This scallop salad recipe is one I’ve been cooking and enjoying recently, particularly on warm evenings when I want dinner to feel fresh, generous and complete.
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A delicious scallop salad recipe for dinner – yes please!
This is one of the first recipes I’m sharing here for 2026, and it’s the one I headed into the new year with myself. It’s generous, feels a whole lot special, and it is full of flavour. A dish that feels just right on a warm evening when you want dinner to be delicious and not heavy.
Sweet barbecued corn, cool cucumber ribbons, perfectly cooked scallops and softly spiced harissa yoghurt come together in a way that feels both relaxed and special.
Michael slurped his plate clean, which I took as a very good sign.
A salad you can build a dinner around
I’m often asked what makes a salad “dinner-worthy”, and for me it’s not about piling on ingredients or making something complicated. It’s about balance.
This scallop salad recipe has sweetness from the corn, freshness from the cucumber and herbs, richness from the scallops, and warmth from the harissa yoghurt. Nothing is competing. Everything has its place.
It’s the sort of lovely dinner you can enjoy outside on a warm evening, perhaps with a crisp glass of something cold, and feel genuinely satisfied afterwards. No need to add another dish. No sense of having eaten “lightly” but still being hungry an hour later.
If you’re not in summer right now, I’d suggest saving this recipe for when the weather warms. It really shines when eaten slowly, outdoors, with time to enjoy it.
Cooking scallops simply (and well)
Scallops don’t need much, but they do ask for attention.
Drying them thoroughly before cooking makes all the difference. A hot pan, a little olive oil and butter, and the discipline to leave them alone long enough to form a proper golden crust. They cook quickly, and when done well they’re tender and sweet, not rubbery or overworked.
Paired with the smoky corn and the gentle heat of the harissa yoghurt, they feel special without being fussy.
First shared with my Cooking Club
I originally shared this scallop salad recipe with my Relish Mama Cooking Club, where this month we’re focusing on salads that can stand on their own as a meal. The kind of food you can rely on when you want something fresh, but still want dinner to feel complete.
These are the recipes I cook at home — not styled for effect, but made to be eaten and enjoyed. This one has become a favourite.
I’m sharing it here now so you can cook it at your own table too.
A gentle way to begin the year
If there’s a thread running through this recipe, and through how I’m approaching the start of this year, it’s simplicity. Not doing less for the sake of it, but choosing things that feel meaningful.
Cooking a good meal. Sitting down to eat it with people I care for. Being present.
I hope this recipe finds its way into your kitchen at some point, whether now or later in the year. And I hope 2026 brings you meals that nourish you, conversations that matter, and moments that feel steady and good.
With love,
Nellie
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Barbecued Corn & Cucumber Salad with Seared Scallops and Harissa Yoghurt
Equipment
- Barbecue grill (or grill pan)
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Mixing bowls (2–3)
- Whisk
- Vegetable peeler or mandolin
- Heavy-based frying pan (cast iron or stainless steel)
- Paper towel
Ingredients
Scallops
- 500 g large sea scallops about 12, roe removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 20 g unsalted butter
- Sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Corn, cucumber & herb salad
- 3 corn cobs
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers
- ¼ cup mint leaves torn
- 2 tbsp chives or parsley, finely chopped
- 1 shallot (small size) very finely sliced
- 1 pinch chilli flakes (small pinch as the harissa carries heat also)
Dressing
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp honey
- Sea salt and black pepper
Harissa yoghurt
- ½ cup thick Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp harissa paste 1-2 teaspoons, to taste
- 1/2 lemon juice of
- Sea salt
To serve
- Lime or lemon wedges and extra herbs if desired
Instructions
- Heat a barbecue grill to medium–high. Place the corn cobs directly on the grill and cook, turning regularly, until lightly charred all over. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then shave the kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.
- Prepare the cucumber by slicing it lengthways into ribbons using a vegetable peeler or mandolin. Place the corn kernels in a bowl with the cucumber, mint, herbs, shallot and chilli flakes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over the salad, toss gently and set aside.
- Combine the yoghurt, harissa, lemon juice and a pinch of salt until smooth. Taste and adjust the heat or acidity as needed. Set aside.
- Prepare the scallops just before cooking. Pat them very dry with paper towel — this is essential for a good sear. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat a heavy-based frying pan (cast iron or stainless steel) over medium–high heat until hot. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted and is foaming, add the scallops in a single layer, making sure they are not crowded. Cook without moving them for about 2 minutes, until a deep golden crust forms. Turn and cook for a further 1 minute, just until opaque through the centre. Remove from the pan immediately.
- To serve, spoon the harissa yoghurt onto the base of each plate. Top with the barbecued corn and cucumber salad, then place the scallops on top or alongside. Finish with a squeeze of citrus, freshly cracked pepper and extra herbs if you like. Serve straight away.
Notes
Nutrition
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