Name: Grilled Corn & Zucchini Burrata Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 medium-large zucchini (halved); 2-3 large ears or corn (husked); 4-6 cups arugula (loosely packed); 8 ounces burrata ((2 / 4oz balls)); ½ medium red onion (quartered lengthwise, ends attached); ½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes (halved); nonstick cooking spray; ½ cup panko bread crumbs; ¼ cup pistachios (roasted, lightly salted); ¼ cup parmesan (shaved); sea salt (to taste); cracked black pepper (to taste); ¼ cup basil leaves (loosely packed); Lemon Garlic Vinegerette ((see recipe below))

^{Warning!!! The dressing and crumb topping on this may be some of the best!!! Prepare for addiction! If this doesn’t scream summer salad, I don’t know what does! My favorite summer comfort food, grilled zucchini, gets all jazzed up with sweet corn, arugula, juicy tomatoes and decadent bundles of burrata cheese! Your vegetarian friends will be praising you for this!}

I’ve been sitting around, trying to convince myself to make a recipe that included burrata. It’s been a whole year since I was introduced to this cheese at a local wine bar and I had to have it again! It’s also my favorite time of year for grilled vegetables, so here it goes. Grilled zucchini, grilled corn, bursting tomatoes and arugula – all snuggled around smooth and creamy balls of burrata. Boom! Summer has arrived and this salad is going to become your everything!

Patio parties and get togethers in the warmer months of the year are special and super relaxing (in Florida, that’s ten months out of the year to be exact). There’s nothing better than opening a bottle of wine with friends outside while the grill is going and appetizers are flooding the table. A chill, relaxing evening over a few cheese-inspired recipes is where you can find me on a late June night.

What I think about the most in summer is zucchini though. Grilled zucchini to be specific. I’ve talked a lot about the significance it had with my family and our tomato and zucchini garden. I looked forward to it every year ESPECIALLY grilled and served hot! I’ve most recently developed a joy for grilled corn. How this happened? I don’t know but it’s working for me and it adds a wonderful pop of sweetness to any dish. The one other thing I know is better in the summer are little cherry or grape tomatoes!

So why not add them all together and make a special salad that pretty much all your guests will enjoy? This salad brings so many memories to life and makes me think of summer nights at home. Now getting to share it with close friends and family over a bottle of white wine or prosecco is even more relaxing and comforting.

This is my idea of a perfect summer dish and just pure comfort food. Weird, I know! It has so much flavor but also is light, healthy and still pretty elegant. Even better if you have all the vegetables in your garden in their natural freshest form!

So next time you’re struggling to get creative for a patio dinner party, think about this classy, simple and lean dish. It’s perfect as an appetizer, side salad or even the main entree for those who don’t want meat for dinner. If nothing else, IT’S GORGEOUS! Even those who didn’t think they wanted to indulge in vegetables will be itching to try this plate!

The crumb topping on this is probably what makes this whole recipe amazing. I definitely ate more of that directly from the pan than on the actual salad!

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Grilled Corn & Zucchini Burrata Salad

Print Recipe

Warning!!! The dressing and crumb topping on this may be some of the best!!! Prepare for addiction! If this doesn’t scream summer salad, I don’t know what does! My favorite summer comfort food, grilled zucchini, gets all jazzed up with sweet corn, arugula, juicy tomatoes and decadent bundles of burrata cheese! Your vegetarian friends will be praising you for this!

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Total Time:45 mins

Ingredients

3 medium-large zucchini halved
2-3 large ears or corn husked
4-6 cups arugula loosely packed
8 ounces burrata (2 / 4oz balls)
½ medium red onion quartered lengthwise, ends attached
½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
nonstick cooking spray
½ cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup pistachios roasted, lightly salted
¼ cup parmesan shaved
sea salt to taste
cracked black pepper to taste
¼ cup basil leaves loosely packed
Lemon Garlic Vinegerette (see recipe below)

