Succotash salad screams summer. This colorful, light, and fresh salad is full of vegetables like corn, Lima beans, scallions, and cherry tomatoes. Pickled okra does double duty for our succotash salad providing a nice crunch to the salad, but also making a briny and delicious vinaigrette that brings it all together.
What is succotash?
Have you ever eaten succotash or even heard of it? Succotash is a side dish that’s made from a blend of cooked corn and lima beans. I’d always thought it looked interesting and really pretty, but until recently I didn’t like Lima beans, so I’d never made it before.
When translated from the original Native American language of Narragansett, Succotash literally means “broken corn kernels.” Because corn and beans were inexpensive and readily available it became a popular dish of the Great Depression era. You can find Succotash as a traditional side on Thanksgiving tables in Northeastern Regions of the United States, but I always thought it was Southern!
I recently discovered there are different varieties of lima beans! Surely you’ve heard of Baby lima beans, but there are also Ford Hook Lima Beans. One of my grocery stores carries Ford Hook lima beans, and what a world of difference! I loved them. So I immediately set out to make a succotash recipe and boy does this one check all the boxes for me. Serve this alongside pulled pork or BBQ for an easy summer meal.
What goes into succotash salad?
- Sweet corn is the primary ingredient and star of this salad. You can use frozen, canned and even leftover corn depending on what you have on hand. If you’re using frozen corn, make sure to thaw and rinse it. If using canned corn, again, drain and rinse. Fresh corn should be cooked and cooled before using it for this salad, making leftover corn on the cob ideal for this recipe.
- I recommend using frozen Ford Hook Lima beans if you can find them (that’s what you’ll find pictured), but frozen Baby Lima beans will also work. Again, you’ll need to thaw and rinse the beans well. If you find you don’t like the texture of the thawed lima beans, you can cook them and then chill them as some people find the skins to be too tough when they are simply thawed. (I didn’t find this to be the case with the beans I used.)
- Don’t like Lima beans? Substitute an equal amount of you favorite variety of beans instead.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes have the perfect sweetness and are the perfect bite size for succotash salad. You’ll also need scallions or green onions. If you can’t find green onions, fresh chives make a nice substitute.
- The other star in this recipe is the pickled okra. You can generally find pickled okra with the pickles in the grocery store. In my area you can find 2 varieties of pickled okra, regular and hot. This recipe uses the regular pickled okra.
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Succotash Salad with Pickled Okra Vinaigrette
A fun and fresh twist on succotash, this salad is full of veggies like corn and lima beans and tossed with a zippy pickled okra vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the Pickled Okra Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup pickled okra juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
For the Succotash Salad
- 3 cups frozen corn, thawed and rinsed*
- 1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed and rinsed*
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup sliced pickled okra
- 4 scallions, sliced thinly
Instructions
- Prepare your Lima beans and corn by thawing, rinsing, and removing the excess moisture.
- Add the scallions, tomatoes, and sliced pickled okra.
- Make your vinaigrette by adding the olive oil, pickled okra juice and Cajun seasoning to a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake it well to combine the vinaigrette, then toss with the salad.
- Succotash salad will stay good in the fridge for several days.
Notes
Corn: Frozen, canned, and leftover corn on the cob can all be used for this recipe. If using frozen corn as suggested, just thaw and rinse as the corn has already been blanched. To use canned corn, simply drain and rinse the corn. For corn on the cob, cut the kernels off the cob and continue as directed.
Lima Beans: There are many varieties of Lima beans that work well in Succotash salad, such as Baby Lima beans and Ford Hook Lima beans. If you do not like the texture of the thawed Lima beans you may cook, drain and then chill them.
Alternately if you do not like Lima beans, you can substitute in an equal amount of your favorite variety of beans in place of Lima beans.
If you like this salad, you may also enjoy these recipes:
Fritos Chili Cheese Corn Salad
Old Fashioned Kidney Bean Salad
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Margaret S Groves
Monday 22nd of June 2020
This definitely looks interesting.....I may or may not try it, I am not a big fan of okra. Also, my mom made succotash with corn and green beans! It was one of my favorites as a kid....found out about 10 years ago that real succotash is made with lima beans and corn!
Amy D
Tuesday 23rd of June 2020
Margaret, you could always try it with pickled green beans instead of okra! Then it would even be a nod towards the version you liked as a kid. :)