Smoky bacon and fresh summer produce make this crisp BLT Corn & Tomato Salad a winner!
Whip up this salad whenever you want the flavors of a BLT but without the bread. It's a fantastic side dish for summer meals.
Quick Look: BLT Corn & Tomato Salad
⏲️Ready In: 25 Minutes
🍽Servings: 6
🥗Nutrition: 177 Calories
🥘Main Ingredients: Sweet corn, Romaine lettuce, Grape/Cherry tomatoes, Bacon, Red onion
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Dairy free, Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: Crisp romaine lettuce, nutty grilled sweet corn, and juicy in season tomatoes make this salad a summertime dream!
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High protein meals and mains like Thai-Style Basil Ground Turkey Bowls are often my focus, but I still need to pair those mains with nutritious side dishes to make sure I'm getting vegetables and fiber, too!
This BLT-inspired Corn & Tomato Salad combines fresh summer favorites like fresh corn, juicy in-season tomatoes, and crisp romaine lettuce. Like a BLT, it's simple but full of flavor!
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Key Ingredients
Romaine Lettuce: Any light green lettuce should do for this salad, but I love the crisp crunch of fresh romaine for this corn & tomato salad!
Fresh Corn: In the Midwest, fresh juicy sweet corn is a staple. At peak season, fresh corn is hard to beat! That said, you can substitute frozen and thawed corn kernels if you can't get your hands on fresh cobbs.
Cherry/Grape Tomatoes: Any cherry or grape tomatoes work great for this salad, as long as they're fresh and in peak season!
Bacon: My preference is thick-cut bacon. You'll use both crumbled cooked bacon and leftover bacon fat from cooking for this recipe, so don't buy pre-cooked.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make BLT Corn & Tomato Salad
Step 1: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and reserve 3 tablespoons bacon fat.
Step 2: Grill the corn over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, rotating once or twice to cook evenly and prevent burning. (No grill? See notes for stovetop instructions)
Step 3: Meanwhile, combine reserved bacon fat, lime juice, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
Step 4: Once cool enough to handle, hold the stalk of the corn cob and anchor the tip of the cob on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut the kernels away from the cob.
Step 5: Add the chopped romaine to a large bowl. Drizzle about ¼ of the dressing over the romaine and toss to combine.
Step 6: Top the dressed romaine with cooked corn kernels, tomatoes, bacon, and onion. Drizzle with remaining dressing and toss to combine.
Top Tips from Chelsea
No grill? No worries. While I love the smoky flavor of grilled corn, you can give it a quick sauté in the same skillet you cooked the bacon in. Just save 1-2 teaspoons bacon fat in the skillet and sauté for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
Or use raw sweet corn - when it's at peak ripeness and juicy, it doesn't need to be cooked!
Use frozen corn kernels: If fresh corn isn't avaialble, you can use frozen and thawed corn kernels. Sauté as directed above in the same skillet you cooked the bacon fat in.
Sauté the red onion: If you're worried the red onion will have too much bite, sauté it for 3-4 minutes in the same skillet you cooked the bacon in.
Dress the lettuce before assembling the salad: One of my favorite salad tips, I use it in recipes like Wild Rice & Arugula Salad with Maple Tahini Vinaigrette and Watermelon Arugula Salad with Chili Honey Lime Dressing! This ensures the dressing coats all the lettuce, so every bite has flavor from the dressing, even if each forkful doesn't have every element.
Corn & Tomato Salad FAQs
I wouldn't recommend it. If you can't find fresh ears of corn, search for frozen corn kernels instead. Canned corn will be a bit too watery/mushy for this salad.
Yes. Though I love the flavor of grilled corn, it's not always an option; as a matter of fact, one night when I tested this recipe it was raining and we couldn't pull out the grill!
Instead, after crisping the bacon and removing the bacon fat you'll need for the vinaigrette, keep 1-2 teaspoons of bacon fat in the skillet and cook the fresh-cut corn or thawed frozen corn in the skillet for 3-5 minutes, until just starting to brown.
I really enjoy crisp romaine for this salad, but you can easily substitute in mixed spring greens or green leaf lettuce. Just make sure you pick a lettuce that's light and crisp, but not too hearty like kale.
Serving suggestions
If you plan to grill the corn, this salad is perfect alongside a grilled main dish like Grilled Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs or Grilled Greek Chicken Thighs!
If steak's more your style, pair with Grilled Flank Steak with Olive Herb Relish.
Otherwise, serve as a side for your favorite gluten free burgers, from Bunless Burgers to Healthy Grilled Salmon Burgers with Pesto!
More Gluten Free Salad recipes
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
📖 Recipe
BLT Corn & Tomato Salad
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Smoky bacon and fresh summer produce make this crisp BLT Corn & Tomato Salad a winner! I love the flavor from grilling the corn, but if you don't have a grill available you can cook it inside.
Can't find fresh sweet corn cobs? See the notes for using frozen corn kernels.
Ingredients
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 2-3 ears fresh sweet corn, on the cob
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 3 tablespoons reserved bacon fat
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 5-6 cups chopped romaine lettuce (approximately 1 medium head)
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (approximately 1 pint)
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cook bacon. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once warm, add bacon and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is browned and crispy. Turn off heat and remove the bacon pieces to a plate with a slotted spoon. Reserve 3 tablespoons of bacon fat for the dressing.
- Cook corn. If grilling, preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Remove husks and silk from the corn. Brush the corn with a little bacon fat and grill for 8-10 minutes, turning once or twice to prevent burning, before removing from heat. Let cool enough to handle. Holding the stalk and anchoring the tip of the cob on a cutting board, use a sharp knife to carefully cut the kernels away from the cob.
If you can't grill, reserve 1-2 teaspoons bacon fat in the skillet you used to cook the bacon and return to medium-high heat. Holding the stalk and anchoring the tip of the cob on a cutting board, use a sharp knife to carefully cut the kernels away from the cob. Add the corn kernels to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. - Prepare dressing. While the corn is cooking, prepare the dressing. Combine salt, black pepper, lime juice, reserved bacon fat, and paprika in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified. Set aside.
- Assemble salad. In a large bowl, Add the chopped romaine. Drizzle about ¼ of the dressing over the romaine and toss to combine. Top the dressed romaine with cooked corn kernels, tomatoes, bacon, and onion. Drizzle with remaining dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use frozen corn kernels: If fresh corn isn't avaialble, you can use frozen and thawed corn kernels. Reserve 1-2 teaspoons bacon fat in the same skillet you cooked the bacon in and sauté for 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
- Sauté the red onion: If you're worried the red onion will have too much bite, sauté it for 3-4 minutes in the same skillet you cooked the bacon in.
- Dress lettuce before assembling salad: One of my favorite salad tips! Tossing just the lettuce in a bit of the dressing before assembling the salad ensures every bite has flavor from the dressing.
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