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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 lb zucchini (approx. 3 small)
- 1 medium red onion
- ½ lb cherry tomatoes
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 6 oz roasted red peppers
- 6 oz feta cheese crumbled
For the dressing
- ¾ cup basil leaves loosely packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the salad
- Cut off the ends of the zucchini and halve lengthwise.2 lb zucchini (approx. 3 small)
- Cut the ends of the onion and remove the outer layers.1 medium red onion
- Brush both the zucchini and onion with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.⅓ cup olive oil
- Preheat 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 to cool 20 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, cut the zucchini in bite-size 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.½ lb cherry tomatoes
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and allow to drip dry in a colander. Then add to the salad.1 15-oz can chickpeas
- Dice the roasted red peppers add to the salad.6 oz roasted red peppers
- Stir to combine all the vegetables.
For 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.¾ cup basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic, ⅓ cup olive oil, 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Blend until smooth and taste for seasoning.
To assemble
- Pour dressing over prepared salad.
- Stir and crumble on feta cheese.6 oz feta cheese
Video
Notes
- This can be made up to one hour before serving with dressing. If making a day in advance, leave the dressing off and add before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
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!