Grilled Vegetable Salad with Miso Dressing and Toasted Cashews

Perfect Pairing:  Ready Rice

I officially have spring fever.  Just a taste of sunshine and 50+ degree temperatures here in Chicago makes me want to grill, pick asparagus, clean my garage, and wash my windows.  The coming of spring also means my wedding is getting really, really close!  I am so incredibly excited!  I have been busy with plans and DIY projects.  We will see if ALL of the DIY projects actually happen.  Somehow the list keeps getting longer, not shorter.

I can’t wait to take the cover off of my grill!  I am getting tired of indoor cooking.  Baked or roasted meat is just not the same.  I also love grilled vegetables and make them at least once a week in grilling season. 

I made this fun salad for a picnic at Ravinia, an outdoor concert venue where we attended the Food Network festival.  I wanted to have a couple “scoopable” salads that were not your standard pasta, potato, or lettuce varieties.  This was so good.  It is a great combination of grilled vegetables, rice, and a simple miso dressing.  The toasted cashews put it over the top.

I used bell peppers, red onion, and Portobello mushrooms, but you could also use asparagus or other mushroom varieties.  The veggies are simply seasoned with salt and pepper and then cooked  until they have grill marks and are just tender. 

The veggies are cut into bite sized pieces and mixed with rice and the miso dressing.  I am loving miso.  Expect more miso recipes on here soon.  I used the Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice packet for this recipe.  So convenient!  Stir in some fresh basil and toasted cashews and you have an incredible salad.

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Miso Dressing and Toasted Cashews

Lindsay at Perfecting the Pairing

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 red onion
• 4 portabella mushroom caps
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tb white miso paste
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tb lime juice
• ½ tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tsp sesame oil or chile sesame oil
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 Tb plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups cooked Basmati or Jasmine Rice (I used 1 package of Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice)
• 1/3 cup cashews, toasted
• 6 basil leaves, julienned

Directions:

Heat the grill to medium high heat.  Prepare the vegetables for grilling.  Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the stems and seeds.  Remove the ends and outer layer of the red onion and cut into large rings.  Coat peppers, onion rings and mushroom caps with a thin layer of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill the vegetables, flipping occasionally, until lightly charred and tender.  This should take about 15-20 minutes.

Prepare the dressing by whisking the miso paste, vinegar, lime juice, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, honey, and yogurt.  Taste and adjust with honey (for sweetness) and miso paste (for saltiness) to taste. 

When the vegetables are done cut into large chunks and place in a bowl.  Add the rice and dressing, stir gently to combine.  Right before serving add the julienned basil and toasted cashews.  Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.  All are great!

Tweet