Prep vegetables by slicing eggplant and onion into ½-inch rounds, zucchini into ½-inch rounds on an angle, cutting asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Place the eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Allow eggplant to sit for 30 minutes so the salt can pull some of the bitterness out. Rinse with cold water and pat dry.

While waiting for the eggplant, prep the dressing, nuts, and herbs. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, mustard, paprika, and garlic in a small jar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fasten lid and shake vigorously to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Roughly chop the herbs and nuts and set aside.

Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold water. Place quinoa in a medium saucepan with water and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Allow quinoa to cook for about 20 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Fluff with a fork then replace the lid and set aside.

Preheat grill to high heat for about 15 minutes. Spread sliced vegetables on a large tray and brush with avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables over high heat. The asparagus will only take 2-4 minutes to cook through. The eggplant, zucchini, and onion will take about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the heat of your grill. Depending on the size of your grill, you may have to do this in batches. As the vegetables finish cooking, simply remove them from the grill onto a plate and keep cooking until the rest of the vegetables are done.

Allow grilled vegetables to cool slightly so you can handle them. Roughly chop all vegetables into large-ish bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, add quinoa, grilled vegetables, half of the dressing, and half of the nuts and herbs. Toss to combine. Top with more dressing and the rest of the nuts and herbs.

This grain salad is great warm, room temperature, or even cold. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a few days.