This Grilled Veggie Salad features grilled corn and zucchini seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper, as well as other salad staples like cherry tomatoes and red onion over a bed of rice and greens. And it's all topped with a generous drizzle of ranch dressing!
Table of Contents
About this Salad
Grilling season is for more than burgers and hot dogs. I love grilling vegetables and adding a bit of charred smokiness and texture to their already delicious flavor! This Grilled Veggie Salad is kind of like a cobb salad, but with less ingredients and more emphasis on the freshness of the grilled vegetables.
It features grilled corn and zucchini seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper, as well as other salad staples like cherry tomatoes and red onion over a bed of rice and greens. And it's all topped with a generous drizzle of ranch dressing!
We also love it because it’s vegetarian and a GREAT side dish for any meal. I added a grilled chicken breast on my salad and it tasted like summer in every bite.
I used my Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill to make this salad. It's seriously one of our most used kitchen appliances, and it makes grilling a breeze so you can enjoy your favorite grilled foods all year long. Can't recommend it enough! This post is not sponsored by Ninja, I'm just obsessed!
And if you're looking for more summer salads, also try this Shrimp and Mango Salad, this Summer Orzo Salad, or this Chimichurri Steak Salad with Grilled Vegetables that I'm sure you'll love, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Veggies: For grilling, I included corn and zucchini. I also added fresh cherry tomatoes and diced onions. The onions would be fabulous grilled also!
- Arugula: Warm vegetables over a bed of greens taste so fresh. If arugula isn't your thing, I suggest butter lettuce as your base.
- Rice: A great carb to add to a salad to bulk it up a bit. You could also use quinoa, Right Rice, orzo, or farro.
- Goat Cheese: Smooth & creamy goat cheese works so well with grilled veggies. You could use normal goat cheese or a flavored one for some more fun. I think feta would also be tasty.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
This Grilled Vegetable Salad isn't just for corn, zucchinis, onions, and tomatoes. Feel free to try your other favorite vegetables. Grilled bell peppers, asparagus or mushrooms would taste amazing! You could also play with raw and cooked veggies. Raw broccoli adds a wonderful crunch and would pair well with the char-grilled flavors.
Feel free to also add a protein! I recommend some grilled chicken or steak. Check out The Best Grilled Chicken recipe or this Rosemary Lemon Pepper Chicken. If you are a vegetarian or want a lighter protein, add a can of your favorite beans.
Ranch dressing not your thing? Try a creamy Italian or Bleu Cheese dressing. You could even do a bleu cheese crumble, too!
How to Make This Recipe
1. Wash and dry all vegetables. Then, grab a cutting board and let's get prepping:
- Shuck the corn and remove all strings, and add butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cut the ends off of the zucchini. Slice in quarters, lengthwise, and then slice into ½ inch thick strips. Then, using a baster brush, paint zucchini with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Dice red onion into small pieces. Halve and quarter cherry tomatoes. Crumble goat cheese if not already pre-crumbled.
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions. TIP: Buy frozen or a microwavable package. They’re easy to prepare and still super flavorful!
2. Heat grill to 500°F. Place corn on the grill. Grill for 8-10 minutes or until corn is charred. Rotate 3-4 times while grilling.
3. Add zucchini sticks on the grill. Place them perpendicular to the grill racks so they do not fall through. Grill for 5 minutes, rotating twice for even grill marks.
4. While the veggies cook, begin to build the salad. Add arugula or lettuce to a serving bowl. Then, add your ingredients not on the grill.
5. Once the corn and zucchini are grilled, dice and add to the salad. Add ranch dressing, toss and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Store salad separate from dressing for up to three days. Do note, however, that if you put warm veggies on the salad, your arugula will wilt. I suggest the salad storing "upside down" with the grilled veggies on the bottom of your Tupperware, then topped with tomatoes + onions and the greens on top. This method is great because you can literally flip right onto a plate when ready to enjoy.
This salad goes well with almost any dressing! I like the creaminess ranch adds and I think bleu cheese dressing would be tasty, too, but feel free to use a vinaigrette, Greek, or Italian dressing.
Keep an eye on your veggies, especially the zucchini. Due to it's delicate nature it can go from perfectly charred to burnt fairly quickly on the grill.
If you're using smaller pieces of veggies that are falling through the grill, I suggest adding to a skewer, which makes rotating super easy. Or you could place a piece of foil on top of your grill and cook the veggies on there; however, you won't get those nice grill marks if you use this method.
More Recipes You'll Love
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you really like the recipe consider leaving a comment further down. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Grilled Veggie Salad
Equipment
- Indoor or outdoor grill
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- strainer
- Rubber baster brush
- Serving bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups arugula or buttered lettuce
- 2 cobs corn
- 2 zucchinis
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup rice or quinoa
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- ¼ cup red onion
- ¼ cup goat cheese
- butter, salt, and pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry all vegetables. Then, grab a cutting board and let's get chopping!
- First, let’s prepare the corn on the cob. Shuck it, remove all strings, and add butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cut the ends off of the zucchini. Slice in quarters and then slice into ½inch thick strips. Then, using a baster brush, paint zucchini with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat grill to 500°F. If you’re using a outdoor grill, you may want to use tinfoil. I find it’s easier for clean up and ensures nothing slips through.
- Place corn on the grill. Grill for 8-10 minutes or until corn is charred. Rotate 3-4 times while grilling.
- Add zucchini sticks on the grill. Place them perpendicular to the grill racks so they do not fall through. Grill for 5 minutes, rotating twice for even grill marks.
- While the vegetables are grilling, cook quinoa to package instructions. TIP: Buy frozen or a microwavable package. They’re easy to prepare and still super flavorful!
- Dice red onion into small pieces. Halve and quarter cherry tomatoes. Crumble goat cheese if not already pre-crumbled.
- Add arugula or lettuce to a serving bowl. Then, add your ingredients not on the grill.
- Once the corn and zucchini are grilled, dice and add to the salad.
- Toss everything up!
- Pour on desired amount of dressing and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find Grilled Vegetable Salad calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Sydney says
Even if you're not a salad person, this recipe is for you. Grilling the veggies elevates this salad and adding quinoa gives some texture that was delightful. Make this next time you're grilling out and you will not be disappointed in the slightest 🙂
Courtney Paige says
Not only do I love the seasonality of this dish, but the flavor shines! So perfect with summer produce.