Grilled Summer Veggie Salad

Simple to prepare and full of colorful veggies! This tasty grilled salad comes together quickly and is the perfect compliment to grilled meats, burgers and hot dogs.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 pound sweet potato
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 large sweet or red onion
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms
• 1 head red butter lettuce
• 4 ounces crumbled Herbs de Humboldt fresh goat cheese
• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

• 2 cups packed basil leaves & tender stems
• 2 lemons, zested & juiced
• 1/2 small shallot, peeled & roughly chopped (about 1/4 cup roughly chopped)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

1. Prepare your grill for medium-high direct heat grilling, about 450-500°F.
2. Prepare the vegetables for the grill and set aside on a baking sheet: remove woody ends from asparagus, cut sweet potato lengthwise into 1" slices, trim zucchini ends and quarter lengthwise, peeled & quarter red onion lengthwise leaving ends in tact (so it stays together on the grill), skewer mushrooms.
3. Drizzle olive oil over top of veggies, tossing to coat evenly.
4. Generously season with kosher salt & ground black pepper. Set aside.
5. Add vinaigrette ingredients to a high-speed blender.
6. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired.
7. Blend until vinaigrette is emulsified & as smooth as you’d like.
8. Taste & adjust seasoning as desired – season with additional salt to taste, drizzle in a little extra vinegar for a tangier vinaigrette, splash in a few tablespoons of water for a thinner vinaigrette, etc.
9. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
10. Back to the vegetables: Place the seasoned vegetables directly on the grill grates. For long, thin vegetables & skewers, like asparagus & zucchini, it’s best to place them on the grill such that they’re positioned perpendicular to the grill grates, which prevents them from slipping through as they grill or as you handle them.
11. Grill vegetables until as softened & charred as desired. Asparagus, zucchini, & mushroom skewers will grill in 3-4 minutes per side. Onions will grill in 4-5 minutes per side. Sweet potato will grill in 5-6 minutes per side.
12. Wash and pat dry lettuce, then roughly chop or tear into bite-sized pieces and add to a large salad bowl. Store in fridge until ready to use.
13. Remove veggies from grill to the sheet pan you were using before.
14. Once grilled vegetables are cool enough to handle, use a chef’s knife to chop into uniform bite-sized pieces.
15. Add the chopped vegetables to a large bowl with salad greens & cheese.
16. Pour the lemon basil vinaigrette over top. Toss to combine.
17. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Image borrowed and recipe adapted from playswellwithbutter.com