Herby and bright salsa verde is the perfect sauce for this grilled vegetable salad. I’m using eggplant, asparagus and red peppers but you can use what’s in season, or better yet, what you have access to! Finish with creamy fresh burrata and you’ve got a gorgeous summer salad for your next dinner party.
Equipment
Here’s what you need to make my grilled vegetable salad at home:
- barbecue grill
- chef’s knife
- paper towel
- tongs
- food processor
- spatula
Note: you can find the full list of ingredients and instructions for my grilled vegetable salad in the recipe card below.
Cooking Tips
- Switch up the vegetables. If you can’t find one, or you don’t like one, try substituting for something you can find and do like. The vegetables listed here taste great in this recipe but can be easily swapped out based on your preference.
- Season your grill before cooking. When you heat the barbecue, simultaneously grease the grates. You can do this with a rag dipped in oil, or using a spray can. Seasoning the grill will encourage char and prevent sticking.
- Don’t have a food processor? Instead of pulsing the ingredients, do a fine dice on the charred onions, garlic and basil. Add the remaining ingredients to a small bowl and stir. The texture will be different but it will still taste great!
- Serve it with… garlicky lemon shrimp or whole roasted chicken. OR make it into delicious sandwiches using my easy overnight focaccia.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a seasoned grill to 400°F. I’m using a propane gas barbecue.
- Slice 1 large eggplant into rounds, about 0.5 cm thick. Cut 2 red bell peppers into quarters. Break off the bitter, woody ends of 1 bunch of asparagus. Trim and discard root bottoms on 1 bunch of green onion. Slice 1 medium red onion into rounds, trying your best to keep the rings together as you go.
- Transfer the cut vegetables to a sheet tray. Cover in 1/2 cup olive oil and 2 tsp salt and toss to coat. Take time to make sure each eggplant slice has a generous amount of oil to avoid drying out on the grill.
- Take your veggies out to the grill and test the heat. Divide the grill into four quadrants in your mind then hold your hand over each section. Note which is the hottest and place your red peppers there. Peppers take the longest to grill, so we will give them a head start by laying them out on the hottest section. Your asparagus should go in the coolest section because they will cook the fastest. Everything else gets spread out in between.
- Close the grill and let the temperature rise back up to 400°F. Let cook at this temperature for 5 minutes. Lift the lid and flip the eggplant pieces. They should have grill marks. If not leave to cook for another 3-5 minutes. Next, give your asparagus a little roll to help even out the char. Finally, flip your green onion. Leave the red onion and red peppers on the same side, they need a little more time. Oh and don’t worry if one (or two, or three pieces, shhhh) fall through the grate, I won’t tell anyone! Cook for another 5-10 minutes with the lid down.
- When the vegetables are tender and slightly charred, remove and let them rest on the sheet tray while you make the salsa verde.
- To a food processor or blender add charred green onions, 3 garlic cloves, 10 basil leaves and the juice of one lemon. Pulse until chopped. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and turn the motor on low while slowly drizzling in ⅓ cup olive oil. Once smooth, add a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Stir to combine then taste and adjust seasoning. It should be herby and bright with a touch of sweetness and hint of bitterness from the charred green onions.
- Plate the salad with a layer of the salsa verde on the bottom topped with veggies and more salsa and fresh burrata. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Season your grill by lightly coating the grates in neutral oil using paper towel and tongs.
Your grill’s built-in thermometer only measures the overall temperature when the lid is down. This doesn’t account for the temperature on the surface where the food will go. The age and quality of your grill, plus how level the surface it’s sitting on is, will determine the distribution of heat on the surface. Testing the heat before you start will help gauge the cooking time.