Summer is here, which means it’s time to break out the grill. We love to host cookouts and grill up a few of our favorite dishes for our friends and family to enjoy. Our typical cookout menu includes a variety of hot dogs, ribs and hamburgers, but I decided to add this Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad to the menu.

This is definitely one of my favorite grilled vegetable salad recipes, and a great way to encourage the family to eat a few extra veggies. You can choose to enjoy this dish on its own or serve it with these ultra-tender Spicy Grilled BBQ Pork Chops or Cajun Garlic Butter Grilled Shrimp.

Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad. (Andrea Mathis / Beautiful Eats & Things)

This salad is super easy to make. Just grab an armful of fresh vegetables and a few other items and get started.

You will need a variety of fresh vegetables. I used yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers, onions and asparagus, plus olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, romaine lettuce, creamy balsamic vinaigrette, bacon bits and blue cheese crumbles.

Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad. (Andrea Mathis / Beautiful Eats & Things)

First, you want to prep your vegetables by washing and cutting them into grill-friendly portions.

The addition of the blue cheese is my favorite part. That salty, creamy, pungent taste pairs perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, I recommend using Parmesan or feta cheese.

I seriously could eat grilled vegetables every single day, all year long. Enjoy.

Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad

Click here for a printable version.

Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow squash, sliced
• 2 medium zucchinis, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed
• 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• ¼ cup crumbled bacon pieces
• ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Creamy balsamic vinaigrette dressing, your favorite brand

Instructions

1. Preheat a stovetop or outdoor grill to 400 degrees.
2. Place vegetables on a large plate or cutting board and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Cook the vegetables for about 5-6 minutes, or until they become charred and softened to your liking. Depending on the size of your grill, you may need to grill the vegetables in batches.
4. Once the vegetables are done, remove them from the grill and let cool.
5. To arrange the salad, spread the romaine lettuce onto a large platter.
6. Add the grilled vegetables on top of the lettuce, followed by the bacon pieces and blue cheese crumbles.
7. Drizzle with the creamy balsamic vinaigrette dressing and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Andrea Mathis is a registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things. For more great recipes, visit beautifuleatsandthings.com.