Grilled Zucchini Salad

There was a sale at Hobby Lobby today.

A fall decor sale.

I couldn’t help myself. I am in love with fall decor, and these sweltering temperatures have me daydreaming of autumn. I bought all sorts of stuff: pumpkin spice candles, orange tea lights, metallic pumpkins, bundles of hay, and a cutie tin milk jug that I styled myself.

Everything was 40% off, which helped me feel better about my life. And when I got home? I cleaned my house and put all of it up.

It’s early August and yet my apartment feels like October…and you know what? I’m totally okay with that.

I’m still keeping my palate in the summer months, though. That means lots of salads, tons of sandwiches, and eating leftovers straight from the fridge. I made this salad while we were in Idaho and everybody loved it. It’s supposedly a recipe that artist Frida Kahlo used to make for her famous dinner parties, and I can see why—it’s delicious. I love how the Latin flavors have been simplified to three main ingredients: zucchini, avocado, and cilantro. 

Sprinkle some queso fresco over the top and mix everything together with a quick salad dressing and you have a wonderful warm salad to serve at your next cookout.

Grilled Zucchini Salad

• Servings: 3-4
• Time: 20 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A warm salad that mixes Latin flavors with grilled zucchini, perfect for a cookout or BBQ.

Ingredients

• 8 TBS. olive oil
• 3 TBS. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 6 small zucchini, sliced
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced
• 3 oz. crumbled queso fresco
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk 6 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, salt and sugar together until emulsified; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, brush zucchini slices with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until slightly tender, making sure dark grill marks are on both sides. Let cool for 5 minutes.
3. In a serving bowl, layer zucchini slices with avocado slices. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with queso fresco and cilantro.

Step-By-Step Instructions

First, roughly sliced your zucchini into thick slices. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roughly chop the cilantro and set aside. Slice avocados and set aside. Make the dressing: whisk together 6 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar, salt and sugar until everything is emulsified. Set aside.

Look at those char marks! Grill your zucchini slices over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Take off the grill and let cool for 5 minutes.

Assemble the salad: In a large bowl or serving platter, layer the zucchini slices with the avocado. Drizzle vinaigrette over the top and sprinkle with salt. Sprinkle crumbled queso fresco and cilantro over the top. Serve warm!

I’m terrible at slicing avocados, so my salad bowl was a little more haphazardly put together. Nobody seemed to mind, though, as the salad was gone in minutes!