If you’re looking for an easy, healthy summertime side, the search is over. This Quinoa with Corn and Scallions showcases the best of the season and features many ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
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I’m a recent convert to quinoa. I had never really understood the hype around the whole grain and brushed past it at my local grocery store in search of brown rice, whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, or, who am I kidding here, Cheez-Its. It was actually my older (wiser) sister who introduced me to the pinhead-sized grain, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Although she uses it in place of pasta to pair with her homemade arrabiata sauce, I found a summer-friendly take featuring fresh corn, chopped scallions and a quick-fix honey butter dressing. It’s fresh, simple and hard to stick to just one serving.
What does quinoa taste like? Great question! It’s nutty and earthy (similar to brown rice) and has a chewy texture. If you’re looking for more ways to use it, try my Quinoa Salad with Warm Goat Cheese and Quinoa Breakfast Bowls.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthy and filling (quinoa is a complete protein!).
- Make-ahead.
- Customizable.
- Corn: I call for fresh corn, but if you’re making this quinoa corn salad any time but during the height of summer, you can use frozen corn. Instead of boiling it, thaw the corn kernels in a pot of simmering water or in the microwave.
- Lemon: Zip! Zing! You’ll use lemon’s punchy juice and zest in the homemade honey butter dressing.
- Unsalted butter: Another star of the dressing show, the unsalted butter will have to be melted. You’ll need ¼ cup (half a stick) of butter and can melt it in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts.
- Honey: I clearly love the combo of honey and butter (see here). For a sweeter dressing, you can use 2 tablespoons instead of one.
- Quinoa: Ah, the base of this refreshing summer salad! You can use white or tricolor quinoa.
- Scallions: Part of the allium family, scallions taste like very mild onions. You’ll use both the white and green parts in this corn and quinoa recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Add Cheese: This salad would also be particularly lovely with salty, crumbled cheese added in. Think feta or cotija.
- Swap Dressings: Instead of the honey butter dressing, you could use an avocado dressing, a sesame dressing or even a warm bacon dressing.
Video Tutorial: How to Cook Quinoa
Cooking quinoa is easier than you might think! Tune in to my video below for a few tips and tricks for how to guarantee your quinoa is extra-light and fluffy.
- Cook the corn. Before cooking the corn you’ll want to shuck it (that means removing the papery, green husk). To do so, grab the tip of the husk and pull downward, repeating until the entire husk is removed. To cook the corn, add it to a large, lidded pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover the pot and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the corn from the water (tongs are particularly helpful for this!).
- Cut the kernels off the cob. Wait until the corn is cool enough to handle, then cut the kernels off of the cob. A super easy way to do this—and to avoid chasing the kernels around your countertop—is to use a bundt pan. Place the corn on top of the hole in the center of a pan and use a chef’s knife to slice the kernels off of the cob. The pan will handily catch the kernels.
- Make the dressing. Whisk the lemon juice and zest, melted butter, honey and salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
- Assemble the salad. Add the cooked quinoa, corn kernels and chopped scallions to the bowl with the dressing and toss until it’s evenly coated.
- A Corn Cleaning Tip: If there are any leftover strands of the corn silk (that’s the brown tuft of hair, for lack of a better word, at the top of the corn), you can use a clean, dry dish cloth to remove them. Just rub the cloth over the kernels.
- How to Prep Scallions: Trim the hairy ends and scraggly bits of greens off of the scallions, then use a sharp chef’s knife to thinly slice them. Rocking your knife back and forth will make clean cuts. You can also use a (sharp!) pair of kitchen shears, clipping the scallions into thin pieces.
Leftover quinoa corn salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s great eaten cold, too!
This is a filling enough main, but you could also serve this salad with:
Frequently Asked Questions
Quinoa salad will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container.
This salad is delicious warm or cold. Unlike rice, quinoa won’t harden and clump when it’s chilled.
You can absolutely use frozen corn instead of fresh. Instead of boiling it, you could even just thaw it in the microwave.
- Corn and Zucchini Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
- Elote Corn Salad
- Baked Corn and Zucchini Fritters
- Sweet Corn Pancakes with Bacon
- Salsa Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn, shucked
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 4 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Place the corn in a large pot and fill it with enough water to cover the corn. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. As soon as the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let the pot stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Remove the corn from the pot and let it cool on a cutting board until it’s easy to handle. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the cob.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together the lemon zest, lemon juice, melted butter, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Rinse the uncooked quinoa in a sieve under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Cook the quinoa in a pot of of boiling salted water per the package directions.
- Add the quinoa, corn kernels and chopped scallions to the bowl with the dressing and toss until it’s evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- If there are any leftover strands of the corn silk (that’s the brown tuft of hair, for lack of a better word, at the top of the corn), you can use a clean, dry dish cloth to remove them. Just rub the cloth over the kernels.
- Trim the hairy ends and scraggly bits of greens off of the scallions, then use a sharp chef’s knife to thinly slice them. Rocking your knife back and forth will make clean cuts. You can also use a (sharp!) pair of kitchen shears, clipping the scallions into thin pieces.
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Recipe adapted from Gourmet.
Used frozen corn because ears are outta season. Went great with roast chicken
Loved it. Next time will add a little red pepper flakes as we like some heat. Also I am looking forward to leftovers.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Krystal!