Grape Salad

Have you ever grilled grapes? The results are amazing! This grape salad recipe combines savory and sweet ingredients in creamy, smoky maple dijon dressing.

I love grapes! I often freeze them for a sweet snack. Recently, though, I ordered a roasted cauliflower dish, that arrived with grilled red grapes. Skeptical, I tried them, and their flavor exploded in my mouth. So, I decided to grill grapes for my version of a grape salad. Although I included various vegetables, my grape salad recipe highlights the grilled grapes I fell in love with. 

Jump to:

• How to Prepare/Grill Grapes
• Grape Salad Ingredients
• Grape Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• Dressing ingredients
• Dressing Ingredient Substitutions
• Recipe FAQS
• Tips
• More Delicious Vegan Salad Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

When cooked, grapes transform into little balls of deep fruity flavor. The grape skin, slightly heated, encapsulates the taste, so when you bite into the grapes, they explode with flavor in your mouth. 

The flavor is almost indescribable, so I chose other salad ingredients to bring a savory component to compliment the sweetness of the grapes and other fruit I selected. My grape salad recipe is a sweet and savory salad with a smokey maple dijon dressing. 

How to Prepare/Grill Grapes

1. Believe it or not, grapes are easily threaded onto grilling skewers. Therefore, it is best to have them at room temperature before grilling or roasting to grill the grapes.
2. If the grapes are too cold, they will explode on the grill or in the oven, which I did the first time, haha! 
3. Thread them onto your grilling skewers once the grapes are at room temperature. One of my favorite grilling tools is my firewire, a flexible grilling skewer.
4. But any grilling skewers will work. Remember, however, that if you use wooden skewers, always soak them in water for a few hours, so foods slide off easily.

Despite popular belief, grapes, or any vegetable, DO NOT NEED OIL to roast or grill. The authentic flavor of fruits and vegetables is deeper when cooked without oil. 

1. Preheat the grill to medium temperature (400 degrees)
2. Once the grill is hot, all grape skewers.
3. Close the grill and cook for 4 minutes; flipping the skewers after every 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the grill and allow to cool slightly before removing grapes from the skewers.

And if you don't have a grill or the weather isn't conducive for grilling, no worries, you can roast grapes in the oven. 

Roasting Grape in the Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
3. Place grapes on the baking sheet
4. Cook for 15 minutes, until grapes begin to blister

Grape Salad Ingredients

Even though the grapes highlight this grape salad, I wanted to add additional flavors for a delicious entree salad. 

To add a savory component to my grape salad, I chose a combination of savory ingredients.

• Arugula: Unlike its mild salad green counterparts, arugula's flavor is described as peppery, spicy, and a bit nutty, which makes sense considering it's in the same family as mustard greens.
• Romaine Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is crisp, succulent, and crunchy with a mild, slightly bitter taste.
• Cauliflower: Roasted cauliflower tastes savory and delicious in this grape salad. It's the "meaty" component of the salad.
• Pickled Red Onions: Pickled red onions are tangy, sweet, and mild.
• Grilled Grapes: Grilled grapes taste like little balls of jam! They are fabulous and burst in your mouth.
• Cucumber: I used English cucumber because they have fewer seeds and are less watery, so as not to weigh the salad down or make it soggy.
• Pomegranate Seeds: Pomegranate arils taste like cranberries—fairly tart with a bit of sweetness underneath.
• Garlic Powder: The garlic powder is used to season the cauliflower before it is roasted.
• Raw Pecans (Optional): The raw pecan pieces are toasted in a pan and added to the salad for a crunchy topping. This ingredient, however, is optional.

Grape Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Dandelion greens have the same leafy texture as arugula but with a slightly milder taste.
• Substitute Romaine lettuce with red leaf lettuce or spinach.
• Broccoli is an excellent substitute for cauliflower in any recipe.
• Instead of pickled red onions, add raw red onions slices.
• Roast the grapes in the oven instead of grilling them. Choose green or black grapes, is red grapes aren't available.
• Persian cucumbers are similar to English cucumbers in recipes.
• Raspberries, cranberries, red currants, raisins, and cherries can all taste and texture similar to pomegranate seeds but with a unique flavor twist.
• Choose any seasoning you prefer to roast cauliflower.

Dressing ingredients

What goes best with savory and sweet? How about a creamy, smokey maple dijon dressing? One of my favorite ways to bring out the taste of fresh vegetables and fruits is to serve them with an oil-free delicious dressing. 

• Raw Cashews: Raw cashews provide creaminess in the dressing. Soak the cashews overnight, unless you have a quality high-speed blender.
• Water: Water is used to thin the dressing and acts as an emulsifier.
• Maple Syrup: Maple Syrup adds sweetness without adding refined sugar.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is tangy and acts as an emulsifier for the dressing.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar provides a robust flavor and acidity to te salad dressing.
• Liquid Smoke: I used hickory-flavored liquid smoke.

Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• For a nut-free option, choose silken tofu or white beans.
• Or, try using raw almonds, macadamia, or hazelnuts.
• Agave nectar or date syrup replace maple syrup in dressings.
• Stone-ground mustard is a natural substitute for Dijon mustard.
• Rice or champagne vinegar substitutes apple cider vinegar in recipes.
• Try a different flavor of liquid smoke. Or, if you don't have liquid smoke, add a little smoked paprika instead.

Recipe FAQS

Tips

• Allow the grilled grapes and roasted cauliflower to cool completely before adding to the other salad ingredients.
• The cauliflower and grapes can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• When using pickled red onions, I suggest laying them on paper towels to remove excess moisture from the brine before adding to the salad.
• Do not add the toasted pecans until ready to serve. They will get soggy if added to the salad in advance in the refrigerator.
• Instead, keep the toasted nuts in a dry, sealed container in the pantry or the counter.
• Do not dress the salad before serving.
• Salad dressing will last for up to 5 days refrigerated.

Fire up the barbeque this summer and grill some grapes for this delicious grape salad recipe!

More Delicious Vegan Salad Recipes

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