Recipe of the Week: Grilled Vegetable Salad with Pepper Coulis
“Salute” is the Italian term used to wish you good health. Discover how to eat a healthier diet and how to cut out calories without losing flavor with this delicious grilled vegetable salad. Take advantage of the season’s best vegetables and buy a variety of fresh herbs next time you shop at your local farmers market. Vegetables lend themselves perfectly to a great variety of cooking preparations. Grilled vegetables are delicious and super flavorful and they require little consuming preparation. Serves eight. (Chef tip: Preheat your grill to medium heat. Make sure it is clean and brush with oil. Brush vegetable lightly with your prepared vinaigrette. Sear vegetables on both sides them move them to a cooler area of the grill without any direct flame heat. I like to use a grill basket to prevent loosing my smaller vegetable pieces.)
Pepper pesto:
2 small red pepper, roasted, peeled and diced
4 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegetable stock
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Grilled vegetable salad:
16 asparagus, trimmed
4 portobello mushroom caps
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
To prepare red pepper pesto, place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to achieve a flavorful, compote-like texture. Puree in a food processor and set aside.
Preheat grill to medium-high. To prepare vinaigrette, combine ingredients in a large bowl; whisk well and set aside.
To prepare vegetables, brush asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, onion, and bell pepper with vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place vegetables on grill rack; grill on each side or until slightly soft. Remove vegetables from grill; cool slightly. Place grilled vegetable on a large platter.
Serve grilled vegetable with pepper pesto sauce.