Grilled Zucchini Salad
Jul 13, 2020, Updated May 15, 2024
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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.
Video
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
This looks so good. Making it tomorrow for Father’s Day. One question….Did you use frozen or fresh corn?
Hi!
I make this a lot and will just use what I have on hand. I’ve used canned corn (rinsed and drained), and I’ve used frozen but thawed.
This was so delish!! Omitted arugula and used spinach (was what I had) Turned out so yummy!
Thank YOU! 🙂 Substituting spinach for arugula and still enjoying it is great. Glad it turned out yummy!
Delicious! Used chicken stock and whole milk and a bit more cornstarch mixed with a bit of water to make it thicker at the end. Husband loved it too!
This was amazing! I want it everyday! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Not only does this look so pretty, it’s delicious! Such a simple dressing and so good! Really great with produce straight from the garden.
I want to make this so bad but I have someone who cannot have corn! What would you recommend for a substitution? Possibly broccoli?
Yeah, chopped-up broccoli would be good. Also, if you like cauliflower, you can use that, too.
Wow this was delicious! I put the zuccini on skewers to make it easier to handle. Also substituted avocado for cheese since I’m vegan. My new favorite way to eat zuccini
Thank YOU! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can you use something other then Arugula?
Absolutely. Use your favorite salad/greens.
We added grilled chicken and balsamic glaze on top!! So yummy!
Wow this recipe was delicious!! We left out the cheese because we are vegan, but the flavor combinations here were incredible! The sweet corn, charred zucchini, and tangy tomatoes work together so nicely. The lemony dressing pairs well.
I think you could make this by using a grill pan, but it wouldn’t be as tasty just because the char and smoke add so much flavor.
I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Love this. I did all of the veggies in a grill pan, separately. Instead of dried oregano I used fresh basil, since you said any herb. I also added a little purple onion. We really liked this. I served it with a grilled flank steak. We will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing.
That’s great! I am very glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