Ina Garten Confetti Corn Salad Recipe

Jump to Recipe

Ina Garten’s confetti corn salad is fresh corn kernels sautéed in olive oil and butter with chopped red onion and diced orange bell pepper, seasoned with salt and pepper, and finished with fresh basil, chives, or parsley. It serves 6, takes about 25 minutes, and uses just seven ingredients from a farm stand.

This recipe comes from Ina’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook (2008). In the headnote, she writes that she usually “just cuts corn off the cob and sautés it in butter with lots of salt and pepper,” but she decided to add more vegetables and herbs from the farm stand. The result was “this colorful and flavorful dish that goes with anything from grilled hot dogs to grilled steak.” It gets its name from the bright confetti-like mix of yellow corn, orange pepper, and red onion in the pan.

The technique that makes this taste better than just throwing everything in at once is giving the onion a 5-minute head start in the pan before the pepper and corn go in. That solo sauté softens the raw bite out of the onion and lets it start to sweeten. Add the corn at the same time as the onion and the corn overcooks while the onion stays sharp, and you lose the balance between sweet, starchy, and savory that makes this dish work.

FAQs

Can you use frozen corn instead of fresh?

You can, and several reviewers on Food Network confirm it works well outside of corn season. Use about 4 cups of frozen kernels and skip the step of cutting them off the cob. There is no need to defrost them first because the heat from the pan will thaw them quickly.

The texture will be slightly softer than fresh corn because frozen kernels have already been blanched before freezing. The flavor is also milder. If you have access to fresh corn from a farm stand or farmers market, use it. The difference between fresh summer corn and frozen is significant in a recipe this simple, where the corn is the star.

Why does Ina sauté the onion before adding the corn?

The onion gets a full 5-minute head start in the pan so it has time to soften, turn translucent, and start releasing its natural sugars. If you add everything at once, the corn finishes cooking in 5 to 7 minutes, but the onion is still crunchy and sharp at that point.

The bell pepper gets a 2-minute head start for the same reason: it needs a little more time than the corn but less than the onion. This staggered approach means every ingredient hits the right texture at the same moment, so the finished dish has soft, sweet onion, tender pepper, and corn that still has a snap to it.

Can you serve confetti corn cold as a salad?

You can, though Ina serves it hot. Several food bloggers have adapted this recipe as a cold corn salad by adding a squeeze of lime juice and a splash of vinegar after the corn cools, which brightens the flavors that flatten when the dish comes to room temperature.

If you want a cold corn salad from the start, Ina’s Fresh Corn Salad from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999) is designed to be served cold with cider vinegar, olive oil, red onion, and basil. Her Fiesta Corn & Avocado Salad from Cooking for Jeffrey (2016) adds avocado, jalapeño, and a lime-chipotle vinaigrette for a more substantial cold version.

What other corn recipes does Ina make?

Ina returns to corn across several cookbooks. Her Fresh Corn Salad from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999) is the simplest: boiled corn with red onion, cider vinegar, olive oil, and basil. Her Fiesta Corn & Avocado Salad from Cooking for Jeffrey (2016) is the boldest, with avocado, jalapeño, cherry tomatoes, and chipotle in a lime dressing.

Corn also shows up as a supporting ingredient in some of her best dishes. Ina’s Lobster Pasta Salad from How Easy Is That? cooks corn kernels right in the pasta water, and the sweet corn nestled inside small shell pasta is one of the best parts of that recipe.

What should you serve confetti corn with?

Ina says it “goes with anything from grilled hot dogs to grilled steak,” and that is exactly right. The buttery, slightly sweet corn works as a side for any protein off the grill because it adds color and freshness without competing with the main event.

For a full cookout spread, pair this with Ina’sDill Potato Salad and you have two classic American sides covered. The warm, buttery corn contrasts with the cold, creamy potato salad, and both can be ready before guests arrive so you spend the party at the grill instead of in the kitchen.