Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad

5 from 3 votes

Charred corn, zucchini, scallions, and jalapeño are tossed with crisp romaine, creamy avocado, and a tangy feta herb dressing for an easy summer salad.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

4 ears corn on the cob shucked and silk removed
2 zucchini cut into ½ inch rounds
1 bunch scallions ends trimmed
1 jalapeño stem removed
3 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the Dressing

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
⅓ cup olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup snipped fresh chives
¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro
1 head romaine lettuce cut into 1 inch pieces
2 avocados, sliced or diced

Instructions

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the corn, zucchini, scallions, and jalapeño with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until corn kernels are browned in spots, zucchini has grill marks, and the scallions and jalapeño are charred all over and tender, roughly 8-10 minutes. Transfer all the vegetables to a cutting board and let cool. Cut the corn kernels off the cob once cool enough to handle. Cut the zucchini into bite-sized pieces along with the scallions.
In a blender, combine feta with olive oil, charred jalapeño, lemon zest and juice, and garlic. Fold in chives and cilantro. If the dressing is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water to thin the dressing as needed until it has a similar consistency to ranch. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, corn, zucchini, scallions, and avocado. Toss with ½ of the dressing and add more as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Notes

Get the grill screaming hot before anything goes on it. Medium-high heat is non-negotiable for proper char on corn and zucchini. A cool grill steams the vegetables instead of caramelizing them, and you lose all that smoky sweetness that makes this salad special.
Dry the zucchini rounds with paper towels before oiling them. Zucchini has a high water content, and surface moisture creates steam on the grill rather than a sear. Patting them dry first ensures you get those clean grill marks and a slightly firmer texture that holds up in the salad.
Grill the corn directly on the grates without foil or husks. Direct exposure to the grill flame is what creates the browned, lightly charred kernels that give this salad its signature smokiness. Foil traps steam and essentially boils the corn, which is the opposite of what you want here.
Let all the grilled vegetables cool completely before cutting. Cutting hot zucchini causes it to fall apart and lose its shape. Letting everything cool also allows residual steam to escape, so your vegetables stay firm and do not wilt the romaine when the salad is tossed.
Blend the jalapeño into the dressing while it is still warm from the grill. The charred jalapeño is the backbone of this dressing, and blending it warm helps it emulsify more smoothly into the olive oil and feta. It also intensifies the smoky, roasted pepper flavor throughout the entire dressing.
Add water to the dressing one tablespoon at a time, not all at once. Feta and olive oil create a very thick base, and over-thinning the dressing is easy to do and impossible to undo. Adding water gradually and blending between additions gives you full control over the final consistency.
Fold the chives and cilantro in by hand after blending; do not blend them in. Blending fresh herbs turns them gray and muted in both color and flavor. Folding them in after the fact keeps the herbs bright green and fresh-tasting, which contrasts beautifully against the smoky, blended base of the dressing.
Slice the avocado last, right before tossing the salad. Avocado oxidizes quickly once cut, and even a short wait turns it brown and unappetizing. Cutting it at the very last moment ensures vibrant, creamy slices that look as good as they taste.
Dress the salad in two stages, starting with only half the dressing. The amount of dressing needed varies depending on how much char and moisture your vegetables picked up on the grill. Starting with half and tasting before adding more prevents an overdressed, soggy salad.
Cut the zucchini on a slight diagonal after grilling for better texture and presentation. Cutting on a bias gives each piece more surface area to absorb the dressing and creates a more interesting shape in the bowl. It also makes the zucchini feel more intentional and less like an afterthought in the salad.
Season the vegetables with salt immediately after brushing with olive oil, before they hit the grill. Salting before grilling draws a tiny amount of moisture to the surface, which then caramelizes on contact with the hot grates. This creates a more deeply seasoned, flavorful crust on each piece of zucchini

Nutrition (estimated)