Asparagus, Basil and Corn Salad pretty much just screams summer.
I’m on a quest to eat the most colorful foods this summer… and this salad is everything summer stands for. Grilled corn, farmers market tomatoes, asparagus, basil and mozzarella. Most everything is thrown on the grill until it just has a slight char and smokiness that’s undeniably fantastic and then tossed together. Serve it on it’s own for lunch, or use it as a side to grill meat, chicken, or fish!
It keeps in the fridge for a few days too – so feel free to make a double batch and use it throughout the week!
Asparagus, Basil and Corn Salad
This salad is everything summer stands for. Grilled corn, farmers market tomatoes, asparagus, basil and mozzarella. Most everything is thrown on the grill until it just has a slight char and smokiness that’s undeniably fantastic and then tossed together. Serve it on it’s own for lunch, or use it as a side to grill meat, chicken, or fish!
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn husks removed
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup mozzarella balls cut in half
- 10 basil leaves torn
- 1 cup heirloom plum tomatoes quartered
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare your grill. Rub the ears of corn with butter and place over the flame, rotating every few minutes until the corn is lightly charred. Remove from the grill and let cool. Once cooled, cut off the kernels and place into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil. Transfer the grill and grill until just charred. Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces. Add the asparagus to the bowl of corn.
- To the bowl of corn and asparagus, add the mozzarella, basil, tomatoes salt, pepper, balsamic and olive oil. Gently combine with a fork and serve. Serve at room temperature.
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
What a great side dish! And you’re right, definitely a perfect combination of summer flavors. Your friend is lucky to have you whipping up stuff like this for her!
Wow this sounds amazing. I have an obsession with sweet summer corn and I haven’t been able to get mozzarella out of my head this week. Thanks for sharing!
ha! i’m with you on the charcoal grilling…i can get the thing lit but then cooking things evenly has been a struggle
so light and perfect!
Agreed. This screams summer! Love it!
This looks great. Think I’m gonna make something like this for lunch only sub greenbeans for asparagus and feta for mozz because that’s what I have in my fridge. 🙂
I do not have a charcoal grill, but really I should. This salad sounds great – love the addition of fresh basil.
looks AWESOME!! can’t wait for the corn in our garden to be ripe!
I have all these ingredients. Yay! Dinner.
I don’t think it could get any better. I’m OBSESSED#.
I love anything with mozzerella….and this is so healthy,,,thank you!
Wow! This looks incredible delicious! Loving all the ingredients!
New to your blog; happy I found you!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
I threw this together in no time after work this week. It was a perfect side dish for grilled venison steaks, since I needed the grill on to char the corn and steaks. The flavors were perfect. I usually live for cheese in any dish, and I almost think the mozzarella wasn’t necessary. Now don’t get me wrong, I will not omit the cheese when I make this in the future, but the grilled corn, asparagus, basil and basalmic vinegar were so perfectly matched. Thanks!
Gaby – Just wanted to say thanks for this incredible recipe. I made it the other day and ate it all up! So good – a new favorite recipe 🙂
Cindy
I find myself stocking up on corn, and it’s just the 2 of us also. I’m making this salad this weekend, cuz I got a lotta corn to use up right now!
This has just become my favorite veggie side dish. This is unbelievably delicious!!!
As long as you’ve got the grill going, you should try grilling the asparagus. Toss with a little olive oil and throw it on the grill until it’s tender & charred. Unbelievably good, and as a bonus, you wouldn’t have to use the stove.
Ridiculously good! The flavors work so well together. I didn’t have fresh corn and had to use canned, but to keep the flavors as intended I fried the asparagus in butter. I also left out the cheese and it was still amazing! Will definitely be making this over and over. Easy, delicious and so healthy!
Such a great side dish to put together!
My kind of salad! What a great lunch or side!
Nice summer salad!
Looks great!!
Love, love, love all the charred veggies!
Delicious combo of flavors and veggies!
These looks so good! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
My kind of summer salad – full of flavor and so bright in color too!
I made this tonight and my wife’s response was: “The salad is a winner!” Made a couple of minor adjustments to use what was in the fridge… I tossed it in a wooden salad bowl rubbed with garlic and basil-infused olive oil, added some oak leaf lettuce from the garden, chopped up a gorgeous heirloom tomato in place of plum tomatoes, and substituted crumbled feta for the mozarella. I also cut the recipe exactly in half but found that one ear of corn was plenty. Maybe I have big ears, I don’t know. You have a new follower on FB and Instagram.