This summery corn salad recipe has a light sesame dressing (which can be substituted out based on your personal preference), and it’s perfect for entertaining or as a side dish with dinner!
Prepare the dressing: Combine the oils, brown sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder, and peanut butter to a blender. Puree until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, peppers, and scallions. Turn on the blender again for a moment to re-mix the ingredients, then toss with the salad, along with the salt and pepper.
Serve immediately, or cover and place in the refrigerator for a few hours. The salad tastes best the same day, but can be enjoyed for up to 48 hours.
Notes
Substitutions:
If you don’t like sesame dressing (or don’t want to make a homemade version), this salad will work with most dressings.
You can use any neutral-flavored oil in this dressing if you don't have grapeseed or avocado oil. Extra virgin olive oil also works, but don’t use one that’s overly bitter.
You can also use tahini in place of the peanut butter, which might help enhance the sesame flavor.
You can use fresh corn in this recipe when it's in season, but it will add a slight starchiness to the salad.
You can use shallots or red onions in place of the scallions.
I’ve tried many sesame oil brands, and Kadoya is by far and away the best if you want to really be able to taste the sesame flavor.Don’t use any natural peanut butters if they have a gritty texture (you’ll wind up with a gritty salad dressing). The peanut butter flavor is barely detectable; it mainly serves to add creaminess to the dressing.I recommend briefly microwaving the peanut butter before adding it to the blender (around 10 seconds). This will thin it out and help it incorporate easier.