Discover the ultimate BBQ charred lettuce salad with black pepper-crusted vegan goat's cheese, tender new potatoes, asparagus, peas and fresh herbs. It's an easy vegan summer salad that's perfect for barbecues, picnics and al fresco dining. Get the recipe below.
I love taking simple seasonal vegetables and giving them the smoky treatment on the barbecue. This BBQ charred lettuce salad transforms everyday ingredients into a vibrant, flavour-packed dish thanks to the heat of the BBQ.
Grilling lettuce might sound unusual, but it creates beautifully caramelised edges while keeping the centre crisp and fresh. Combined with buttery new potatoes, sweet garden peas, tender asparagus and fragrant herbs, every bite is full of contrasting textures and fresh seasonal flavours.
The star of the salad is undoubtedly the pepper-encrusted vegan goat's cheese. Creamy, tangy and gently warmed by the residual heat of the salad, it adds richness that perfectly balances the smoky vegetables and bright herbs. If you can't get black pepper-encrusted vegan goats cheese it's not the end of the world. Regular vegan goats cheese or even vegan feta would work well. If you want to buy the cheese I've used, you can buy it directly from I am Nut OK and a few other online stores.
Whether you're looking for an impressive vegan BBQ side dish or a satisfying main course salad, this recipe celebrates the very best of summer produce. It's naturally dairy-free, full of colour and surprisingly easy to prepare.
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Ingredients
You'll want the best summer produce for this recipe:
For the salad
- New potatoes
- Asparagus
- Garden peas (fresh or frozen)
- Little Gem lettuces
- Vegan goat's cheese
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh dill
- Oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
Overview of the steps
- Boil the new potatoes, drain and leave to steam dry.
- Blanch the asparagus and peas in boiling water before transferring to iced water. Drain thoroughly.
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
- Brush the lettuce wedges lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat your barbecue and grill the lettuce cut-side down until lightly charred.
- Lightly grill the asparagus for extra smoky flavour.
- Arrange the vegetables on to your serving platter.
- Scatter over the herbs before adding the pepper-encrusted vegan goat's cheese.
- Drizzle generously with the dressing and season.
Hint: Allow the potatoes to cool slightly before dressing them. Warm potatoes absorb flavour far better than cold ones, resulting in a much tastier salad!
Substitutions
Need to make some tweaks to this recipe? Don't worry, you can make the following substitutions without compromising on taste:
- Green veggies: replace asparagus with tenderstem broccoli.
- Peas: swap peas for broad beans.
- Lettuce: use romaine or cos lettuce.
- Herbs: replace dill with mint, chives or basil.
- Cheese: try a vegan feta if vegan goat's cheese isn't available.
- Potatoes: use baby potatoes if new potatoes are out of season.
Variations
Make this recipe your own with one or more of these variations:
- Add protein: top with grilled tofu, tempeh or BBQ chickpeas.
- Mediterranean style: add olives, roasted peppers and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Nutty crunch: sprinkle with toasted walnuts, almonds or pine nuts.
- Extra greens: include rocket, spinach or watercress.
Equipment
Get your kitchen equipment at the ready and fire up the BBQ! You're going to need:
- Large saucepan
- BBQ or grill
- Tongs
- Mixing bowl
- Small whisk
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
Storage
In all honest, this salad is best enjoyed fresh and I don't recommend making it ahead of time.
If you do have leftovers:
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Keep the dressing separate if possible.
Expert tips
- Dry the lettuce well before grilling to encourage beautiful char marks.
- Steam-dry the potatoes after boiling to help them absorb the dressing.
- Use fresh herbs generously. They're key to the bright, summery flavour.
- Finish with flaky sea salt just before serving.
- Grill over medium-high rather than high heat to prevent burning.
- Don't overcook the lettuce on the barbecue. Two to three minutes is enough to develop smoky char marks while keeping the leaves crisp and refreshing.
Frequently asked questions
I don't recommend it. But, if you must, prepare the potatoes, asparagus, peas and dressing in advance, then grill the lettuce and assemble everything just before serving.
Absolutely. A griddle pan or cast-iron skillet works brilliantly if the weather isn't suitable for barbecuing.
Choose a firm, sliceable vegan goat's cheese with a tangy flavour and pepper crust. It will hold its shape beautifully in the salad.
Yes. It's delicious served warm, at room temperature or chilled.
The recipe
BBQ Charred Lettuce Salad with Vegan Goat's Cheese, New Potatoes & Asparagus
Equipment
- large saucepan
- BBQ or grill
- Mixing bowl
- Small whisk
- chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Tongs
Ingredients
For the salad
- 500 g new potatoes cut in half or quarters depending on the size
- 250 g asparagus woody stems removed
- 150 g peas
- 2 Little Gem lettuces cut into wedges
- 200 g vegan goat's cheese cut into slices
- 1 bunch parsley roughly chopped
- 1 bunch dill roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
For the dressing
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the new potatoes in salted water for 15–20 minutes until just tender. Drain well and leave to steam dry.
- Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus and peas in boiling water for 2–3 minutes before transferring immediately to iced water. Drain thoroughly.
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients until smooth and well combined.
- Brush the lettuce wedges lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat your barbecue to a medium-high heat. Grill the lettuce cut-side down for 2–3 minutes until lightly charred but still crisp. Remove carefully.
- Lightly grill the asparagus for 1 minute to add extra smoky flavour.
- Arrange the charred lettuce on a large serving platter. Add the potatoes, asparagus and peas.
- Scatter over the chopped parsley and dill before nestling chunks of pepper-encrusted vegan goat's cheese throughout the salad.
- Drizzle generously with the lemon dressing and finish with an extra grind of black pepper.
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