Easy raw summer salad with corn, tomato, avocado, cucumber, and zucchini noodles. Oil-free and simply dressed. Perfect as a light nutritious summer side!
This has been the summer of corn for me.
For a long time one of my “fear foods” was corn.
“But Lauren,” you might say, “Corn is a veggie, at honestly it’s not very scary…what gives?”
Well, at some point I decided (probably due to misconstrued messages from diet culture) that corn wasn’t good for me and should be avoided at all costs.
This went on for several corn-on-the-cob-less years, until, in my recent healing I decided to add all of the corniness back in my life.
This summer I decided that, actually, in fact, corn is delicious and I’m going to eat it in all of the things.
Who’s with me?
At our last book club my friend served up a corn-centric summer salad that was so simple and delicious!
I’m excited to share my own version with you– packed with summer produce and an unexpected zucchini noodle twist.
This Corn, Tomato, & Avocado Salad with Zoodles (Oil-Free) is the summer side you’ve been waiting for.
It’s light, refreshing, and ready to serve less than 10 minutes for any summer occasion!
Here’s the breakdown of the summer vegetables in this quick salad:
- steamed corn (on the cob or frozen kernels– you choose!)
- avocado (the riper the better)
- cucumber (I prefer seedless here– or you can scoop out the seeds yourself)
- cherry tomatoes (or sub regular tomato if you need)
- Cece’s Veggie Co. Organic Zucchini Noodles (the quickest most convenient way to enjoy organic zucchini!)
- red onion (optional– sometimes I leave them out!)
This mix is summery, slightly sweet, bright, and light.
Sweet corn and candy-like cherry tomatoes add sweetness, cucumbers add crunch, avocado adds creaminess, and zoodles add intrigue.
Most raw summer salads follow the classic corn, avocado, tomato, template– but have you ever thought about adding some zucchini noodles to the mix?
I love adding Cece’s Veggie Co. Organic Zucchini Noodles to the mix here for a fun twist and an additional summer veggie.
If you’ve got some other raw summer veggies hiding in your produce drawers, feel free to throw them in, here, too!
Sometimes I leave the red onion out, depending on how I’m feeling about onions that week.
(Onion relationship status: It’s complicated.)
I love that this salad is gluten-free, grain-free, and also oil-free!
It’s dressed and seasoned simply with:
- lemon juice
- Himalayan sea salt
- black pepper
A big squeeze of lemons adds brightness.
Add a pinch of salt and peppers, taste, and add more to reach your desired taste.
I like to slightly mash the salad (very slightly– you still want avocado chunks present!) to encourage the avocado chunks to break down a bit in the lemon juice.
This creates an oil-free “dressing” that coats the veggies in deliciousness without any added oils!
If you’re looking to add more flavor, try adding your favorite fresh herbs– I think cilantro or basil would be a beautiful addition!
When I first typed up the recipe instructions it went a little something like this: “Add everything to large bowl and mix– serve immediately!”
I decided to add a few more steps to be more specific but honestly that’s the gist of it.
Bowl it, mix it, enjoy it!
If you prefer, you can chill it for an hour before serving, but I think it’s excellent at room temp.
The salad will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days, but is definitely best when fresh.
It’s perfect to whip up for entertaining if you need a quick plant-based dish on short notice.
My favorite way to enjoy it is as a flavorful side to a plant-based meal.
To turn this side into a meal, try adding your favorite legume for protein or serve over greens or grains.
In case you needed more reason to enjoy, the veggies in this mix pack in tons of vitamins and nutrients, like Vitamin C, A, and K, to name drop a few.
Go ahead, get corny!
If you make this Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salad with Zoodles (Oil-Free), let me know! I’d love to hear how you enjoyed yours.
Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.
For more fun sides, check out my Oil-Free Rosemary Three Bean Salad and Vegan Pineapple Coleslaw with Cherries, too!
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XO Lauren
Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salad with Zoodles (Oil-Free)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings
Description
Easy raw summer salad with corn, tomato, avocado, cucumber, and zucchini noodles. Oil-free and simply dressed. Perfect as a light nutritious summer side!
Ingredients
- 1 cup steamed corn
- 1 medium ripe avocado, diced
- 1 large seedless cucumber, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup Cece’s Veggie Co. Organic Zucchini Noodles
- 2 TBSP red onion, diced
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- Himalayan sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all vegetables ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Add lemon juice, Himalayan sea salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Toss with a large spoon, smashing lightly so some of the avocado breaks down.
- Serve immediately! Leftovers keeps in the fridge for 1-2 days but are best when fresh.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Side, Salad
- Method: Raw Vegan
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Oil-Free
This post is brought to you by Cece’s Veggie Co., but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!
This looks so light and fresh! It’s winter where I am but I will give this a try when avocados become cheaper later in the year. Honestly, I like the idea of serving the salad with all the ingredients separate rather than mixing them but that’s a trend on it’s own now I suppose!
I hope you love it, Andrea! You can totally serve the ingredients separately! Let me know how it goes!
XOXO Lauren