Corn Cucumber Salad Recipe for Picnics, BBQs, and Summer Dinners

Sweet corn and crisp cucumber are the kind of combination that tastes like summer before you even take the first bite. Tossed with sharp red onion, fresh cilantro, bright lemon juice, and warm cumin, this colorful salad is light, refreshing, and anything but boring.

It comes together in about 15 minutes when you start with cooked corn, and there is no mayonnaise or heavy dressing to weigh it down. Serve it alongside grilled chicken or fish, spoon it over tacos, or pack it in a chilled container for your next picnic or cookout.

It travels well when kept chilled and can be prepared a few hours ahead, although it has the best texture on the day it is made.

This salad is full of fresh veggies from the garden or farmer’s market, plus brimming with nutritious goodness and loaded with satisfying texture. It’s also naturally vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free!

Just 7 Ingredients for Corn Cucumber Salad

The neat part about summer salads is that they don’t need to be overly complicated. This one only takes seven ingredients.

Key Ingredient Roles

These ingredients sound pretty straightforward, right? I like to take a brief look at each of them because they each bring something to this corn and cucumber salad. I’ll usually include some tips and tricks for selecting and using these ingredients here, too.

Cucumber

1 large English cucumber, approximately 12 ounces, quartered lengthwise and diced

I like fresh cucumber in a salad because it adds a mild, refreshing sweet flavor. The thing to remember is to wait to peel and cube it until you’re ready to assemble this salad. Cucumbers can get slimy if you try to do it ahead of time. They’re better when they can stay crisp!

If you use an English cucumber, it’s less necessary to peel it because it has a thin and tender skin that is easy to chop and chew. I’ll use a cucumber straight out of my garden, though. Garden cucumbers usually have a thicker, tougher skin that will have to be removed.

Sweet Corn

2 cups sweet corn, approximately 3 large or 4 small ears

Sweet corn adds an attractive texture and flavor to any summer-themed salad. I like to roast a few ears of corn, and then remove the corn. Boiling or grilling it would work, too. You could also use a bag of frozen corn. I’m not a huge fan of using canned corn for salad, though it’s doable in a pinch.

Cook the corn using your preferred method until crisp-tender. Allow it to cool completely, then cut the kernels from the cob. Measure 2 cups.

Comparison of Sweet Corn Options

Here’s a quick comparison of corn on the cob, frozen corn, and canned corn so you can choose the one you think works best.

Red Onion

1/2 cup red onion, sliced

Red onion has a sweet-pungent flavor that goes well on salads and sandwiches. Raw red onions’ flavor is a bit more intense than that of white onions, which can cause some picky eaters to pick them off a salad. I like it in moderation, and usually mixed with other flavors like the sweet corn.

If you prefer your red onion to have a milder flavor, soak it in cold water to draw out the flavor before using. You could also use a white onion, if you like.

Have your red onions been sitting in a refrigerator drawer for a while? I’ve been there. Sometimes they will go bad if they’ve been in the fridge long enough for me to forget why I even bought them. If you’re in this position, make sure the red onions have no soft or mushy spots, visible mold, or strong odor before using them. If they have any of these things, discard them and get new red onions.

Fresh Cilantro

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Cilantro brings a fresh, mild, bitter-sweet, citrus-like flavor to this salad. If you have a chance to choose between varieties of cilantro, go with lemon cilantro, which pairs well with the lemon juice and spices.

Lemon Juice

Juice from 1 Lemon

Freshly squeezed lemon juice has a bolder, fresher flavor than bottled lemon juice does. Just chop one in half widthwise and juice it with your citrus juicer.

Cumin

1 teaspoon cumin

Cumin adds a mildly spicy flavor that pairs well with the mild sweetness of the cucumber and corn and the sour flavor of the lemon. Like most spices, the exact amount can be adjusted to your liking.

Salt and Pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

I’ll usually just go with a pinch of salt to bring out the sweet corn’s flavor. The pepper adds its classic woody, earthy spice.

Equipment for Corn Cucumber Salad

You won’t need much to make this classic summer salad!

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Printable Corn and Cucumber Picnic Salad Recipe Card

Sweet summer corn, crisp cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and lemon come together in this refreshing no-mayo salad. It is a quick, colorful side dish for picnics, potlucks, cookouts, and summer dinners.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Corn and Cucumber Picnic Salad

Servings: 4

Calories: 87kcal

Author: Heidi Hecht

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber peeled and diced
• 2 cups sweet corn fresh, frozen, grilled, or canned
• 1/2 cup red onion sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• salt and pepper

Optional: Additional fresh cilantro for serving.

