Chopped Grilled Vegetable Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
A vibrant and fresh chopped grilled vegetable salad tossed with a zesty lemon basil vinaigrette. Tender grilled asparagus, bell pepper, zucchini, onion, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes combine with fresh greens and optional creamy goat cheese for a perfect blend of smoky, tangy, and crunchy flavors. Ready in just 30 minutes, this salad is ideal for a quick, healthy meal.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil to brush on the veggies before grilling
- 1 bunch asparagus woody ends trimmed
- 1 medium bell pepper sliced into flat planks
- 1 medium zucchini ends trimmed and quartered lengthwise
- 1 large sweet or red onion peeled and quartered lengthwise
- 8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms skewered
- 8 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes skewered
- 6 ounces spring mix or fresh greens for tossing with grilled veggies
- 4 ounces goat cheese or feta optional, crumbled for topping
- to taste kosher salt for seasoning veggies and salad
- to taste fresh ground black pepper for seasoning veggies and salad
- 2 cups basil leaves packed, with tender stems for vinaigrette
- 2 lemons zested and juiced for vinaigrette
- 1/2 small shallot roughly chopped for vinaigrette
- 1 clove garlic for vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar for vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil for vinaigrette
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
- Brush asparagus, bell pepper, zucchini, onion, mushrooms, and tomato skewers with avocado oil. Season each piece with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Grill veggies: most take 5-7 minutes per side; mushrooms and tomatoes need 3-4 minutes per side.
- Set grilled veggies aside to cool slightly.
- Chop grilled veggies into bite-sized pieces.
- Toss chopped veggies with spring mix or greens in a large bowl.
- Optionally sprinkle goat cheese or feta on top and season salad with extra salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately or chill to eat later.
- Prepare and whisk lemon basil vinaigrette separately using basil leaves, lemon zest and juice, shallot, garlic, champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Notes
For leftovers, store salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Keep goat cheese or feta separate until serving to maintain freshness and creaminess. A spritz of fresh lemon juice before eating refreshes flavors.