Fresh Blueberry & Sweet Corn Salsa Recipe (2024)

This quick and easy corn salsa can be ready to share in just 30 minutes! Sweet corn straight from the cob, fresh blueberries, mint, lime, pistachios, and roasted poblano peppers for some heat combine to create this unforgettable homemade corn salsa.

Why This Recipe Works

It's summer in the Midwest and sweet corn is plentiful, inexpensive, and FULL of flavor. For this recipe we worked with Skelly’s, a Wisconsin farm that has been selling its sweet corn to Wisconsin locals for more than 30 years. This corn is so tender and sweet, it doesn't need traditional butter and salt to make it shine.

Present your guests with a light, farm-to-table appetizer that is colorful, flavorful, and has excellent texture. Roast your peppers and corn when you have the grill going for your entree and then just throw the sweet corn salsa together.

Fresh, Simple Ingredients

Here are in ingredients pictured above from left to right:

• Roasted poblano peppers
• Roasted pistachios
• Arugala (if you're converting your salsa into a summer salad)
• Mint
• Blueberries
• Basil
• Sweet corn

Step-by-Step Instructions

The most labor-intensive part of this recipe is roasting and peeling the poblano peppers (and even that is pretty simple).

All you need to roast the peppers is a direct heat source. This can be on a grill, over a gas stove, or under the broiler in your oven. Roast each side of the pepper for about 5 minutes. The skin of the pepper will begin cracking and popping; that is your cue to flip it over.

Remove the pepper from the heat source and put in a sealed container: a zip-top bag, a food storage container with a lid, or even a bowl covered tightly in cling wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes. The steam collecting in the container will help loosen the skin so you can peel it.

After 10 minutes, you can peel the pepper with your fingers. Don't worry if you miss some skin; it's edible just kind of waxy in texture. Now you can cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds, and finely chop.

Next, cook your corn. I like to make this salsa when I'm already grilling corn for a cookout, but you can just as easily boil the shucked ears in a large pot of water for 5-6 minutes. The kernels will be tender when the ears are done.

Allow the ears to cool to the touch and then lay flat on a cutting board. Cut kernels off the side of the ear, and then turn the flat side to the cutting board. Continue around until the cob is empty.

After that, the recipe is as simple as combining all of the ingredients in a bowl and stirring well. You can serve the fresh corn salsa right away or refrigerate for a day or two until you're ready to serve it.

FAQs and Expert Tips

• Serve this salsa with your favorite tortilla chip. For this shoot, we used an incredibly full-flavored organic blue corn tortilla chip made by Food Should Taste Good.
• If you'd like to serve the salsa with your entree instead of as an appetizer, toss the completed salsa with washed arugula for a spectacular summer corn salad you will love.
• You can use leftover corn-on-the-cob from yesterday's cookout in this recipe. Either cut the kernels from the cob before storing them in the refrigerator, or give the cobs a quick 1-2 minute boil to loosen up the kernels again.
• If you're in a crunch for time or don't have access to fresh produce, you could also use frozen corn for this recipe, but the fresh corn is worth it if you can find it.

Sweet Success

The sweetness of the blueberries and corn, the fresh flavor of finely chopped mint and basil, the acidity of the lime juice, and the fabulous texture and nuttiness of roasted pistachios is a surprising combination that just works. It's like summer on a chip!

This sweet corn salsa would make an excellent side dish with traditional Tailgating foods like brats, burgers, and grilled chicken or with a refreshing glass of Watermelon Lemon Balm Limeade.

Do you have favorite ways of preparing sweet corn? Or other summer corn salsa recipes? Tell us about this summer favorite in the comments below. And find us on Instagram for more delicious summer dishes! It's summertime! Don't wait for a special occasion, create one!

Jena

In collaboration with Jim Rude of Rude on Food.