Grilled Summer Salad Recipes with Fresh Seasonal Veggies

There are few things I enjoy more on a hot day than a cold salad. If I can prepare it while the morning is still cool—or better yet, the day before—I’m even happier. When that salad highlights the best of summer produce, I’m ecstatic.

I appreciate something about every season, but my love for summer is all about the fresh vegetables. Okay, I’ll admit it’s also nice not to trip over snow boots for a couple of months. Still, the produce is the real thrill.

Store-bought variety is impressive, but nothing compares to produce grown nearby and eaten in season. Everyone knows a frozen ear of sweet corn from the supermarket can’t match one picked that day from the field.

I used to always boil corn—like most people I knew. Then, nearly a decade ago, I read the Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout. Nero’s obsession with food struck a chord, and in one book he chased perfect sweet corn while the inspector expected him to chase a killer. I understood that completely. Given the choice between hunting for ideal sweet corn or tracking a cold-blooded killer, I’d pick the corn every time.

At one point Nero Wolfe said something that made me question boiling corn:

“Boiled in water, sweet corn is… edible, and nutritious. But roasted in an oven, at the hottest possible temperature for 40 minutes. Shucked at the table. Buttered. Salted. Nothing else! Ambrosia.”

I had to try it. The first time I roasted corn in the oven it really was ambrosia, but the smell of burning husks filled the house and cranking the oven on in hot weather wasn’t appealing. So I moved the process to the grill, adjusted the heat—because grills and ovens behave differently—and learned what many have known for ages: fire-roasted corn is unmatched.

From then on, grilling became my go-to method for corn. I often cook more corn than we can eat in one sitting—believe me, that takes effort. One of our favorite ways to use the extra grilled corn, which has a concentrated, smoky sweetness, is in a Grilled Summer Salad. The salad adapts to whatever’s fresh from the garden or local market, but its backbone is always grilled corn and zucchini. Everything else is negotiable.

Grilled zucchini is in the same category as grilled corn—it’s simply better. Time on a hot grill transforms zucchini from a mild vegetable to a flavor revelation, and the texture improves too. I slice zucchini into half-inch slabs, brush both sides with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper or Montreal Steak Seasoning (my preference), and place them on a hot grill. When they show grill marks they’re done. It’s that simple.

I usually add roasted red pepper, garden tomatoes, garlic, parsley and a light squeeze of lemon—just a bit. If I’m feeling indulgent, I crumble in some feta. With feta it’s a satisfying vegetarian meal in a bowl, but it also pairs beautifully with grilled meats or fish. I tend to make as much of this salad as my refrigerator will hold and often find myself walking by with a fork to taste a bit. It’s a pretty harmless habit compared with other snack choices.

Make this while summer produce is at its peak—fresh vegetables won’t last forever.

Grilled Summer Salad

Rebecca Lindamood

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Summer vegetables take center stage in this seasonal salad that relies on grilled sweet corn and zucchini to bring out the best flavors. A light lemon dressing and optional feta make this refreshing, healthy dish a satisfying vegetarian meal or a perfect side for grilled meats and fish.

Ingredients

2 medium to large zucchinis
olive oil
Montreal Steak Seasoning or salt and pepper
2 large beefsteak-type tomatoes
2 ears leftover grilled corn cut from the cob
1 clove garlic peeled and minced or pressed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
a fistful of fresh parsley roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat a clean gas grill to HIGH, or prepare a hot bed of coals on a charcoal grill.
Slice the zucchini into 1/2-inch slabs. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with Montreal Steak Seasoning or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the zucchini directly on the grill. With the lid open, leave the slices in place until grill marks appear—about 3 minutes—carefully lifting a corner with tongs to check. Flip and cook until the other side has marks, about 2 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a rimmed pan.
Place the pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator until the zucchini is cool to the touch, about 30 minutes to an hour.
Dice the chilled, grilled zucchini and the tomatoes. Toss them with the grilled corn, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, feta (if using), and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to let the flavors meld.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use.