Grilled Corn, Snap Pea, and Blueberry Salad

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(Note: this post was originally published on June 17, 2021. It has since been updated with a few tweaks).

A Grilled Corn Salad for Summer

It's time for another party-appropriate salad! This one is bursting with summer ingredients and has an enticing balance of sweet and salty flavors. I'm confident this corn and blueberry salad will become a go-to for all your summer occasions.

If you're hosting summer get-togethers or traveling to attend parties, potlucks, or picnics, you'll definitely want to have some salad recipes up your sleeve that are hearty enough to prepare ahead of time. In those cases, I prefer to ditch the delicate greens and rely on robust ingredients like beans, corn, and peas (you'll see this same approach in my Rainbow Mexican Black Bean Salad and my Vegan Waldorf Chickpea Salad). This summery blueberry salad is easy, portable, and won't wilt.

The other great thing about this grilled corn salad is that it's versatile, which is why I love bringing it to parties. It can function as a side dish, a chip dip, or even a main course. If you're vegetarian or vegan, you'll know the importance of bringing a dish that can be a main course for yourself even if it's a side for everyone else.

Beautiful, colorful, summer salad with grilled corn, blueberries, and sugar snap peas

Corn and Blueberry Salad Serving Suggestions

Like many simple salads, this one has a lot of options. If you want to make this summery blueberry salad heartier, try mixing in a cup or two of cooked farro (if you want to go that route, I'd suggest doubling the dressing since the grain will absorb a lot of it). You could also add in some chickpeas for protein, which would make it meal-worthy. For extra decadence, try topping it with feta (or vegan feta).

Make-Ahead Tips

This grilled corn salad is very make-ahead friendly and it holds up well during transport, so it's perfect for bringing to BBQs, picnics, and potlucks. You can grill the corn, cut it off the cob, and combine it with the cut sugar snaps and diced pickled onions the day before. You can also make the dressing the day before, but I suggest leaving the mint out until you're ready to serve; otherwise it will wilt and lose its bright green color. When you're ready to eat, add the mint to the dressing, toss it with the rest of the salad, stir in the blueberries, and garnish.

This salad is also fine to sit in its assembled form for a couple hours, so you can easily make it at home and bring it somewhere. If possible, add the pistachios at the last minute so they stay crunchy.

Blueberry, corn, and snap pea salad garnished with mint and pistachios

An Easy No-Cook Option

This pretty blueberry salad is best if you grill your own corn and make your own pickled red onions. But let's be honest, sometimes we all need a sneaky shortcut. If you're short on time, you can make this salad entirely no-cook with two easy modifications:

  1. Instead of grilling your own corn, just buy frozen grilled corn (thanks, Trader Joe's!) and thaw it. Conversely, did you know that you can eat corn raw? It's delicious and has a fresher vibe. If you enjoy corn raw (or want to try something different), just cut it right off the cob and mix it in.
  2. Instead of making your own pickled red onions, just pick up a jar at the store.

If you do both of the above, you can assemble this corn and blueberry salad in about 15 minutes, making it perfect for a busy weeknight or for a last-minute get-together.

Colorful grilled corn salad with blueberries, pickled red onions, pistachios, and mint

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here's what you'll need for this corn and blueberry salad, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

  • Mint. I love the freshness of mint in this recipe, but fresh basil also works nicely if you want more of a Mediterranean flavor profile.
  • Apple cider vinegar. Champagne vinegar, white balsamic, or even lemon juice are fine too. Avoid regular balsamic since it will turn the salad brown.
  • Coarse-grained mustard. Homemade is always the best! Learn how to make your own here.
  • Maple syrup
  • Salt
  • Corn. In season, this salad is best with local corn grilled on the cob. Out of season, a bag of frozen, grilled corn works fine (and is a great shortcut if you're looking to make this as easily as possible).
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Pickled red onions. I prefer to quick-pickle my own at home, but store-bought is fine too.
  • Blueberries. Feel free to use strawberries or peaches instead.
  • Pistachios. Pistachios pair so beautifully with these summer flavors, but chopped almonds would work for a less pricey option.

Close-up of bright yellow corn, green sugar snap peas, blue berries, and purple pickled red onions

Closing Thoughts

Are you excited for summer picnics, BBQs on the patio, and outdoor parties? If so, make sure you have a few salad recipes bookmarked that are easy to prepare, make-ahead friendly, hearty enough to sit out, and versatile. This is especially important if you have dietary restrictions and don't know what else will be available wherever you're going.

This grilled corn salad is one I've made for years. Corn and blueberries are such iconic seasonal ingredients and they're fabulous together. This recipe comes together in a flash (especially if you use the sneaky no-cook option above) and can really go with anything, so it's the perfect addition to dinner on the deck. I hope you guys love this one as much as we do!

Bowl of summer grilled corn salad shown alongside fresh blueberries

Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

Suggested Pairings

Watermelon Mint Gimlet

Vegan Watermelon, Snap Pea, and Mint Salad

Grilled Peach and Farro Salad

Vegan Lemon Blueberry Thyme Pasta Salad

Blueberry Lemon Tahini Oat Flour Blender Cake

Grilled Corn, Snap Pea, and Blueberry Salad

Bursting with summer flavors, this unique corn and blueberry salad features two of the season's greatest treats. Crisp sugar snap peas, zippy pickled onions, and an unexpected maple mustard mint vinaigrette bring it all together.

Author:
Lee

Ingredients

For the Dressing

  • Leaves from a few sprigs of mint
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp coarse-grained mustard
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • Generous few pinches of salt

For the Salad

  • 4 ears of corn
  • 2 c sugar snap peas
  • 0.5 c pickled red onions
  • 1 c blueberries
  • 0.25 c roasted salted pistachios
  • Additional fresh mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

  1. Shuck the corn and grill it over medium heat until lightly charred. Let it cool, then cut the kernels off the cob.
  2. Cut the mint leaves into very thin ribbons. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and mix well.
  3. Add the corn to the salad dressing.
  4. Cut the sugar snap peas into bite-sized pieces and add them to the salad.
  5. Drain the brine from the pickled red onions. Chop them coarsely and add them to the salad.
  6. When ready to serve, gently mix in the blueberries. Transfer the salad to a serving dish and garnish with pistachios and a few additional mint leaves.

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Please Share Your Thoughts!

Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.

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