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This easy Grilled Zucchini Salad is summer on a plate! Tender grilled zucchini, sweet corn, and juicy tomatoes are tossed together with crumbled cheese and a zesty lemon dressing for a bright, fresh, and colorful dish. It’s the perfect light and easy salad to make all season long!
This salad is perfect next to just about anything, from kebapi to baked chicken meatballs to grilled salmon, and I love adding a little halloumi salad to the mix, too.
5 Star Review
“This was amazing! I want it everyday! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!” – Shauna
With zucchini season underway, my zucchini casserole recipe and this zucchini salad are calling your name! Grilling brings out the best in zucchini; it’s juicy, tender-crisp, and full of that charred and smoky flavor, and it pairs perfectly with all the fresh veggies in this easy vegetarian dish.
Perfect for picnics, barbecues, potlucks, or a light lunch, this vibrant salad shows off the best of summer produce and always gets rave reviews from family and friends. Tossed in a quick lemon garlic dressing and finished with a sprinkle of crumbled cheese, it’s fresh, simple, and so delicious.
Recipe Ingredients
Get ready to make a side dish perfect for the warmer months! This grilled zucchini salad requires just a few fresh ingredients. I’ve included notes below on easy swaps and substitutions, and the full ingredient list and amounts are further down in the recipe card.
- Zucchini – Slice your zucchini into crescent shapes, about 1/2-inch thick. Yellow squash or eggplant can make good substitutes.
- Cherry Tomatoes – The tomatoes add a juicy sweetness to the salad. Grape tomatoes or chopped Roma tomatoes are also okay to use.
- Corn Kernels – The corn adds a sweet, crisp texture and a bit of charred flavor from grilling.
- Arugula – Peppery arugula gives the salad a slightly bitter taste, but baby spinach or mixed salad greens will also work.
- Olive Oil – Used to coat the vegetables and for the dressing. Avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil are great alternatives.
- Salt and Black Pepper – Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper is what I like to use.
- Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon juice for the zestiest flavor.
- Minced Garlic – I like to use fresh garlic, but a 1/4-teaspoon of garlic powder is a great substitute.
- Dried Oregano – Feel free to use any other dried herb of your choosing instead.
- Goat Cheese – Crumbled salty feta or bleu cheese are good swaps.
Recipe Tips
- Grease the grill grates. To ensure that your zucchini doesn’t stick to the grill, be sure to brush your grill grates with olive oil before cooking.
- Serve it hot or cold. This salad tastes amazing warm, room temperature, or cold! If you want to serve it cold, just keep it in a sealed container in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
- Season to taste. Taste test your zucchini before you incorporate it into the salad to make sure you’re satisfied with the amount of seasoning.
What to serve with this Zucchini Salad
You can pair this grilled zucchini salad with your favorite protein, like my juicy stove top chicken breasts or a whole branzino fish! For a full meal made entirely on the grill, try it with my grilled flank steak topped with chimichurri sauce. If you’re putting out a little spread, my avocado hummus dip is another great option, perfect with pita chips or fresh veggies. And, nothing says summer like a good red wine bambus cocktail!
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Grilled Zucchini Salad
Ingredients
For the Vegetables
- 2 medium-sized zucchini, cut into ½-inch thick half-moons
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2½ cups corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or any other dried herbs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups arugula
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese, you could also use bleu cheese or feta cheese
Instructions
- Prep the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high, about 425˚F. Brush the grill grates with oil.
- Grill the zucchini. Drizzle olive oil over the zucchini slices and season them with salt and pepper. Grill the zucchini for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until tender and grill marks appear.
- Grill the tomatoes and corn. At the same time, grab a grill pan and combine the tomatoes and corn inside the pan; drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the grill pan on the grill and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes and corn are charred, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Make the dressing. Meanwhile, in a salad bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Finish and serve. To the dressing, add the zucchini, tomatoes, corn, and arugula; toss to coat until well combined. Top the zucchini salad with crumbled cheese and serve.
Notes
- Serving: You can serve the salad alongside your favorite mains as a side dish, or enjoy it on its own for a light meal. For a heartier meal, consider adding chopped grilled chicken, juicy shrimp, or diced salmon.
- Storage: You can store your zucchini salad in an airtight container, refrigerated, for 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make This Grilled Zucchini Salad Recipe
- Grill the zucchini. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high, about 425˚F. Brush the grill grates with oil. Drizzle olive oil over the sliced zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Grill the zucchini for a couple of minutes per side, or until tender and grill marks appear.
- Prepare the veggies. While your zucchini is grilling, grab a grill pan and combine sliced tomatoes and corn inside the pan; drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill. Set the grill pan on the grill and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes and corn are charred, about 2 minutes. Or, if you have any leftover grilled corn, use that instead.
- Make the dressing. In a salad bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Toss the salad. To the bowl, add zucchini, tomatoes, corn, and arugula; toss to coat with the salad dressing.
- Serve. Top the zucchini salad with crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese and enjoy!
More Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
- Chicken Zucchini Casserole
- Creamy Ricotta Zucchini Noodles
- Baked Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Chips
- Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza
Would using mozzarella be a good substitution, we don’t have goat cheese on hand and it’s hard to find in our little grocery store.
Hi! Mozzarella is definitely tasty, but it’s pretty different from goat cheese or feta… it’s much milder and creamier, and it won’t give you that tangy kick we’re going for in this recipe. If you can find feta cheese, that would be a much closer match and a better substitute. But hey, if all else fails and mozzarella is all you’ve got, go for it! It’ll still be yummy, just a little different. ☺️
This salad is absolutely delicious! I paired it with grilled chicken with peaches.
I used feta and spinach….home grown tomatoes and zucchini…twice as much garlic.. that’s how I roll…delicious. thank you.
Do you cool the zucchini and then add to the arugula?
Hi there!
Great question! When I make this dish, I usually toss everything together right after cooking so the zucchini has cooled down a bit by the time I mix it with the arugula. If you prefer, you can let the zucchini cool down a little more before adding it to the arugula to keep the greens crisp. Either way works well!
Can you do this in the oven or stove top?
Yes, you can pan-sear all the veggies on the stovetop.
Can the vegetables be grilled the day before? Or will the zucchini get to soggy?
Hi!
Yes, the vegetables can be grilled the day before. However, zucchini tends to become a bit soggy when stored, so it’s best to grill it fresh if you prefer a firmer texture.
I love this salad so much! I’m thinking about next time adding in some rotini or bow tie pasta as well! Maybe I’ll need to have extra dressing made up if I do that? Not sure..?
Hi!
I’m so glad to hear that you love this salad! I am making it for our 4th of July get-together tomorrow. 🙂
Adding pasta is a fantastic idea, and I would definitely recommend mixing some extra dressing in to taste. Pasta can absorb quite a bit of the dressing, so having a bit more on hand will help.