For an easy and delicious summer salad that uses leftover corn, try this zucchini corn salad recipe. Using fresh garden zucchini and tomatoes too all tossed in a delicious Mexican flavored salad dressing. A delicious and colorful garden salad in just 10 minutes. Great for summer picnics and parties too!
You might also like this creamy, cheese corn dip recipe!

This is the perfect recipe for using leftover ears of corn or for using up zucchini and tomatoes from your garden. We have TONS of tomatoes and zucchini is still lingering in my hubby’s garden so I came up with this yummy salad.
This is zucchini corn salad is a quick and easy side dish or even lunch that is full of fresh flavors with a tasty dressing made flavors of lime, fresh garlic, cumin and other Mexican flavors. Then you add in the queso blanco cheese and it brings the dish together.
You have a bit of sweetness from the corn and tomatoes, a bit of tanginess from the tomatoes and lime in the dressing and the creaminess from the cheese. All in all this salad is a winner and the perfect combination of flavors.
Recipe ingredients I used.
The simple ingredients I used were cherry tomatoes, zucchini, leftover sweet corn, cilantro, queso fresco cheese and vinaigrette.
The salad dressing was olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and black pepper. If you want to add a bit of heat, you can add hot pepper flakes to the dressing.
Corn
I used leftover corn I had made the night before. You could also use frozen corn or even can corn but this is a great way to use leftovers. If using fresh corn, cook it ahead of time.
Zucchini and Tomatoes
We have tons of zucchini and tomatoes from our garden. I used cherry tomatoes today but you could also use grape tomatoes or chopped plum tomatoes. You can use both green and yellow squash if you have it.
Cilantro
I love fresh cilantro in this salad because the dressing has Mexican flavors. If you don’t like the taste of cilantro you can leave it out or substitute with fresh herbs like parsley or even a bit of fresh basil leaves.
Queso Fresco Cheese
I bought this at Aldi and I like it because it’s rather mild and crumbly. You can substitute feta cheese, goat cheese or even fresh mozzarella cheese if you can’t find it.
How to make garden zucchini corn salad.
Step 1: Clean the corn off the cob with a sharp knife if using leftovers. Otherwise make sure the corn is cooked.
Step 2: Slice the zucchini into thin slices and the cherry tomatoes in half. Get out a large mixing bowl and add the slices of zucchini, corn and tomatoes.
Step 3: In a smaller bowl mix together the crushed garlic, lime juice and zest, olive oil and spices. Whisk well and pour over the salad.
Step 4: Mix everything well then add the Queso cheese and cilantro. Mix well again and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.
This is a easy and tasty side dish and perfect for summer parties or picnics. You can also eat this as a quick lunch.
Other things you can add to this summer salad is chopped avocado, cooked shrimp or other vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, green beans etc. I like this combination the best though.
If you want to add even more flavor you can grill the corn and zucchini. Or if you grill corn or zucchini for another dinner, you can use the leftovers in this salad!
More recipes using summer garden vegetables
I have SO many recipes that use vegetables from our garden but here are some of my favorite recipes for summer.
- chopped cucumber garden salad
- creamy cucumber salad with ranch, tomatoes and bacon
- pickled jalapeno peppers or bacon wrapped jalapenos
- zucchini with feta side dish or Greek zucchini salad
- tomato jam with bacon and caramelized onions
- roasted tomato pasta sauce or roasted zucchini and tomatoes
- Mexican street corn salad or corn and poblano soup
Well I thoroughly enjoyed this zucchini corn salad and actually ate it for 3 days. I loved the combination of flavors and plus I got to use up veggies from our garden.
This would be a the perfect summer salad to take to a party as it’s full of color and really easy to make. I hope you enjoy it too!
Easy Zucchini Corn Salad Recipe
This easy zucchini corn salad recipe is a great way to use fresh garden vegetables or leftover corn. Fresh and tasty it's perfect for a summer side dish or take it to parties or barbecues.
Ingredients
- 3 cups zucchini, sliced
- 3 cups corn kernels, cooked
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 5 ounces queso blanco cheese
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
Salad Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- zest of 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and zest, crushed garlic, salt, cumin, black pepper and chili powder in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Add to a large bowl, the cooked cork kernels (leftover corn works great), zucchini slices, tomatoes and mix with the dressing. I like to cut the zucchini into thin slices and then cut those in half to have bite sized pieces.
- Add in the cilantro leaves and crumbled queso blanco cheese and gently fold.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat. Store leftovers in an airtight container. See notes below for substitutions.
Notes
- You can use any kind of tomatoes you want but cherry and grape tomaotes work best.
- If you don't like the taste of cilantro you can substitute with parsley or even basil leaves.
- If you can find queso blanco cheese you can substitute with feta cheese, goat cheese or even fresh mozzarella cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 266Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 222mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g
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