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Arugula Corn Salad with Bacon

Posted by Elise on Aug 28, 2007

Filed under Salad, Seasonal Favorites: Summer

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This is a salad of bold flavors, but somehow they all manage to work together well. Sweet corn tossed with peppery arugula, bacon, onion, cumin, and wine vinegar to balance the sweet corn, and you have stimulated all the major tastes your tongue can perceive. If you have a grill, and the time, I highly recommend grilling the corn (in their husks) for this recipe; the smokey flavor just can't be beat.

Arugula Corn Salad with Bacon Recipe

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Ingredients

4 large ears of corn
2 cups of chopped arugula (about one bunch)
4 strips of bacon, cooked, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Cook the corn ears, in their husks, either on the grill for a smokey flavor, or by steaming in a large covered stock pot with an inch of boiling water at the bottom of the pot, for 12-15 minutes. Let the corn cool (can run under cold water to speed up the cooling), remove the husks and silk. I recommend cooking the corn in the husks for the added flavor that the husks impart. If you boil or steam the corn ears after you've already husked them, or if you cook them in the microwave, reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.

2 To remove the kernels from the cobs, stand a corn cob vertically over a large, shallow bowl. Use a sharp knife to make long, downward strokes, removing the kernels from the cob, as you work your way around the cob. Note: it may help to work over a low table, to be in a better ergonomic position to cut the cobs this way.

3 In a medium sized bowl, mix together the corn, chopped arugula, bacon, and onions. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and cumin. Mix dressing into salad just before serving. Taste and add more vinegar if necessary to balance the sweetness of the corn.

Serves 4.

Indexed: Arugula, Arugula Salad, Bacon, Corn, Corn Salad, Salad

21 Comments

Elise! This looks amazing... I love every single thing in this salad.

It's definitely going on my menu later this week...

Posted by: Jennifer Jeffrey on August 28, 2007 9:09 PM

Mmm, the smokey, crunchy bacon must go well with the sweet corn. What a hearty dish.

Posted by: Kelly Mahoney on August 28, 2007 10:18 PM

Hi Elise! I thought that it's better to remove corn husks before because it takes more time to cook the corn. But I didn't think that husks can add flavor. Thanks a lot again and again. You are the best!

Posted by: home cook on August 29, 2007 1:28 AM

What a lovely salad with all the flavors I like! Yum!

Posted by: The Culinary Chase on August 29, 2007 1:44 AM

I just bought a bag of organic arugla and several ears of sweet corn at the farmers market this weekend. I'm going to try the recipe tonight with vegetarian bacon though and see how that works...probably not quite as good but healthier. I might also try dicing up a couple grilled tomatillos to toss in for a little extra tang since I like that flavor senseation the most. Thanks for the great idea!

Posted by: jennbec on August 29, 2007 6:00 AM

Someone's in a bacon groove lately.

Wrapping hot dogs...in a salad...what next?

Looks delicious.

Posted by: jonathan on August 29, 2007 6:02 AM

home cook, I think it's easier to remove husks and silk after cooking, so I always prefer to soak/grill corn vs. boiling shucked ears.

Elise, I recently read that a better technique for removing kernels is to first cut the ear in half, then use the vertical technique that you mentioned. I know that I often have kernels flying all over the place and am looking forward to trying the half-ear method.

Posted by: Josh Baugher on August 29, 2007 7:13 AM

This looks incredible! Would frozen corn from Trader Joe's work in a pinch?

Posted by: nicole on August 29, 2007 1:18 PM

I love salads with corn in them. This recipe sounds quite delicious!

Plus, I love those green bowls. I'm going to keep an eye out for ones similar.

Posted by: rebecca on August 29, 2007 4:05 PM

Oh Elise, this looks delicious! What a great way to use corn on the cob! I'll have to buy a few extra ears and try this salad this weekend!

Posted by: Lauren on August 29, 2007 8:28 PM

This looks delicious, a fabulous way to enjoy the end-of-summer corn.

Posted by: Amy on August 29, 2007 10:35 PM

I make this exact salad but with avocado added. Something about having the smooth, creamy avocado really makes it just perfect :)

Posted by: Zelda on August 30, 2007 4:16 PM

Mmm. Made this salad for lunch. I've got corn coming out of my ears. I've decided that corn plays well with others. Over the weekend, we added grilled kernels to a saute of lobster mushrooms and onions with chives.

Posted by: vanessa on August 31, 2007 2:20 PM

A corn cooking trick we use all the time, and I don't know why more people don't do it: Microwave corn in the husk. 3 or 3 ½ minutes per ear - in a glass dish & covered with plastic wrap. Once it's cooked (with all the flavor of cooking in the husk) it’s a cinch to clean, removing husk, silk, etc. Corn stays hot longer than boiled because its heated from the cob out. Try it.

Posted by: Lin Hanson on September 2, 2007 6:52 AM

I made this and loved it! I'm bringing it to a party tomorrow--can I make ahead and keep cold or will that impact the taste negatively?

Posted by: Erin on September 2, 2007 7:11 PM

Hi Erin - I would wait to mix in the arugula with the rest of the ingredients until just before serving. Either that or wait on the dressing. Basically, once you dress the arugula, it will wilt. It's still good, just wilted. I had the leftovers of this salad 2 days later and they were great, but didn't look as pretty.

Posted by: Elise on September 2, 2007 7:57 PM

Thanks for responding (and in time for the party today). Just waiting for the grilled corn to cool as we speak before I mix everything up EXCEPT for the arugula. Thanks, again!

Posted by: Erin on September 3, 2007 9:32 AM

I am soooo stopping at the supermarket on the way home and grabbing some arugula, seeing as we got some corn at the market on the weekend. This salad sounds absolutely wonderful - thanks!

Posted by: Jeanne on September 20, 2007 8:04 AM

HI Elise,

I'm a frequent reader of your site, but a first time poster. This recipe brought me out of my shell so to speak. So simple, so fresh, so good.
No excuse not to tell you that I've already made it three times (had to get my fill before summer ended), and it was just delicious.

Thank you!

Posted by: Lauren on September 26, 2007 10:59 AM

Hi Lauren - I'm so glad you liked it! I like the combination of flavors as well. It's a great end-of-summer salad when the corn is just still available and the arugula is beginning to come in.

Posted by: Elise on September 30, 2007 11:31 PM

Wonderful recipe, Elise, thank you. Keep 'em coming.
Tonight I was late getting dinner together and no time to steam nor grill the corn. I drained the fat out of the pan after cooking the bacon then quick-sauteed the corn in the bacon fat that coated the pan. Voila! instant smoky flavored corn.
P.S. If you stand your ears in a tall, narrow bowl while you cut the kernels off the ears you will minimize your "kernel flinging". I found a good bowl at Target. Our border collie gets the dozen or so that hit the floor. It only seems fair.

Posted by: Danabee on July 19, 2008 6:25 PM

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Arugula Corn Salad with Bacon

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Arugula Corn Salad with Bacon Recipe