Instructions

• Roast, grill, or boil the corn. Then remove the corn from the cobs and place it in a small dish, if needed.
• Cut up the cucumber, red onion, and cilantro, and add to a medium-sized or large bowl.
• Add corn to the veggies and gently combine. Add more corn if needed.
• Juice the lemon into the bowl, add all seasonings, and combine well.
• Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
• Divide the salad into bowls and serve promptly, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a bit if you still have a couple more things to finish up before dinner is ready. It can also be transferred to an airtight container to transport in a cooler packed with ice if you plan on taking this to a picnic.

Notes

• Canned corn, frozen thawed sweet corn, or fresh cooked corn on the cob can be used.
• Diced avocado would also be a great addition to the salad.
• Salad can be a side salad, a topping on tacos, or with any grilled protein.
• Store the leftover salad in an airtight container and refrigerate for 48 hours.

The 15-minute preparation time assumes you are using corn that is already cooked and cooled. Allow additional time when grilling, boiling, or roasting fresh corn.

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcal

How to Make Corn and Cucumber Salad

The 15-minute preparation time assumes you are using corn that is already cooked and cooled. Allow additional time when grilling, boiling, or roasting fresh corn.

Step One: Prepare Corn

Roast, grill, or boil the corn. Then remove the corn from the cobs and place in a small dish, if needed.

Step Two: Prepare Veggies

Cut up the cucumber, red onion, and cilantro, and add to a medium-sized or large bowl.

Step Three: Add Corn

Add corn to the veggies and gently combine.

Step Four: Add the Lemon Juice and Seasonings

Juice the lemon into the bowl of vegetables. Add cumin, salt, and pepper. Combine well.

Step Five: Taste and Adjust Flavor

Taste the salad and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Step Six: Serve or Refrigerate

Divide the salad into bowls and serve promptly, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a bit if you still have a couple more things to finish up before dinner is ready. It can also be transferred to an airtight container to transport in a cooler packed with ice if you plan on taking this to a picnic.

Serving Suggestions

I like to have this salad as a side for a light, “summer-themed” lunch or dinner. It pairs well with richer proteins like parmesan-crusted fish fillets. You could also try adding the shrimp from this shrimp avocado salad if you want.

For a “sandwich and salad,” open-faced tuna melts pair well with this corn and cucumber salad. Like the salad, the tuna melts are easily transportable in a cooler if you don’t mind eating them cold. (If the picnic area has a nearby grill, I might be tempted to use the grill to melt the cheese on the tuna melts. Just make sure you follow the picnic area rules.)

Sides that would pair well with this salad include crispy Brussels sprouts and sweet potato lentil fritters. For “soup and salad” options, I’d go for a nice, smooth one, such as sweet potato carrot soup or coconut curried butternut soup.

And, of course, there’s always easy pineapple pie and homemade ice cream for dessert!

Storage

Store leftover corn and cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days. The cucumber will start to lose its crispness, but it will still be good.

FAQs About This Corn and Cucumber Salad

Of course, we get questions about this corn and cucumber salad! I did my best to answer the most common ones below. If you have any questions that aren’t answered here, feel free to ask in the comments section, and we’ll try to answer them.

Can I prep this salad ahead of time?

Although I like to assemble this salad right before serving, it can also be made a few hours ahead of time and chilled. I prefer not to make it much more than eight hours ahead of time to keep some of the vegetables from getting too “soggy.” Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days; much longer than that, and the vegetables may start to go bad.

Can I use frozen corn?

I prefer to use corn on the cob, but a bag of frozen corn will work too. Follow the package instructions to prepare it for addition to this salad. (It will likely need to be heated up, though not always.)

Canned corn can be used, as well, though it’s very much my third option. I only use it when I don’t have any corn on the cob or frozen corn available.

Why did my cucumbers lose their crispness?

This can happen if cucumbers are left to sit for too long! This happens faster after they’ve been taken out of the refrigerator and sliced, so I’ll usually wait to slice them until I’m nearly ready to add them to the salad.

I’ve stored it for about a day or so, and now there’s some water pooled on the bottom of the bowl! Why is this?

This is actually fairly common in corn and cucumber salad that was made ahead! It can help to wait until you’re ready to serve it before adding the salt because it can draw out the water in the corn and cucumbers. It can also be mitigated by reducing or eliminating the salt and using the salad within two days of making it.

Tried This Corn Cucumber Salad?

Did you try this recipe? Did you love it, hate it, or come up with your own variation that everyone loved? Feel free to tell us about it in the comments section below, and don’t forget to rate this recipe!