Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad
Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad- marinated and grilled portobello caps give this salad a delicious meaty texture that even carnivores will love!
Almost any meal can be elevated about 10 notches by adding grilled vegetables, don’t you agree?
This summer salad features all of my favorites: marinated portobello mushrooms, juicy tomatoes, and creamy avocado. All served on a bed of crisp romaine topped with a delicious balsamic dressing. It truly is summer at it’s finest!
Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad Ingredients
- Portobello Mushrooms– marinating the mushrooms in a combination of balsamic and tamari gives them a juicy texture and helps their umami flavor shine.
- Asparagus– as someone who isn’t a huge fan of asparagus, I find the best way to prepare it is grilled. Chopped up into bite size pieces, it makes the perfect green addition to this salad.
- Roma Tomatoes– I like to use roma tomatoes because I find that they’re easier to cut in half and grill. That said, any kind of tomatoes will work.
- Red Onion– grilled red onion adds a delicious savory oomph.
- Avocado– if you’ve never had grilled avocado now is the perfect time to start! The heat sort of melts the avocado which enhances the buttery texture.
- Romaine– crisp romaine makes for the perfect vessel to top with grilled veggies and a simple balsamic dressing.
- Vegan Mozzarella– this part is totally optional but I love topping it with slices of Miyoko’s cultured mozzarella. Choosing a quality plant-based cheese is always worth it!
- Fresh Basil– you could definitely get away with leaving out the fresh basil but I just love the summery flavor it adds to the salad. It pairs perfectly with the grilled tomato, fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar.
How to Make Grilled Vegetable Summer Salads
The best part about these salads is how easy clean-up is! When everything is cooked on the grill there are no pots or pans to worry about which is awesome.
- Whisk together the marinade then pour over the mushrooms. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes.
- Place the chopped romaine in a large bowl then store in the refrigerator to keep cool.
- Prepare the dressing in a small bowl then set aside.
- Once the mushrooms have absorbed the marinade, it’s time to grill! Cook the asparagus, tomato, mushrooms, red onion and avocado until tender and charred on both sides.
- Top the romaine with grilled veggies, vegan mozzarella and fresh basil. Serve with balsamic dressing and enjoy!
I know you guys are going to be obsessed with this salad once you try it! It’s definitely going to be on repeat in our house all summer long.
Still craving more summer salads? Check these out:
- Roasted Corn Tomato Summer Salad with Lemon-Basil Yogurt Dressing
- The Best Vegan Kale Salad
- Southwestern Quinoa Mason Jar Salads
- Buffalo Chickpea Kale Salad
Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 4 portobello mushroom caps, sliced in 1/2-inch strips
- 3 roma tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 bunch asparagus, thick ends trimmed
- 2 avocados, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1/2 red onion
- 14 ounces romaine lettuce, finely chopped
- 8 ounces vegan mozzarella, sliced, I like Miyokos (optional)
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves, for garnish
For the Marinade:
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons high heat oil, plus more for cooking
- 2 tablespoons tamari
For the Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the ingredients for marinade. Place the sliced portobello mushrooms in the bowl then toss until evenly coated in the marinade. Set aside for at 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Whisk everything together in a small bowl or measuring cup then set aside.
- Place the chopped romaine in a large bowl then refrigerate while you grill the vegetables (mushrooms to red onion). Coat the vegetables with high heat oil and grill until slightly tender and golden brown.
- Cut the grilled vegetables into smaller pieces then serve immediately overtop of romaine with mozzarella and dressing,
I love everything about this. I’ve had a houseguest all week, so I have not been eating nearly enough veggies– perfect remedy :)
That’s exactly what I do when my husband is grilling! ;-) Love this time of year! This sounds like a perfect summer salad, and I love grilled Portobello mushrooms. So good!
As always – another awesome recipe. Soon we’ll have a house (and a grill!!!) and I will absolutely make this recipe. Right now the community apartment grill is outside another building and it’s a b*tch to schlep everything down three flights of stairs and one building over. So – I’m holding on to this one tight and excited for August when I can make it.
p.s. i don’t think i’ve ever heard of white balsamic — is it milder?
Thanks Hilary! I really struggled with shooting this salad so I appreciate the compliment.
I’m not sure if white balsamic is supposed to be milder but I think it is. I really enjoyed it!
Pingback: Feed Your Soul – Friday Five – Grilling
I love this salad and the use of the grilled vegetables. I featured it on my Friday Five – grilling over @ Feed Your Soul Too – http://www.feedyoursoul2.com/2013/06/friday-five-grilling.html
Thank you Peter! I appreciate you featuring it on your site! :)
Pingback: 27 Blogs Featuring Healthy Summer Salad Recipes | Housekeeping
Pingback: 27 Blogs Featuring Healthy Summer Salad Recipes
Pingback: 25 Quick and Easy Summer Salad Recipes
Fabulous update, Sara! And I looove that marinade combination for portobellos on the grill (and oven!). So much flavor and texture here and that dressing finishes it off beautifully!
How can you NOT love grilling veggies, right?! I keep meaning to buy a new propane tank so that I can start grilling up a storm. Maybe this weekend I’ll finally get one.
PS- I bought the ingredients to make your portobello mushroom fajitas today!
I still don’t have a real grill, lol! I have to stink up my house using a grill pan on my stove. But it’s worth it. ;)
I hope you enjoy the fajitas! xo
Gah that platter with all the grilled veggies has me swooning!! This salad is SO right up my alley.
Pingback: 52 Healthy Grilling Recipes - The Roasted Root
Pingback: Mediterranean Couscous Salad - Making Thyme for Health