Instructions

Follow instructions below for dressing before starting.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Husk corn and let boil for 4-5 minutes. Remove and dry.
Preheat grill to high heat.
Slice zucchini in half. Once the grill is completely heated and greased down, add zucchini, flat side down and cook for 3-4 minutes until they develop dark grill marks. Also add the corn at this time.
Flip zucchini over and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove, let cool slightly and add sea salt and cracked black pepper. For the corn, allow 2-3 minutes on each side of the corn, flipping about 3 times. Remove and let cool slightly. Add salt and pepper.
Cut all the corn off the husk and roughly chop the zucchini into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
In a cast iron skillet or frying pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and bring pan to medium-high heat. Place the onions in the pan and let cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Add tomatoes right at the end for a quick cook. Set aside and add salt and pepper. Add drained burrata in the pan. As the pan cools, the burrata will heat up and soften. Do not let it melt. Remove from pan and set on a serving tray after a minute or two.
On that same serving platter, add arugula, corn, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, parmesan cheese and then drizzle with a little of the Lemon Garlic Dressing.
In a medium sauce pan, spray with nonstick cooking spray and bring pan to medium heat. Add panko bread crumbs and carefully toast for 1-3 minutes until golden brown and then set aside. In a food processor, blend and breakdown the pistachios until they are the same consistancy as the panko. Add into the panko pan and combine.
Sprinkle over the top of the salad at the very end and then garnish with basil leaves.

Notes

How long does it last and where?

If you add the grilled zucchini and grilled corn to the arugula after it’s completely cooled then there’s a better chance that the arugula won’t wilt as quickly. That would mean that this can last in the fridge for another day or so.

I think this salad is better warm with the arugula added right when you’re ready to serve it. You can also have the arugula on the side and allow guests to add it to the salad as they choose but then you’re not getting that amazing presentation.

Can you freeze it?

Nope! This belongs nowhere near the freezer.

Substitutions?

If you don’t want to use burrata you can certainly use chunks of feta, blue cheese, fresh mozzarella or even goat cheese. I would even check out my recipe for fresh, homemade ricotta and just dollop the ricotta around the plate.

Arugula is the best green for this, in my opinion, only because it has such a robust flavor and holds up well with the weighted ingredients. You could, however, use roasted, chopped baby kale or a dark, hearty leafy green instead.

For the crumb topping, you can grind up any sort of nut for crunch or use only toasted Panko. Crusty bread dried into croutons also will add an additional texture to this plate. Or cut out the crumbs all together and serve with toasted bread. Or both! Why not?

Tips and Tricks

For a great grilled flavor and those stunning grill marks, make sure the corn and zucchini are both dry and wait to salt them once they come off the grill. You want to avoid any opportunity for them to steam and make mushy vegetables.

You do want the zucchini and corn to be slightly warm. Cold is fine but fresh off the grill with a little resting time is best. In order to make sure the arugula doesn’t wilt too fast, add it right before serving the salad. Spoon on just a little of the dressing and then allow guests to add to their individual plates if desired.

The toasted panko and nuts at the end just add a fun texture to the recipe. Make sure that you’re watching the crumbs as you toast them ever so slightly or else they will burn before you can even say “done!”.

What to serve with it?

Serve with grilled or toasted baguette slices! (Nutritional information does not include the calorie count for the bread)

White wine! A nice chilled bottle of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or even pinot grigio would be amazing with this dish. Or if you’re anything like me and can always find an occasion for some bubbly, this is a great recipe to get some champagne flowing!

A nice addition to this meal would be my roasted cherry tomatoes or even some marinated mushrooms! All light and earthy plates that will go great at an outdoor dinner party.

I could also see this as a nice side to grilled chicken or fish (even though cheese and fish should never go together…says no one that I hang out with).

Nutrition

Course: Appetizer, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Other

Keyword: Cheese, Dressing, Easter, Salad, Vegetable, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 333kcal

And let’s not forget this INCREDIBLE dressing!!!! Omg!!!! Write this down now because this citrusy, light and classic vinaigrette is now your number one in the salad dressing department! It’s super easy and so versatile in so many recipes!!!