Fresh Grilled Vegetable Spring Salad

When spring is in the air and you’re looking for side dishes full of color and crunch, try this fresh spring salad recipe with lightly grilled vegetables.

What are spring vegetables?

Fruits and vegetables all have their peak seasons when they are at their best.

In the spring, there is an array of veggies that grow well in the slightly cooler temperatures like asparagus, snap peas and radishes.

As the summer heat rolls in, more sturdy veggies like cauliflower and zucchini come into season. Once autumn arrives, we turn to corn and winter squashes.

In the U.S., we’re quite fortunate because we can find most vegetables all year round. But my favorite time to make a fresh spring salad is actually in the spring when I’m ready to break free from pot roast and chili and enjoy light, bright salads.

And to make the salad even better, I lightly grill the veggies for added flavor, taste and texture.

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Ingredients

The key to a beautiful spring green salad is to use fresh ingredients.

• Broccolini: Unlike broccoli, which has a thick stalk, broccolini is thin and more tender.
• Thin Asparagus: Look for the thin stalks. They are more tender and grill up really quickly.
• Snap Peas: Make sure you look for the peas that are more rounded, not the flat ones. Those are snow peas. The snap peas have actually little balls of fresh peas inside.
• Green Apple: Added for crunch and a little sweetness.
• Red Radish: These provide a beautiful pop of red color plus a crisp crunch.
• Baby Kale or Baby Spinach: You can make this beautiful salad with any type of fresh salad greens, but I prefer the light tender lettuce from baby kale or spinach.
• Alabama White Sauce: This simple dressing is also a BBQ sauce. It’s mayonnaise based and has a tart, peppery zing.
• Olive oil, salt and pepper: Used to season and grill the veggies.

Substitutions: Alabama white sauce or blue cheese dressing are great options for this salad, but feel free to use your favorite dressing or just a simple splash of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. 

If you don't like radishes, but still want a pop of red, consider tossing in some cherry tomatoes, sweet strawberries or diced or grilled red onions.

See the full recipe card below for servings and a full list of ingredients.

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This recipe can be prepared on a charcoal grill, gas grill or pellet grill. Heat your grill to medium-high heat (375F degrees). As an alternative, heat a grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat.

1. STEP ONE: Rinse all of the vegetables under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the leaves from the stems of the broccolini.

2. STEP TWO: Place the broccolini, asparagus and snap peas on a pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper.

3. STEP THREE: Place the vegetables on the grill over direct heat. To keep the veggies from falling through the cracks, place them so they run in the opposite direction as the grill grates. Grill for 4 minutes.

For the broccolini and asparagus, carefully flip the vegetables halfway through the cook.

There is no need to flip the snap peas. You want them to still be partially raw, so they are still bright green and have a nice snap.

4. STEP FOUR: For the broccolini, remove the florets from the stems and discard the stems. For the asparagus, cut off about 2 inches of the bottom woody stems and discard. Slice the rest of the asparagus into smaller 1-inch pieces.

5. STEP FIVE: For the green apple, remove the skin and dice it into small cubes. Slice the radish in half and cut it into thin slices.

6. STEP SIX: Place the kale or spinach in a large salad bowl. Keep all of the ingredients separate until you’re ready to serve the spring salad. This will keep everything crisp longer.

7. STEP SEVEN: Toss the kale with 1/4 cup of dressing. Layer in the grilled crunchy veggies, diced green apples and sliced radish. Drizzle with 1-2 more tablespoons of dressing.

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How to serve spring salad

Spring salad with fresh grilled vegetables is great as a light meal all on its own, but it also makes a terrific side salad for with lunch or dinner. It’s especially festive for Easter.

If everyone you’re serving can agree on one dressing, toss the salad right before serving. If you have diners who like different options or have specific dietary needs, just toss in the veggies and let them add their own dressing.

For a simple dinner idea, add protein to the salad, like chopped hard-boiled eggs, sliced grilled chicken breast, feta cheese, creamy goat cheese or fresh mozzarella to turn this into a main dish.

For even more substance, toss in some cooked pasta noodles or chickpeas.

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Storage

This easy spring salad recipe is best eaten … well … fresh. You can store it overnight in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but once it’s tossed with dressing, the lettuce will start to get soggy within 24 hours.

If you need a make-ahead salad, grill all of the vegetables and keep things in separate containers. Then, when it’s time to serve the salad, toss everything together.

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