Grilled summer vegetables tossed with mixed greens, blue cheese, and a 4-ingredient pesto vinaigrette. A perfectly simple and delicious summer salad!
Well, we survived. 10 adults, 10 kids, 5 days, 1 house….and we all survived! You never know how things are going to go when the whole family gets together for a vacation. Will the kids sleep? Will the adults drive each other crazy? Will we all still be speaking to one another by the end of it? I’m happy to report that it all went well. In fact, we had a blast!
Now that we’ve been doing this for 6 years, we definitely have a sense of what to expect. A lot of time at the pool, a lot of games of Apples to Apples, a lot of chaos and commotion, a lot of fun…..and a LOT of food! Oh my goodness is there a LOT of food.
We’ve tried to cut back over the years by having each family just bring food for one meal. But if there’s one thing that’s true about my family, it’s that none of us wants anyone to go hungry. And we go out of our way to make sure there’s no chance of it! By the time we all get there the first night, the counter top is full of snacks, the refrigerator is packed to capacity, and there are enough coolers filled with ice and drinks to last us at least twice as long as we’ll be there.
Could we cut back even more? For sure. Every year we end up going home with at least 2/3 of the snacks and drinks we brought. But the truth is, we like to have options! And there are options aplenty. So many options that I have to restrain myself from eating ALL. day. long. To be honest, I was pretty proud of myself. I tried to stick with salads for most of my meals. Of course, it helps that I love myself a good salad……
One of my favorites right now? This Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad! It uses all the best summer veggies – peppers, zucchini, and sweet corn – and I love the contrast of grilled veggies over fresh greens. Of course, a salad just isn’t a salad without some delicious cheese….and I love the way the blue cheese pops. Top it off with a simple pesto vinaigrette dressing and you have yourself a salad that’s fresh, flavorful, and satisfying enough to keep you away from all the snacks. Or…..at least some of them.
Grilled Summer Vegetable Salad
Grilled summer vegetables tossed with mixed greens, blue cheese, and a 4-ingredient pesto vinaigrette. A perfectly simple and delicious summer salad!
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 1 cup zucchini, grilled and chopped
- 1 cup grilled corn, off the cob
- 1 cup red pepper, grilled and chopped
- 1/2 cup blue cheese
Dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons prepared pesto
- 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons. water
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare salad by layering vegetables on top of greens.
- Top with blue cheese.
- Prepare dressing by combining all ingredients in a small jar and shaking vigorously to mix.
- Drizzle salad with dressing and toss to combine.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 224Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 352mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g
Jess says
SO glad you guys had a fabuslous time – it sounds really fun! It goes by too quick though, don’t you think? We leave for Cape Cod this weekend and while I know it will fly by, we are more than looking forward to a great time together. I think I will bring the ingredients for this delicious salad – it would be a hit for certain! YUM!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
I never ever ever crave salad but after seeing this? I want it bad! And bringing food to bring home, lol. I just packed for LA for tomorrow and I know all of it will just come home with me!
Deb@+Cooking+on+the+Front+Burner says
I love salads too Cathy – this one is bursting with fresh flavors!
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
This salad has all kinds of delicious ingredients going on! Love it!
Rachael says
oh this sounds like the perfect summer lunch!! YUM!!
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
Yum! I’ve been on a salad kick this summer and this one looks perfect!
marcie says
This is just a bowl full of goodness — I could eat it all! 🙂
Stephanie says
This seriously looks amazing! And I’d pack the same way – kids need lots of food options! Ok, adults too 🙂
Tonia from TheGunnySack says
That looks amazingly delicious! I’m happy to hear that you had such a wonderful time!
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says
This is perfect for my celiac mother-in-law! Peppers bother her stomach as well, but I could easily add in something else (or more zucchini; everyone loves zucchini!)
Kelley says
Mmm.. these look great! I love a good summer salad. And so glad you survived the trip!
Michelle | A Latte Food says
A vacation isn’t a vacation without a little chaos, right? Haha! This meal looks amazing, Cathy!
Michelle @ Blackberry Babe says
Gorgeous healthy perfection!