on the salad.
4. Season and Enjoy: Sprinkle the salad with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Then, drizzle the ginger dressing all over the salad.

Tips & Tricks

• Fresh is Best: This salad is best using fresh vegetables, especially in the summer when they are at the height of their season.
• Storage Tips: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Once the dressing is added the salad is best in 1-2 days. If possible don’t dress the entire salad if you know you will have leftovers in order to give the salad a couple more days in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing it.
• Serving: In the summer, I love to pair this salad with my best t-bone steak recipe or a chicken avocado wrap! It also pairs well with any type of grilled meat, baked fish, or even for burger night.

More Easy Recipes to Try

• Crock Pot White Chicken Chili (Gluten-Free)
• Skillet Chicken Thighs
• Gluten-Free Meatballs
• Zucchini Corn Salad
• Skillet T-Bone Steak

Corn Zucchini Salad

Jennifer Reidy

This Zucchini and Corn Salad is the BEST gluten-free summer salad! It's packs in lots of veggies to complement the zucchini and corn and finished off with gluten-free blue cheese. It's hearty, easy, and packed with lots of different flavors and colors.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

For the Salad

• ½ large bunch Curly kale stemmed, chopped
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 ear Fresh corn shucked
• 1 stalk Celery diced
• 1 Carrot shredded or ribbons, I use a potato peeler to make ribbons.
• 1 Red bell pepper sliced
• ½ Red onion thinly sliced
• 1 pound Peas shelled
• 1 small block blue cheese BelGioioso Gorgonzola brand is labeled gluten free.
• Fresh basil leaves chopped, optional

For the Dressing

• 3 tablespoons Rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger minced
• 1 tablespoon Water
• 1 tablespoon Orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 ½ tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1 pinch Cane sugar
• 1 pinch Kosher salt
• 1 pinch Freshly ground peppercorn
• 1 teaspoon Tomato paste

Instructions

 

Roast (or Grill) the Zucchini

• Preheat oven to convection roast at 400 degrees.
• Cut zucchini lengthwise so there are two halves, then place on baking sheet skin down (so the yellow center is facing up).
• Place shucked corn on baking sheet as well, not touching zucchini.
• Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper on zucchini and corn, then place sheet in oven.
• Bake for approximately 22 minutes, turning vegetables over halfway through cooking time. After turning, you can salt and pepper other side too.
• When vegetables are finished roasting, take out of oven and let rest on a plate until they reach room temperature.
• NOTE: You can also cook the zucchini and corn on the grill if you prefer a smokier flavor or want to skip turning the oven on.

Make Dressing

• While vegetables roast, prepare salad and dressing.
• In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Store in fridge until ready to serve.

Assemble the Salad

• Layer on individual plates or in a bowl starting at the bottom with the kale.
• Place peas, cooled zucchini, corn, celery, carrots, red bell pepper, and red onions on top of kale in individual piles. Crumble blue cheese atop salad or put in corner section of plate.
• Sprinkle salad with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle ginger dressing all over salad.
• This salad is perfect with a glass of chilled white wine on a summer evening!

Notes

• Fresh is Best: This salad is best using fresh vegetables, especially in the summer when they are at the height of their season.
• Storage Tips: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Once the dressing is added the salad is best in 1-2 days. If possible don’t dress the entire salad if you know you will have leftovers in order to give the salad a couple more days in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing it.
• Serving: In the summer, I love to pair this salad with my best t-bone steak recipe or a chicken avocado wrap! It also pairs well with any type of grilled meat, baked fish, or even for burger night.

Keyword corn zucchini salad, zucchini corn salad