Spanish Grilled Vegetable Salad with Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe
This grilled vegetable salad with hard-boiled eggs is a homemade take on Spanish vegetable tapas, which often appear in bars as small sharing plates. The flavors are a bit like ratatouille, but the vegetables are only lightly grilled and served at room temperature. It’s a great after-work dinner or a side dish for roasted fish.
This salad captures the spirit of Spanish tapas in a simple, home-style dish. Lightly grilled vegetables marinated in a tangy dressing are served at room temperature, making the salad easy to prepare ahead and perfect for sharing. The hard-boiled eggs add protein and turn it into a satisfying light meal.
Chef's tips
Don’t overcook the vegetables—keep them slightly firm so they hold their shape and don’t turn mushy in the dressing. Letting the vegetables sit in the dressing while still warm helps them absorb more flavor. Use good-quality olive oil and vinegar, as they really define the taste of this simple dish.
How to serve
Serve on a large platter so everyone can help themselves, with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the juices. It pairs very well with grilled or baked fish, or as part of a tapas-style spread with olives, cheeses, and cured meats.
Ingredients
- eggplant medium - 1 piece
- zucchini medium - 1 piece
- red bell pepper - 1 piece
- red onion small or medium - 1 piece
- eggs for hard-boiling - 3 piece
- olive oil - 4 tablespoon
- red wine vinegar or white - 1.5 tablespoon
- garlic small - 1 clove
- parsley chopped leaves - 2 tablespoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Place the eggs in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 8–9 minutes from the moment the water starts boiling. Then rinse with cold water and set aside to cool.
- Wash the eggplant and zucchini and slice into rounds about 0.5 cm thick. Wash the pepper, remove the core and seeds, and cut into wide strips. Peel the red onion and cut into thick slices.
- Drizzle the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lightly salt, and mix with your hands so the oil coats all the pieces.
- Heat a grill pan or a large regular frying pan over medium-high heat. Grill the vegetables in batches for 3–4 minutes on each side, until they soften and dark grill marks or light browning appear.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large bowl. If you’re using a regular pan, add a little more olive oil between batches if needed.
- Finely chop the garlic. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar, garlic, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the still-warm vegetables, gently toss, and set aside for 10–15 minutes so the flavors can meld.
- Peel the eggs and cut them into quarters or eighths.
- Before serving, sprinkle the vegetables with chopped parsley and arrange the egg pieces on top. You can drizzle everything with a little more olive oil if you like.
Storage
Sałatkę przechowuj w lodówce w szczelnym pojemniku. Jajka najlepiej ułożyć na wierzchu tuż przed podaniem, bo w sosie szybciej tracą świeżość.
