Despite being mostly vegetarian, we barbecue A LOT during the summer. Why wouldn’t you?! Everything tastes wonderful, we get to eat our dinner in the garden, and it prevents the kitchen from turning into a furnace. Lovely. Grilled vegetables are among our favourites!
Kipper LOVES eating outside, and is always keen to barbecue. If there’s aubergine (eggplant) on there – her all-time favourite vegetable – then so much the better.
Other regular features on our barbecue are sliced courgettes, peppers and flat mushrooms, simply brushed with olive oil before grilling. Delicious, yes, but starting to get a bit samey.
Hence, I decided to try and mix it up a bit, by incorporating the chargrilled aubergines and peppers into a layered salad with baby leaves and diced cucumber and tomatoes. A herby, olivey dressing drizzled down over the grilled vegetables, and made everything super-delicious.
This was really simplicity itself to make, and DH raved about it. Here, have a look…
Looks delicious, doesn’t it?!
It was so good, that even when barbecue season ends (soon!) I’ll continue making this in the kitchen, using my trusty griddle pan instead of the barbie. It will be a wonderful way to extend the summer on into autumn, and maybe even winter. A reminder of sunny summer days as the nights draw in.
You can make this salad as I have, in layers, or you can serve the grilled vegetables separately from the leaves, cucumber and tomatoes, and let your diners assemble it themselves. The black olive dressing is amazing with both elements, and is also good enough to make on its own. Try it over whatever leafy salad you’re having – you won’t be disappointed.
We cleared this whole platter between the three of us, as a side dish. It’s fabulous!
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- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 6-8cm cucumber
- 3 spring onions
- 1 tbsp chopped basil leaves
- 1 aubergine (eggplant)
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 200ml olive oil
- 100g bag mixed salad leaves
- 1.5 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 0.5-1 tsp black olive tapenade (olive paste)
- Pinch ground black pepper
- Halve the cherry tomatoes and place in a bowl. Dice the cucumber, trim and slice the spring onions, and add both to the tomatoes. Add the basil and toss everything gently together. Set aside.
- Cut the aubergine into 1cm thick slices. Remove the stalks, seeds and membranes from the peppers and cut into 3-4 pieces each. Brush all the vegetable slices liberally with the olive oil.
- Cook the vegetables on a barbecue or hot griddle pan until cooked through and starting to scorch.
- Arrange the salad leaves on a serving platter. Place the grilled vegetables on top of the leaves, then spoon the tomato mixture over the top.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Serve immediately.
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This looks awesomely refreshing!
Thanks! It’s really super-tasty!
I love BBQed veggies, so delicious. I think it is so easy to focus on meat and to forget the sides.
Yes. We love veggies on the barbecue. Sometimes don’t bother with the meat at all!
Oh how I wish I had a garden so I could BBQ everyday. Vegetables charred like this have a flavour like no other! I try with a grill but not the same. Looks healthy and delicious, top marks!!
Thanks Ceri! I find a hot griddle pan better than the grill for indoor ‘barbecueing’. H x.
This looks gorgeous Helen – I’m so keen to come up with good ways to make use of the barbecue for me, so I’m sure I will give this a try!
Thanks! There’s so much you can cook on the barbecue that isn’t meat. Whatever you throw on there tastes smokey and delicious. Love it!