Description
🌽 Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad with Fresh Herbs and Citrus Dressing offers a refreshing and vibrant combination of smoky grilled vegetables and zesty flavors.
🥗 This light and nutritious salad is perfect for a healthy lunch or side dish with a creamy feta dressing that brightens every bite.
Ingredients
– 4 ears of shucked corn with silk removed
– 2 zucchini, cut into half-inch rounds
– 1 bunch scallions, trimmed
– 1 jalapeño, with stem removed
– 3 tablespoons olive oil
– Kosher salt, to taste
– Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
– 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
– One-third cup olive oil
– Juice and zest of 1 lemon
– 2 garlic cloves
– One-quarter cup fresh chives, snipped
– One-quarter cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
– 1 head romaine lettuce, cut into one-inch pieces
– 2 avocados, sliced or diced
Instructions
1-Gathering and Prepping Ingredients: Start by getting everything ready, which takes about 10 minutes. Wash and dry the 4 ears of shucked corn and 2 zucchini, then cut the zucchini into half-inch rounds. Trim the 1 bunch scallions and remove the stem from 1 jalapeño. Measure out 3 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. This step, often called mise en place, keeps things organized and prevents overcooking in your grilled corn and zucchini salad.
2-Heating the Grill: Next, heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Brush the corn, zucchini, scallions, and jalapeño with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. This preheating ensures a nice char, which brings out the smoky flavors in grilled corn and zucchini salad with fresh herbs.
3-Grilling the Vegetables: Grill the vegetables, turning occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until they are charred and tender. For the corn, select ears with bright green husks and moist silk; grill over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, for even charring. Once cool, cut the corn kernels off the cob. For the zucchini, choose firm, medium-sized ones and grill for about 4 minutes per side to get those perfect marks while keeping them tender. If you want more ideas, check out this street corn chicken rice bowl recipe on our site for similar grilling tips.
4-Making the Dressing: After grilling, prepare the dressing by blending 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese, one-third cup olive oil, the charred jalapeño, the juice and zest of 1 lemon, and 2 garlic cloves until smooth. Fold in one-quarter cup snipped fresh chives and one-quarter cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, adding water as needed for a ranch-like consistency. This dressing adds a creamy, citrusy touch to your grilled corn and zucchini salad.
5-Combining and Serving: In a large bowl, combine 1 head romaine lettuce cut into one-inch pieces, the corn kernels, sliced zucchini, sliced scallions, and 2 sliced or diced avocados. Toss with half the dressing and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Let it rest for a few minutes to blend flavors, then serve. Remember, According to health benefits of corn, this dish is full of nutrients like fiber and antioxidants.
Notes
🌽 Choose ears of corn with bright green husks and plump kernels, remove silk carefully and lightly oil before grilling.
🍆 Select firm, medium-sized zucchini for sweetness and fewer seeds; grill on medium-high heat for perfect tenderness.
🥒 Avoid overcooking zucchini to maintain a slight bite and prevent mushiness; grill about 4 minutes per side.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grilling and Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad serving
- Calories: 414 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 8 g
Keywords: grilled corn salad, zucchini salad, fresh herb salad, citrus dressing salad