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This grilled zucchini salad is full of crunchy vegetables, feta cheese, and basil vinaigrette. Grill zucchini until it’s tender, never mushy, and toss it with summer vegetables for a delicious side dish.
Zucchini and grilling just go together this time of year, and this summer salad is the perfect side for backyard barbecues.
It’s a delicious mixture of grilled zucchini, charred corn, fresh tomatoes, onion, and cheese. All that fresh produce is tossed in a basil vinaigrette.
Need another summer salad? Try cucumber tomato avocado salad, peach burrata salad, or strawberry quinoa feta salad.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients for this grilled zucchini salad. The produce is fresh, easy, and affordable to find in your local grocery store. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
Grilled Zucchini Salad
- Zucchini: You can find this all year round, but you’ll find especially good ones during the warmer months. Yellow squash is a good option.
- Corn: This adds such a great crunchy texture.
- Tomatoes: I used a mix of cherry tomatoes from the garden. Roma tomatoes are great because they contain less water.
- Red onion: For more bite and crunch.
- Avocado: Great to add healthy fats, but you can easily leave this out.
- Cheese: I love the tomato, corn, and zucchini with the flavor goat cheese or feta cheese.
Dressing
- Olive oil: You can use a light olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil.
- Apple cider vinegar: Swap this for lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar.
- Honey: This helps balance all the acid in the recipe.
- Dijon mustard: Helps emulsify the dressing.
- Fresh basil: Fresh herbs make all the difference in a summer salad.
Have extra zucchini? Try buffalo chicken zucchini boats, air fryer zucchini chips, or paleo zucchini bread.
How to Make Grilled Zucchini Salad
- Grill the zucchini and corn: Brush the corn and inside of the zucchini slices with olive oil and sprinkle everything with kosher salt. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Place all of the veggies in a single layer on the hot grill. You could also use an indoor grill pan if you have that. Cook all the veggies for 12 minutes total, until all sides have grill marks. Remove to a cutting board or plate to cool.
- Make the dressing: Add all of the ingredients to a small jar or bowl and whisk or shake well.
- Make the grilled zucchini salad: Cut the corn off the cob (see the recipe video below for tips) and cut the zucchini into half moons. Add them to a large bowl or salad bowl then add the rest of the ingredients, except for the goat cheese. Pour half of the dressing on top then toss everything to coat.
- Garnish and serve: Crumble the goat cheese on top then drizzle the rest of the ingredients over the cheese and top with fresh chopped basil.
Quick Tips and FAQs
Adding salt to the zucchini adds more flavor so you don’t have to add more salt to the salad itself later.
Zucchini is a vegetable with a high water content. If they’re overcooked, more of that water will release from the veggie, resulting in a mushy consistency. Cutting the zucchini into larger pieces helps them from overcooking before the grill marks are there.
The best way to cut zucchini is to cut them lengthwise. I prefer the thick slices over thin slices because they’re easier to handle on the grill and allow you to get great grill marks before they’re overcooked. Place them diagonally on the grill grates so you’ll see the gorgeous grill marks when you cut them into half moons. You can also cut them into rounds so they’re easier to handle on the grill then cut them into half moons after they cool.
How to Store
Refrigerate leftover zucchini salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. Enjoy the salad cold because it doesn’t reheat well.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
Grilled Zucchini Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
Grilled Zucchini Salad
- 2 large zucchini sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 ears of corn
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/4 large red onion sliced into small pieces
- 1 large avocado diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces feta cheese or goat cheese
Basil Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons dijon
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Spread olive oil or avocado oil on each half of the zucchini and both ears of corn then sprinkle them with kosher salt.2 large zucchini, 2 ears of corn
- Heat the grill to medium high (400°F) and place the corn and the zucchini, cut side down, on the grill. Cook the corn on all four sides for 4 minutes each (12 minutes total) and cook the zucchini on both sides for 6 minutes each (12 minutes total). Remove the zucchini and corn from the grill to a cutting and allow to cool slightly.
- Add all of the ingredients to a jar with a lid and shake well to combine or stir them all together in a tall measuring glass. Set aside.1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 3 teaspoons dijon, 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
- Remove the the corn from the cob and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Slice the zucchini into half moons and add it to the corn with the rest of the ingredients.1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1/4 large red onion, 1 large avocado, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 4 ounces feta cheese
- Drizzle e dressing over the veggies and stir well to combine. Serve with additional fresh basil.
Video
Equipment
- Grill
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely delicious! My husband said he could live off it! Such great summer flavor!