By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 8
156 cal · 45 min
Grilled Summer Vegetable Salad
Recipe GLPRa32dee07b66637
A vibrant medley of charred seasonal vegetables tossed with a bright lemon vinaigrette, fresh basil, and crumbled blue cheese. Perfect as a side dish, starter, or light appetizer that celebrates summer's bounty with smoky grilled flavors.
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Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 medium eggplant
½ teaspoon salt, divided
3 ears fresh corn, husked
2 medium zucchini
2 small summer squash
1 whole red onion
1 red bell pepper
¼ cup herb-infused oil
2 pounds mixed cherry, grape, and mini sunglow tomatoes
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Zest of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Black pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin chiffonade
4 ounces Gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled
Directions
Preheat your grill to the highest temperature setting.
Trim the ends from the eggplant and slice it lengthwise into three or four thick slices, each about ¼ inch thick. Peel the skin from the two outer slices so the flesh is exposed and can develop grill marks.
Arrange the eggplant slices on a board or plate and season both sides generously with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Let sit for 5 minutes to draw out excess moisture and bitterness while you prepare the remaining vegetables.
Trim the ends from the zucchini and summer squash, then cut each in half lengthwise.
Cut the top off the red onion while leaving the root end intact. Slice the onion into quarters from top to root, keeping the root attached to each piece so they hold together during grilling.
Cut the red bell pepper in half and remove the core and seeds.
Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels. Arrange all prepared vegetables—eggplant, corn, zucchini, summer squash, onion quarters, asparagus, and bell pepper—on a large platter.
Brush all vegetable pieces on both sides with the herb-infused oil, ensuring even coating.
Place all vegetables on the preheated grill. Grill each piece, turning as needed when charred marks appear, until all vegetables are tender with blackened edges. Corn and onions will require the longest cooking time, while asparagus will cook the fastest. Transfer each vegetable back to the platter as it finishes.
Once cooled slightly, cut all grilled vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place in a large serving bowl.
Using a sharp knife or corn stripper, remove the kernels from the corn cobs and add to the bowl.
Cut all tomatoes in half and add to the bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to create the vinaigrette dressing.
Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and add the fresh basil chiffonade. Toss gently until all ingredients are well combined.
Transfer to a serving dish, top with crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese, and serve immediately or at room temperature.
Comments
Every ingredient is widely available at Charlotte chains—all of them—but the stated 45 minutes glosses over serious prep work: grilling vegetables in batches while the grill stays hot, then chopping everything fine, takes a full hour once setup is counted. The cost per serving is modest, roughly $1.50–$2.00, though infused oil adds $0.30 per serving and blue cheese another $0.40; what drives the price is volume, not specialty items. This is a same-night salad that does not reheat well, and it demands attention to keep grilled vegetables from charring while you're working through the batches. The real strength is that it's a genuine celebration of peak summer produce North Carolina actually grows well—corn, squash, peppers—and it feeds eight without fuss once you're committed to the grill time.
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