Spanish Grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Salad Recipe
This salad is Spain’s answer to summer grilling: colorful vegetables, lightly charred on the edges, soft goat cheese, and good olive oil. In Spain, similar vegetable mixes often appear on the table in the evening, when it’s cooler and the family gathers for a relaxed dinner. It tastes a bit like a cross between an Italian grilled vegetable salad and French ratatouille, but in a lighter, more “olive-oil-forward” version.
This salad combines the smoky flavor of grilled vegetables with creamy goat cheese and aromatic olive oil, bringing a relaxed Spanish evening atmosphere to your table. It’s light yet satisfying, and works both as a main dish and as a side for grilled meats or fish.
Chef's tips
Don’t rush the grilling: let the vegetables get lightly charred on the edges, as this gives the salad its characteristic flavor. Use the best olive oil you have, because its taste is very noticeable here. If the goat cheese is very salty, reduce the amount of salt in the dressing.
How to serve
Serve on a large platter in the middle of the table so everyone can help themselves. Add a bowl of olives and a plate of good bread on the side. For a more filling meal, you can serve the salad with grilled chicken breast or baked fish.
Ingredients
- bell pepper preferably red and yellow, cut into strips - 2 pieces
- zucchini cut into slices about 0.5 cm thick - 1 piece
- eggplant cut into slices about 0.5 cm thick - 1 piece
- onion cut into thick wedges - 1 piece
- goat cheese soft or semi-hard, crumbled - 120 g
- olive oil good quality, with a pronounced flavor - 4 tablespoons
- wine vinegar white or red - 1.5 tablespoons
- garlic finely chopped or grated - 1 clove
- salt to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- parsley fresh, finely chopped - 2 tablespoons
- mixed salad leaves any mix of leaves, rinsed and dried - 80 g
Preparation
- Place the bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and onion in a bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt, and gently mix with your hands so the vegetables are lightly coated in oil.
- Heat a grill pan or a regular large frying pan over medium-high heat for about 2–3 minutes, until very hot.
- Place the vegetables in batches in a single layer on the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, until darker grill marks or lightly charred edges appear and the vegetables soften but do not fall apart.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large bowl and leave for a few minutes to cool slightly.
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the wine vinegar, chopped garlic, a pinch of salt, and pepper until the dressing is smooth.
- Arrange the salad leaves on a large serving platter and place the grilled vegetables on top.
- Drizzle everything with the prepared dressing and gently toss with a spoon so the dressing reaches both the vegetables and the salad leaves.
- Finally, sprinkle the salad with crumbled goat cheese and chopped parsley, and serve immediately or after about 10 minutes, once the flavors have melded.
Storage
Przechowuj sałatkę w szczelnym pojemniku w lodówce, najlepiej bez liści sałaty, bo szybko więdną. Przed podaniem wyjmij na 15 minut z lodówki, aby warzywa nie były lodowate.
