It’s grilling season! And we’re making the most flavorful grilled zucchini salad loaded with charred corn and sweet peppers. It’s as easy as tossing all the veggies on an outdoor grill and making a lemony dressing with dried or fresh herbs. That herby lemon dressing and salty feta at the end make this salad POP. One of my all time favorite side dishes is this zucchini and corn sauté that I shared many moons ago back when I first started blogging. It’s one of those recipes that I’ve made so many times I’ve lost count. I make it all the time when it’s cool enough to cook in the kitchen. But in the summer months, I’m looking for a grillable version of that recipe, one that I can maybe toss with feta cheese and a light herby vinaigrette and serve with Greek Grilled Chicken.
Ingredients for grilled zucchini salad recipe:
Zucchini: It’s the best time of the year for zucchini! Cut them into four pieces lengthwise to create wedges. You can also use other vegetables like asparagus or yellow summer squash if you don’t want to use zucchini or if you want a medley of vegetables. Wedges are the best shape to grill these because they balance well on the outdoor grill grates as well as an indoor grill pan.Sweet Peppers: I like to use mini peppers for this because they don’t require prepping, just spritz with avocado oil and toss them on the grill! You can also use a large red or orange bell pepper, just be sure to cut it into 4 pieces so that it grills more evenly. Feel free to swap the peppers for cherry tomatoes if you prefer those instead.Corn: I leave the corn on the cob and just grill it up! It’s one of my favorite summertime snacks so we’ve always got corn cobs around. You can also use defrosted roasted corn if you didn’t want to grill it!Arugula: I like the peppery flavor of arugula with the sweet corn and peppers. You can also use a mix of greens, baby spinach, or just lettuce if you’d like.Crumbled Feta: I love adding salty feta to salads with corn and sweet peppers because it really make all the flavors pop. Feel free to use crumbled goat cheese or another kind of cheese if you aren’t a fan of feta.Oil: I use avocado oil in the marinade because it’s a high heat oil that allows you to toss the veggies right onto the grill. I also oil the grates with avocado oil. For the dressing, I use extra-virgin olive oil.Lemon Juice: Fresh lemons are a must! We’ll use a squeeze to marinate the zucchini and the rest goes into the herby lemon dressing. Feel free to add in lemon zest as well if you’d like an even bigger punch of lemon.Seasonings: You’ll need red pepper flakes, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and black pepper for this recipe. We’ll start by marinating the zucchini wedges in a combination of lemon juice, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Just brush or rub this all over and let the zucchini hang out while you preheat the grill. Feel free to add additional fresh herbs to the salad bowl – fresh mint leaves, fresh basil, or even chopped parsley would make excellent additions!Shallots: I mince up a knob of shallot and add it to the dressing ingredients. Shallots ares sweeter than onions and they add all of the flavor without the bite!Honey: Adds sweetness and balances out the tart lemon juice in the dressing.Dijon Mustard: Not only adds flavor to the dressing, it also emulsifies it so that the dressing stays combined.
How to make a grilled zucchini salad:
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