Blueberry Corn Salad

This Blueberry Corn Salad is unbeatable! Crisp corn, sweet blueberries, creamy avocado, crunchy pistachios, salty feta, and the BEST lemon-basil vinaigrette combine to create an unforgettable meal!

Try some of our other favorite corn salads like this Roasted Corn Salad, Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad, or this quick Corn Salsa Recipe.

Blueberry Corn Salad

To work through the testing of this Tabouli recipe, I bought several bags of bulgur wheat. And, then, I couldn’t stop making it, so I bought a few more bags.

Finally, I decided to branch out and try a few other ways to use bulgur. Starting with this Bulgur Salad and now this Blueberry Corn Salad. I truly couldn’t tell you my favorite — all three are so different and uniquely incredible. If you aren’t hooked on bulgur wheat, I’m fairly certain these recipes will get you there! 🙂 There’s nothing exotic about bulgur, but it seems very few people know much about it.

What is Bulgur Wheat?

Bulgur is par-boiled wheat that is then dried to make a quick-to-fix grain. There are different varieties mainly varying in coarse-ness. We like fine bulgur best — not only does it make for the best texture in this salad, but it’s also so easy to prepare.

This can be a hard ingredient to find in mainstream grocery stores so it’s typically something I order online, but you can sometimes find it (depending) in the baking or international sections or in the area where packaged grain mixes are.

Blueberry Corn Salad Ingredients

Beyond the bulgur, here are a few other ingredients worth mentioning:

• English cucumber or Persian cucumbers. Regular cucumbers don’t work as well since they don’t have enough flavor and are too watery. (Persian cucumbers are sometimes labeled as mini/salad cucumbers.)
• Fresh corn. We like the corn raw (cut straight off the cob) best in this salad! If you’d prefer a roasted corn and blueberry salad, follow the directions for grilling the corn in this Elote recipe.
• Avocado. We’re relying on the creaminess of a ripe avocado for the perfect salad texture!
• Pistachios. Save time (and your fingers!) by purchasing shelled pistachios. We love roasted and lightly salted pistachios best — more flavor without any extra effort on your part. (Here’s what we use in this salad).
• Fresh basil. If you don’t have access to fresh-from-the-garden basil, a single .75 oz. packet is the perfect amount for this salad and dressing!
• Red onion. If you’re sensitive to onions, you can leave this addition out or soak the diced onions in salted ice water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before adding.

Blueberry Corn Salad Dressing

The lemon-basil vinaigrette in this salad is good enough to drink! You might just want to make a double batch of it to have on hand for other recipes throughout the week!

A few tips:

• We love zesting the lemons with a microplane and then juicing them with this citrus juicer.
• The better the olive oil, the better the flavor. Use extra-virgin olive oil.
• Use a small, powerful blender to quickly prepare this dressing. We love this mini “Twister” jar for all sauces and dressing!

Use leftover blueberries in one of these recipes:

• Blueberry Cobbler with a cookie like topping
• Blueberry Coffee Cake with a streusel and glaze
• Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls with a simple glaze
• Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes with a blueberry topping
• Blueberry Pancakes with a crisp exterior, soft chewy interior!

SaveSaved Pin Print

5 from 2 votes

Blueberry Corn Salad

By Chelsea Lords

With crisp corn, sweet blueberries, creamy avocado, crunchy pistachios, salty feta, and a delicious lemon-basil vinaigrette, Blueberry Corn Salad is an unforgettable dish!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

• Small blender

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 cup fine bulgur see note 1
• ▢ 1 (0.75-ounce) packet fresh basil divided, see note 4
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups diced English cucumber see note 2
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped pistachios see note 3
• ▢ 1-3/4 cup fresh sweet corn
• ▢ 1 medium avocado diced
• ▢ 1/2 cup diced red onion
• ▢ 1/2 cup goat cheese or feta, optional

Dressing

• ▢ 1/3 cup olive oil
• ▢ 2 lemons
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions 

• Bring 1-1/4 cups of water to a boil. In a large bowl, combine bulgur with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pour the boiling water over the bulgur, stir, and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid. Let it sit at room temperature for 15-25 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Once done, fluff with a fork and let it cool to room temperature. If you're short on time, you can refrigerate it. I recommend making it a day ahead for quicker salad prep!
• Zest lemons with a zester to get 1 teaspoon zest. Juice the lemon using a citrus juicer to get 1/3 cup lemon juice. In a small blender jar or food processor, add 1/4 cup packed basil. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To the cooled bulgur, add the blueberries, diced cucumbers, coarsely chopped pistachios, corn kernels, diced avocado, and optional red onion. Chop the remaining basil, about 1/2 cup, and add it in. Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Add the remaining dressing in increments, as the bulgur continues to absorb it. Chill the salad for 15-20 minutes if time permits. Toss again and optionally add cheese, right before serving.
• I prefer this salad on the same day it's made. Before enjoying, I stir and taste it to see if it needs more seasoning or lemon.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: There are different varieties of bulgur, but only fine bulgur will work with the method indicated in this recipe. This can be a hard ingredient to find in mainstream grocery stores so it's typically something I order online. You can also use cooked and cooled quinoa or small couscous instead.

Note 2: Regular cucumbers don’t work well. Stick to an English cucumber or Persian cucumbers  (also called a mini or salad cucumber). You'll need either 1 large English cucumber or about 4-5 small salad cucumbers.

Note 3: Save time by purchasing shelled pistachios. I like roasted and lightly salted pistachios best, here’s what I use in this salad).

Note 4: If you don't have access to garden-fresh basil, a single .75-ounce packet is the perfect amount for this salad and dressing!

Storage: This salad stays fresh in an airtight container for 2-3 days, though the red onion's flavor and smell intensify. This salad doesn't freeze or thaw well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.2g | Protein: 3.1g | Fat: 11.8g | Sodium: 27.2mg | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 4.3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!