Green Beans and Corn
Here is a simple salad made with green beans and sweet corn with cider vinegar and shallot dressing with fresh chopped basil. This Green Bean Salad is an easy side dish you’ll be craving and making over and over again all summer long!
Table of contents
Why Make This Green Bean and Corn Salad Recipe
Can I just tell you how much I love to eat this kind of recipe? So much. Call me strange, but I get much more excited about these crisp tender green beans and sweet corn with shalloty dressing than a scoop of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Bold statement, I know, but this green bean and corn salad is that good!
This green bean salad is just perfect to me (as are pretty much any of the salad recipes here, wink!) However, this one, in particular, is a great make-ahead dish to bring to a summer cookout or barbecue party.
This salad is also great for any old weeknight dinner. In that case, you could serve this Simple Maple Chipotle Grilled Chicken alongside. I also love making this Red White and Bleu Potato Salad with this corn salad.
If you love green beans, one of my most popular recipes ever is this String Beans Recipe made in a saute pan with garlic and a pinch of spice! Have you tried them yet?
Key Ingredients For This Recipe
Green beans
You’ll want to buy green beans that are fresh and bright green in color. While they’re in season this is easier to do since you can find them at farmers’ markets and other local vendors. Out of season you can still find them at local grocery stores. Look for green beans with few brown spots on them, and try your best to stay away from frozen ones.
See more tips about how to cook green beans and see my round-up of Healthy Green Beans Recipes too for even more info and ideas.
Corn kernels
Again, you want to stick with fresh corn kernels rather than frozen. You can easily get fresh corn kernels by cutting them off a corn cob. Check out my Ultimate Guide to Corn to find out how to pick the best corn.
Additional Ingredients
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Step by Step Instructions To Make This Chilled Green Bean Salad
Step 1: Make dressing
Combine the shallot, oil, vinegar and salt in a jar and set aside until ready to serve.
Step 2: Cook green beans & corn
Bring several inches of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add green beans. Top with the corn. Cover and steam until the green beans are bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully remove the steamer from the saucepan.
Step 3: Assemble & serve
Spread the vegetables out on a large platter. Shake the dressing to blend and drizzle it over the vegetables. Top with basil and pepper. Serve hot or cold.
FAQs and Expert Tips
If you don’t have a steamer basket you can place a small colander in the saucepan with water instead and continue as instructed.
Since this recipe is just as delicious cold as it is hot, it’s a great make-ahead recipe. Follow the instructions as written, then cover the platter with plastic wrap and store until ready to serve. Store the dressing separately. It’s best eaten within a day or so.
You can substitute green beans for wax beans or yellow green beans. They’ll taste very similar.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Try to store any extra dressing in a separate container as to not get the green beans soggy.
Additional Green Bean Recipes to Try
- This make-ahead recipe for Orange Ginger Green Beans is a great one for the holidays.
- This recipe for roasted green beans with almonds and thyme is like a cross between Green Bean Almondine and roasted green beans.
- Classic flavors come together in these Green Beans with Walnuts and Balsamic.
- I’m always amazed how many people have made this recipe for Green Bean Casserole a tradition in their family.
- Another chilled green beans recipe for summertime is this one for green beans with basil vinaigrette.
Additional Corn Recipes to Try
- My Grilled Corn with Chipotle Lime Butter is a new take on a summer classic. It’s delicious.
- I love this Healthy Corn Chowder with fresh sweet corn and no roux!
- This Mexican Corn Salad is super healthy and is filled to the brim with veggie-goodies.
- This Grilled Corn and Peach Cobb Salad is a super yummy power salad and is a play on the classic Cobb.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintGreen Beans and Corn
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
Description
Green Beans with Fresh Corn made into a simple salad with shallot cider vinegar dressing and fresh basil.
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine shallot, oil, vinegar and salt in a jar and set aside.
- Bring several inches of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add green beans. Top with the corn. Cover and steam until the green beans are bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully remove the steamer from the saucepan and spread the vegetables out on a large platter. Shake the dressing to blend and drizzle it over the vegetables. Top with basil and pepper. Serve hot or cold.
Notes
Here is an easy way to cut corn off the cob.
Alternate Instructions:
If you don’t have a steamer basket you can place a small colander in the saucepan with water instead and continue as instructed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Stove to
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup each
- Calories: 76
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 281 mg
- Fat: 3 grams
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
We fell in love with your green beans salad. It’s crispy, healthy, tasty, and perfect for the summer, thanks!
Love the sweetness of these vegetables together and this makes a delicious cold dessert.
I get just as excited about a dish like this as you do! I could eat green beans every day and serving them as a salad is one of my favorite preparations!
I would do a quick grill / grill pan on the corn cob plus green beans just to char them, then prep corn kernels & green beans into this salad.
This is one gorgeous shot!!!
Thanks so much Olena. I was very inspired by the shots that Ali has been taking at Gimme Some Oven. I love her high key lighting. It blows me away.
Yes, they are very clean, bright and crisp. I know if you put something white like white linen on a surface and at the back, you achieve that glow and bright light. I think she is using white material from a fabric store…
So crisp! Yes I think you’re right about the white background. Or I was thinking even white plexiglass. I’ve worked with a few photographers who use it. It is on my list of props to buy.
Wonderful recipe! Thank you so much. Thinking about adding some cherry tomatoes and bacon next time too
That is an awesome idea Carri! I love the idea of those flavors together with the sweet corn and basil. So glad to know you liked it.
What a beautiful, simple summer side dish! This is totally making an appearance at our next backyard grill out!
Thank you Chris. I would be honored if you did. Three cheers for cookouts and warm summer weather food! Thanks for visiting.
I love this! so elegant and beautiful! Hooray for fresh, seasonal veggies!
Thank you so much Alice and for stopping by.
Definitely my kind of salad, Katie. Simplicity at its BEST!
Yes, simple is good these days. Too much sunshine to enjoy!
Salads into June? Uhm, bring it on! I love eating green beans right out of the farm – or bag – or my grocery store…but we won’t tell them, right? :)Can’t wait for more recipes!
My daughters and I love to sit in the garden and eat green beans right off the bush, they are so naturally sweet and juicy when they are summer fresh!
Love how bright and fresh this is!
Thank you so much Rachel and for coming by for a visit.
I love how simple and fresh this salad is! Now I really can’t wait for the fresh summer corn. 🙂
Thank you Eileen. I hope you enjoy it.
“Call me strange, but I get much more excited about these crisp tender green beans than a scoop of Ben and Jerry’s.” I hate you a little bit right now. Ice cream is my major weakness (right next to cheese). On the other hand, what a stunner of a salad! I can’t wait to make it.
Ha ha, I knew I would get a rile out of some of you for that one Alanna. Cheese is a big one for me, and I get my fix every day 🙂
Ok, we can still be friends.
As they say in the South…”Oh my stars”. And I mean that in a totally good way! I could really tear into this salad. I think I’m hardwired to like this kind of food as well. Great post, Katie!
I love that expression Bill. We don’t hear it up here much but I think I may have to start saying it. Thank you so much.
so lovely it makes me want to tear up a little *wink wink*
Oh my Regan, I am totally smiling. Ha ha. I keep thinking of looking over at you and seeing that you were also getting teared up so many times since Sunday. So glad we finally got to meet IRL. Can’t wait to share my post on Thursday. I have way too many pics to sort through first. Thanks for the compliment about the salad.