Muy Bueno: Fiestas 
Grilled Summer Squash, Avocado, and Feta Salad with White Vinaigrette
I have been craving the flavors of summer so I grilled summer squash, added slices of avocados, and sprinkled this dish with Président Cheese feta crumbles. I love this salad because it tastes great warm or at room temperature. I also grilled some tri-tip steak and this salad made an ideal side dish.
When President Cheese contacted me to develop a recipe I kept the secret to myself for a few days. I wanted to surprise my daughter who is a li’l cheese connoisseur. On delivery day I asked her to check the refrigerator in the garage and you would have thought she won the lottery — she squealed in delight as she admired the variety of cheeses. She truly was in heaven. She was so excited and was ready to taste them all. She just couldn’t wait, so we compromised and made crostinis drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette and spread creamy and mild fresh goat cheese as we prepped dinner together.
This salad is super easy to make and full of flavor. The addition of fresh mint is light and gives this dish an added dimension of flavor that compliments the summer squash and creamy avocados, and the tart and salty crumbled feta pairs wonderfully. This salad drizzled in homemade fresh herb vinaigrette screams warm weather.
If you’d like to enter to win $50 worth of your own Président Cheese, visit the new ArtOfCheese.com website, where you can download a coupon and enter the Pinterest sweepstakes or follow the conversation on social media by searching for the hashtag #ArtOfCheese.
Grilled Summer Squash, Avocado, and Feta Salad with White Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 2 shallots, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 8 fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon spicy yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup distilled vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
Salad:
- 1 yellow onion, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 green zucchini, cut on the diagonal
- 2 yellow squash, cut on the diagonal
- 2 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
- 10 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 2/3 cup crumbled feta crumbles
- 1/3 cup White Vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- White Vinaigrette:
- In a blender, combine all the ingredients until finely chopped, not puréed. Season with salt and pepper.
- Any remaining vinaigrette can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days and should be brought up to room temperature before using.
- Grilled Summer Squash, Avocado, and Feta Salad:
- Preheat a grill or ridged griddle pan, until very hot. Drizzle the onion rings with a little olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. In a bowl, toss the zucchini and squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill all the vegetables until the onions are softened and zucchini and squash are nicely char-marked.
- In a large bowl, combine all the grilled vegetables (pull the onions apart into rings), dill, mint, oregano, and thyme.
- Toss with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette to coat and adding more vinaigrette, if desired. Season with sea salt and toss again.
- Scatter avocado slices and feta over the top.
Notes
- This salad tastes great warm or at room temperature.
- It also makes for an ideal side dish for steak or grilled fish.
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Disclosure: This post is in partnership with President Cheese, but all my opinions are my own.
2 Comments on “Grilled Summer Squash, Avocado, and Feta Salad with White Vinaigrette”
The salad looks so good, yes I can hear Maya getting excited about the cheeses. She loves her cheese alright.
That salad is so beautiful!