I prefer no-fuss cooking during the summer. My go-to side dish is usually something grilled, lightly seasoned, roughly tossed, and together served warm. With gatherings resuming this summer, I expect our house to have guests over frequently for lunch or dinner. To prepare to feed more than just my immediate family, I plan on serving a large grilled vegetable salad to ease the hassle of spending all day in the kitchen. The recipe below is just a base, you can use whatever vegetables you prefer and a different vinaigrette — a citrus dressing would be great, too. Make sure you don’t overcook the vegetables. I typically grill in batches with like vegetables to control cooking time. For added flavor, I toss in a salty cheese. If you want more texture, add pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or seasoned croutons. 

Grilled Vegetable Salad
Serves 8

Ingredients
4 medium ears sweet corn, husk and silk removed
2 medium yellow squash, ends trimmed, cut lengthwise
1 medium eggplant, ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 3 to 4 strips
2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, cut lengthwise
2 large red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, stems, seeds and ribs removed, quartered
1 red onion, ends and skin removed, sliced into 3 intact rings
1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off
Olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound grape tomatoes, cut lengthwise
¼ cup apple cider and maple vinaigrette (recipe here)
4 oz. blue, Parmesan, or feta cheese

Directions 

1. Preheat the grill to 400° F. 
2. Place vegetables on two sheet trays and lightly drizzle olive oil over vegetables, carefully tossing to evenly coat. Generously season with salt and black pepper. 
3. Grill vegetables in batches, rotating a few times, until vegetables are slightly softened and evenly charred. Cooking times will vary with each vegetable. Remove vegetables and return to sheet pans.
4. Once vegetables have cooled enough to handle, cut the corn kernels from the cobs and cut the remaining vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Place grilled vegetables and tomatoes into a large bowl and toss. Drizzle vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly. Add more if desired. Top salad with cheese and serve warm.

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