Grilled Summer Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
This salad is outstandingly delicious. It is perfect for sides to BBQ’s. Everything is grilled in the salad and added along with the best basil vinaigrette.
One of the best salads I have made this year. Did I tell you I never buy store bought salad dressings? So, it’s a little bit of work to make your own but once you get hang of it, you can never look back. I usually make a big batch and store it in the fridge. You can make it and store it in the frozen too. Some dressings can last longer that way.
This basil vinaigrette is so delicious with fresh basil, grilled jalapeno, balsamic vinegar. It has all the flavors you would want in a salad dressing.
How to Make This Salad?
Most of the ingredients are grilled and they enhance the flavors so much of the salad. If you don’t own a grill don’t worry, you can still make it. Just use stove top grill or regular pan. I have grilled pineapple, bell peppers, snap peas, corn for this salad. You can easily grill some other vegetables and add them too. Next time I am adding some broccoli, zucchini etc. I have even used grilled jalapeno for the dressing.
Grilling takes this salad up a notch! And I am all about it. The other ingredients include spring mix or arugula, you can toss in some spinach too. Because cherry tomatoes also add nice fresh taste to the salad, I have added those too. I did not add any onions, but I think thinly sliced red onions may be pickled can also be added.
I have added some mozzarella balls, those tiny ones. You can change up the cheese to feta, cotija, or ricotta salata cheese. I think it will hold up well.
You can toss in some nuts too.
Basil Jalapeno Vinaigrette is also super simple, just mix everything in a blender and its ready in minutes. Make sure to grill the jalapeno when you are grilling other ingredients for the salad. Its optional but adds extra flavor. I have added just tiny bit of nuts, it gives it some texture and volume. It is avoidable if you are allergic to them or you do not want to use them.
Once you have everything grilled, let it cool down. I am pretty sure you will love this salad as much as I loved making it.
Grilled Summer Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 Olive oil
- 2-3 medium Corn
- 1 green or red Bell pepper chopped lengthwise
- 1 cup Snap peas
- 1 cup Pineapple chopped
- 3 cups Arugula or spring mix
- 1 cup Mozzarella
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Basil Jalapeno Vinaigrette
- 2 cups Basil approximately
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp cashews or pine nuts
- 1 Jalapeno deseeded
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Grill pineapple, bell peppers, corn, snap peas and jalapeno. Grease the veggies with some olive oil.
- Once it is grilled, remove them in a bowl and leave it to cool down.
- Make Vinaigrette– Blend everything in a blender until its smooth and liquid. You can also add 2 tbsp water to make it smooth, incase its too thick. Extra vinaigrette can be stored in the refrigerator or can be frozen.
- To assemble the salad – Take arugula, cherry tomatoes, and grilled vegetables and toss them with ¼ cup of the vinaigrette. Use more if you need more. Finally add the mozzarella and serve immediately.
Notes
