Grilled Ratatouille Salad

{updated from the TasteFood archives}
  
Grilled Salad?  You bet. This version of Ratatouille is perfect in the summer when the season is lobbing a kaleidescope of Provençal vegetables our way. Instead of simmering eggplant, squash, onions and peppers with tomatoes on the stove in the traditional Niçoise fashion, try grilling all of them on the barbeque.  Bright, colorful, and pleasantly charred, Grilled Ratatouille Salad is a healthy, summery side dish or salad.  Serve as an accompaniment to grilled meats and fish or as a smoky, crunchy stand-alone salad with crusty pain paysan. Alternatively, head further south in the Mediterranean for inspiration and add feta cheese and kalamata olives for a twist on Greek salad.

 

Grilled Ratatouille Salad
Serves 6 as a side dish

2-3 bamboo skewers

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 large, firm eggplant/aubergine, cut horizontally in 1/2" thick slices
2 large red onions, cut horizontally in 1/2" thick slices
2 thin zucchini/courgettes, halved lengthwise
2 thin yellow squash, halved lengthwise
2 red peppers, halved, seeded, stems removed
1 poblano pepper, halved, seeded, stem removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves minced
1 small bunch Italian parsley leaves, stems removed, chopped
1 small bunch basil leaves, ripped in half 

Soak skewers 30 minutes before grilling.  Preheat grill or oven. Thread tomatoes on skewers.  Arrange all the vegetables and tomato skewers on a large baking sheet.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat thoroughly.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill vegetables on barbeque until nicely browned and just cooked through. (Or grill in one layer in oven, turning once.) Transfer to platter; allow vegetables to cool slightly. Remove tomatoes from skewers and place in large bowl. Cut eggplant, onions, zucchini, squash and peppers in 1" pieces. Add to bowl with tomatoes.  Toss vegetables with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, parsley, basil. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with extra parsley and basil leaves.

If you like this, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

Fried Zucchini Flowers with Three Cheeses

Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches with Basil and Tomato Coulis

Provençal Vegetable Tian with Goat Cheese and Basil Coulis

or these delicious ratatouille recipes from the foodblogs: 

Italian Sausages with Ratatouille from Simply Recipes
Stacked Ratatouille from A Veggie Venture
Ratatouille on Broiled Polenta with Baby Greens from Gluten-Free Goddess
Ratatouille Crepes with Goat Cheese from Yum Sugar

 

Comments

[Joan Nova]

Why not?! Looks great. I recently made (but did not post yet) a grilled salad with fennel and oranges, etc. Gotta put on new spin on things to keep them interesting, right?