Layers of char-grilled vegetables, salad leaves, crunchy cucumber and juicy tomatoes are drizzled with black-olive dressing for a simple and delicious side-dish.
Despite being mostly vegetarian, we barbecue A LOT during the summer. Why wouldn’t you?! Everything tastes wonderful, we get to eat our dinner in the garden, and it prevents the kitchen from turning into a furnace. Lovely. Grilled vegetables are among our favourites!
Light the barbecue!
My daughter Kipper LOVES eating outside, and is always keen to barbecue. If there’s aubergine (eggplant) on there – her all-time favourite vegetable – then so much the better.
Other regular features on our barbecue are sliced courgettes, peppers and flat mushrooms, simply brushed with olive oil before grilling. Delicious, yes, but starting to get a bit samey.
Grilled vegetables + salad
Hence, I decided to try and mix it up a bit, by incorporating the chargrilled aubergines and peppers into a layered salad with baby leaves, diced cucumber and halved cherry tomatoes.
I made a herby, black olive dressing that drizzled down over the grilled vegetables, and made everything super-delicious.
This was really simplicity itself to make, and DH raved about how delicious is was. It’s gorgeous too. Here, have a look…
Grilled vegetables – Inside or out!
This salad of grilled vegetables was so good, that even when barbecue season ends (soon!) I’ll continue making this in the kitchen, using my trusty griddle pan instead of the barbie. It will be a wonderful way to extend the summer on into autumn, and maybe even winter. A reminder of sunny summer days as the nights draw in.
What vegetables can be grilled?
To make this yummy salad, I used aubergines and peppers, but all of the following vegetables work well on the barbecue. You can add any of them to a tasty fresh salad of leaves and grilled vegetables.
- Aubergine (eggplant)
- Courgette (zucchini)
- Peppers – all colours but we especially like red or yellow
- Mushrooms – skewer button mushrooms or use big flat portabellas or field mushrooms
- Red onions – thick slices or wedges work best
Pick and mix
You can make this salad as I have, in layers, or you can serve the grilled vegetables separately from the leaves, cucumber and tomatoes, and let your diners assemble the salad themselves. The black olive dressing is amazing with both elements, and is also good enough to make on its own. Try it over whatever leafy salad you’re having – you won’t be disappointed.
We cleared this whole platter between the three of us, as a side dish. It’s fabulous!
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📖 Recipe
Summer grilled vegetable salad
Ingredients
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 6-8 cm cucumber
- 3 spring onions
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves
- 1 aubergine (eggplant)
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 200 ml olive oil
- 100 g bag mixed salad leaves
For the dressing
- 1½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½-1 teaspoon black olive tapenade
- Pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
- Halve the cherry tomatoes and place in a bowl. Dice the cucumber, trim and slice the spring onions, and add both to the tomatoes. Add the basil and toss everything gently together. Set aside.
- Cut the aubergine into 1 cm (approx. ⅖ inch) thick slices. Remove the stalks, seeds and membranes from the peppers and cut into 3-4 pieces each. Brush all the vegetable slices liberally with the olive oil.
- Cook the vegetables on a barbecue or hot griddle pan until cooked through and starting to scorch.
- Arrange the salad leaves on a serving platter. Place the grilled vegetables on top of the leaves, then spoon the tomato mixture over the top.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
More delicious recipes
For more delicious barbecue ideas, check out this ultimate list of over 60 meat-free barbecue recipes.
Or if you’re after more tasty salads, how about avocado salad with oranges, olives and watercress, deliciously smoky tabbouleh salad with freekeh, or fresh and crunchy French carrot salad.
thekosherologist
This looks awesomely refreshing!
Helen
Thanks! It’s really super-tasty!
Fuss Free Helen
I love BBQed veggies, so delicious. I think it is so easy to focus on meat and to forget the sides.
Helen
Yes. We love veggies on the barbecue. Sometimes don’t bother with the meat at all!
Ceri @Natural Kitchen Adventures
Oh how I wish I had a garden so I could BBQ everyday. Vegetables charred like this have a flavour like no other! I try with a grill but not the same. Looks healthy and delicious, top marks!!
Helen
Thanks Ceri! I find a hot griddle pan better than the grill for indoor ‘barbecueing’. H x.
kneadwhine
This looks gorgeous Helen – I’m so keen to come up with good ways to make use of the barbecue for me, so I’m sure I will give this a try!
Helen
Thanks! There’s so much you can cook on the barbecue that isn’t meat. Whatever you throw on there tastes smokey and delicious. Love it!