This Grilled Vegetable Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette is quick, easy, flavorful and the perfect low carb side for your next backyard BBQ! Squash, zucchini, asparagus, and radishes are grilled to perfection and dressed up with a bright, summery lemon and basil vinaigrette…the result? An effortless side that will have your guests raving!
It's me again, Emilie from Tales of a Texas Granola Girl! I can't believe that summer is already here. The weather here at the Ranch has been amazing so we have been taking full advantage by getting out of the kitchen and grilling! There is nothing that will revive my spirit after a busy week like a little porch time and an easy dinner that doesn’t require messing up my clean kitchen or heating up the oven! We grill 4-5 times a week and I try to take advantage of it by cooking the entire meal on the grill....including the veggies! This Grilled Vegetable Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette is a prime example of how yummy grilled vegetables can be!
I think when most people think about grilling, images of flaming steaks, juicy burgers and kebabs take over. Most veggies are great for grilling and stand up really well to the super hot grill. Also, what’s better than everything being cooked outside?! I’m in!
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This is also a great accompaniment for a vegetarian dinner. Just serve with Keto Grilled Cheese for a complete meal!
What is a Grilled Vegetable Salad?
The grill really adds another dimension of flavor to the veggies. A little char, caramelization and smokiness really transforms these veggies into something worthy of a round of applause! To top it all off this Grilled Vegetable Salad is topped with a lemony, basil vinaigrette that you will want on everything! The quick and easy vinaigrette gets whipped up in the blender in lass than 5 minutes and has all the flavors of summer! Be sure to use fresh basil and lemon juice for the best result!
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Quick Tip: Double the dressing and use it to marinate chicken,salmon or shrimp for the grill!
Can I Use other Vegetables?
You can easily tweak this Grilled Vegetable Salad to suit you and your families tastes by switching up the veggies! Other low carb vegetables that are great for the grill:
- Eggplant
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Peppers
- Artichoke Hearts
- Fresh Green Beans
Tips for Perfect Grilled Vegetables
- The trick to hassle free grilled vegetables is grilled the veggies in large pieces, then cutting the up for serving! This means you will spend less time chasing your cut up veggies around the grill and loosing them in the grates!
- For smaller vegetables, like the radishes, I use a small disposable pan on the grill to keep everything contained and it works perfectly. The bottom of the pan picks up heat so you get great color on the veggies and you still get the smokiness!
- Cook your prepared veggies over medium to medium high heat. If the heat is to high and the veggies will burn on the outside before they cook through, so cook them off to the side.
- For this Grilled Vegetable Salad, you'll want to put the vegetable with the longest cooking time, in this case, the radishes and onion on the grill first. Grilling the veggies in this order ensures that everything is done at the right time!
Do I need to refrigerate this Grilled Vegetable Salad?
Unlike mayo based sides, this Grilled Vegetable Salad can sit out on a buffet or counter with no problem and is great served warm or at room temperature! This healthy, no fuss, low carb side is a must have your your next BBQ or cookout. Perfect paired with grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp!
Looking for more summer-friendly recipes? Check these out!
Mexican Street Style Grilled Cauliflower
Grilled Salmon with Cilantro Lime Crema
Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Zucchini Salad with Lemon & Feta
Cucumber Tomato Salad with Lemon Dill Dressing
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Ingredients
- 3 zucchini, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
- 1 yellow squash, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
- 1 purple onion, peeled and cut in half
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 6 oz radishes, trimmed
For the Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅛ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoon low carb (1:1) sweetener (I used Lakanto Golden)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup avocado or olive oil
Garnish
- ⅓ cup shaved Parmesan
Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil
Small Aluminum Pan
Instructions
To Prepare the Dressing:
- Combine the first five ingredients for the vinaigrette into a blender and blend on high. While the blender is still going on high, slowly add the oil. Place the vinaigrette into a glass jar or container and set aside.
To Grill the Veggies:
- Preheat the grill to 350-375 degrees. Place the squash, zucchini, asparagus, and onion in a large sheet pan. Place the radishes into the small aluminum pan. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the onion cut side down and the pan with radishes on the grill and cook for about 15 minutes stirring the radishes occasionally. Then place the zucchini and squash cut side down on the grill. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning once. Add the asparagus to the grill and cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender. The veggies should be tender but still have a bite, cooking times will vary depending on the size of the veggies. Remove the vegetables from the grill and set aside for about 5 minutes to cool.
To Prepare the Salad:
- Dice the squash and zucchini and place in a medium mixing bowl. Cut the radishes in half and add to the zucchini. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces and cut the onion into large dice or wedges and add them to the bowl. Add about half of the prepared dressing and the shaved Parmesan and toss to coat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper or add more dressing as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nellie Tracy says
Such a great recipe for summer! Love it!
Beth says
This looks so healthy & refreshing! Fresh, shaved parmesan is always the perfect topping! I will be eating this as a meal!