Fresh Corn Cherry Salad With Sweet Cucumber Vinaigrette

I remember years ago, seeing a salad in an old Cooking Light magazine that used blueberries, bananas, and strawberries atop a bed of field greens with grilled chicken along for the ride. Fascinated, and thinking it must be a splendid combination, seeing as how it was published in a magazine and all, I tried the recipe on for size at the baby shower thrown for a pal.

Perhaps the idea for the salad worked in the laboratory or professional’s home kitchen, but it was downright horrid when I tossed it together for my party. The bananas turned mushy. They simple don’t belong outside their skin for more than a minute or so. The dressing was too thick. It was all a chunky mess and I wasn’t about to ever attempt that salad again.

That salad is not this salad. But this salad was inspired by that salad from ever so many years ago. It’s a rather strange combination…cherries and corn. But, good gravy, it is a fine, fine combination and you won’t be the least bit sad for having tried it. Toss it all together with a light Sweet Cucumber Vinaigrette, and you’re sure to love this salad as much as I did, when I sneaked it’s remains straight from the bowl and into my mouth, even though we were serving it to a room full of friends last Sunday afternoon.

laura

Fresh Corn Cherry Salad With Sweet Cucumber Vinaigrette

Simple and full of everything you want to taste in these first days of summer, I love this salad for it's ease, flavor, and utterly addictive combination of fruits and veggies. Watch out, Michelle Obama, this is one salad that may just make healthy eaters out of us all! A beautiful addition to your Memorial Day picnic or potluck plans. Especially good when served alongside Easy Kalua Pork and rice.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

FOR THE SALAD:

• 6-8 cups Baby Arugula & Spinach
• 20-30 cherries pitted and sliced in half
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 2 ears fresh corn with kernels sliced off
• 1/2 vidalia onion sliced
• Optional: 1 grilled chicken breast diced

FOR THE CUCUMBER VINAIGRETTE:

• 1/2 cucumber
• 2 tablespoons diced vidalia onion
• juice of 1 lime & 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/3 cup light olive oil
• salt to taste
• ground white pepper to taste

Method

 

1. FOR THE SALAD:Toss all ingredients together.
2. FOR THE CUCUMBER VINAIGRETTE:Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until pureed. If using an industrial-strength blender (like a VitaMix), just pop the entire cucumber--skin and all--right inside. It's easier that way, and lends a beautiful pale-green tinge to the vinaigrette. If using a standard blender, peel the skin from the cucumber before adding it to the blender.
3. Enjoy!