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Except for a few college years, I have always lived on a farm. Growing up, we spent every summer day outside, well after a little morning-time TV. Many times it was some cartoon watching, but pretty soon I found Martha Stewart Living, and from then on I was hooked. Each morning, I would watch what was probably a summer rerun, but I soaked it all in. (How’s this for a flashback?!) Ok, I totally went down a rabbit hole of old Martha episodes while searching for that link. Back to the grilled zucchini…
After my Martha fix, I’d help Mom with whatever gardening was on the day’s schedule: hoeing, watering, planting, canning, or shelling peas (which I think I got 25 cents a cup for). Sometimes I would help Dad move animals from one building to another, but it’s no surprise that I was always more comfortable in the garden.
In her garden, Mom kept perfect, weed-free rows full of delicious vegetables. We didn’t often experiment with new recipes but instead stuck to the standards that Mom knew were good. Usually, our zucchini was made into a frittata or what we affectionately called “zucchini rounds”: little pancakes with Parmesan cheese and onion. Those. Were. Good.
Nowadays, I love to find new ways to use the bounty my zucchini plants produce. This unique vegetable can take on almost any flavor you add to it, which is exactly why I love to grill it. The added flavor is multiplied with a basil dressing that would make anything edible. The way I eat today has changed, but the fact that I always have an abundance of zucchini has not!
More Healthy Recipes
- Asparagus, radish, and sugar pea salad
- Curry, broccoli, and cauliflower Salad
- Vinaigrette roasted asparagus
- Tomato salad
Watch How to Make This Salad Recipe
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Grilled Zucchini & Onion Salad with Basil Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 pounds zucchini (about 3 small)
- 1 medium red onion
- ½ pound cherry tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 6 ounces roasted red peppers
- 6 ounces feta cheese crumbled
For the dressing
- ¾ cup basil leaves loosely packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Cut off the ends of the zucchini and halve lengthwise. Cut the ends off the onion and remove the outer layers. Brush both the zucchini and onion with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.2 pounds zucchini (about 3 small), 1 medium red onion
- Grill: Preheat the grill on high heat. Once heated, add the zucchini and onion, cut side down and grill until charred and slightly softened, 10-15 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and allow them to cool for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the salad: Once cool enough to handle, cut the zucchini into bite-sized pieces, about ¼ inch thick. Slice the onion thinly and add both to a large bowl. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add to the bowl. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and allow them to drip-dry in a colander. Then add to the salad. Dice the roasted red peppers and add them to the salad. Stir to combine all the vegetables.½ pound cherry tomatoes, 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, 6 ounces roasted red peppers
- Make the dressing: Add the basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper to a blender, food processor, or immersion blender-safe container. Blend until smooth and taste for seasoning.¾ cup basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic, ⅓ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Assemble: Pour the dressing over the prepared salad. Stir and crumble the feta cheese on top.6 ounces feta cheese
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Made this the other night for dinner. OMG was this delicious!! The grilled zucchini and onions have a great depth of flavor and the Basil dressing is sooo good! I am going to try it on a steak salad and on some chicken breast. This salad will definitely be on the weekly rotation.
Wow, just WOW! Had a party this weekend and made this. Everyone loved it and we all agreed we could just have a big bowl of it for dinner as it is bursting with flavor!! Thank you!
Delicious. The basil dressing is to die for.
I like grilled fennel bulb and pineapple. Give that a try.
Excellent recipe, saving it for sure! Thanks for all you do
Excellent!
Oh my gosh. Just made this last night. It is awesome! My husband overdid the zucchini on the grill, so they had a dark char. It may have been even better with the smokey flavor. The only swap I made was red wine vinegar rather than sherry vinegar. Once it was all tossed together, it became better than the sum of its parts! Thank you!
GREAT recipe! I divided it into two containers as I made it, based on food preferences in our family. One likes zucchini, the other likes yellow squash so I made that substitution. Worked out great!