Side Dish

Grilled Zucchini and Corn Salad with Pea Shoots

June 4, 2020 /

During Memorial Day Weekend, you may have seen my Instagram post about ribs. I entered them into a local recipe competition. Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but I am grateful I tried. I had a great time bonding with my husband and trying out a few new ideas and food products. We put to use our new smoker and tried two different rib recipes.

So, what did we serve with all of these ribs?

This Grilled Zucchini and Corn Salad!

This salad was simple to make and nutritious. I knew we wanted something seasonal to eat for our side dish, so I swung by our local farmers market for the vegetables.

About Pea Shoots

If you haven’t tried pea shoots before, I recommend adding them to your salad or stir-fry repertoire – especially during the early summer months when in season. Pea shoots are harvested from the pea plant. They are delicate and tender, making them a refreshing alternative to other lettuce types.

Mise En Place

  • 4 Ears of Corn – Shucked and Washed
  • 2 Zucchinis- Cut in half lengthwise
  • 3-4 handfuls of Pea Sprouts- rinsed and dried
  • Fresh Herbs- I used parsley
  • 1 or 2 Limes- Juiced
  • 1 Can of Chickpeas- rinsed and drained
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil- for grilling and to make the vinaigrette
  • Salt and Pepper

To make the salad, first grill lightly oiled zucchini and corn over medium-high heat. Only grill each side for 2-3 minutes just to get a char on the vegetables. Once Zucchini and Corn have cooled enough to handle, dice zucchini into bite size pieces and cut corn kernels from cob.

Place half of pea shoots on your serving platter. In a separate bowl, combine remaining peashoots, chickeas, parsley, zucchini, and corn. Drizzle in 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and juice of 1 lime. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to together the ingredients. If the salad is too dry, you can add more oil or lime juice. If you feel it needs more seasoning, add more herbs and salt or pepper.

Spoon the dressed salad on top of the plain peashoots and serve.

All In All

For this salad, I liked the combination of the light greens, sweetness from the corn, fresh herbs, and charred grill flavors. The addition of the chickpeas is optional, but it made it more filling and textural. The vinaigrette is light and straightforward.

Here’s the recipe below…

Grilled Zucchini and Corn Salad with Pea Shoots

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Ears fresh corn Shucked
  • 2 Zucchinis Cut in half length wise
  • 3-4 handfuls Fresh Pea Sprouts Divided
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Plus more for grilling
  • 1-2 Small Limes Juiced
  • 1 Can chickpeas Rinsed and Drained
  • 3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley Chopped
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions
 

Grill Corn and Zucchini

  • Preheat grill to medium-high. Lightly brush corn and zucchini with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill corn and zucchini until lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside to cool.

Construct Salad

  • Once Zucchini and Corn have cooled enough to handle, dice zucchini into bite size pieces and cut corn kernels from cob.
  • Place half of pea shoots on your serving platter. In a separate bowl, combine remaining peashoots, chickeas, parsley, zucchini, and corn. Drizzle in 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and juice of 1 lime. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. If desired, add additional lime juice, herbs and more seasoning.
  • Spoon the dressed salad on top of the plain peashoots and serve.

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