Easy Ways To Enjoy Grilled Summer Veggies

Once you have your desired veggies in hand, fire up the grill and get ready to chill. Preparing veggies is quick and easy during grilling season, perfect to throw on the grill for a sweet and smoky flavor. Some of our favorite veggies for the outdoor barbecue are asparagus, zucchini, whole garlic, mushrooms (choose your favs), green onions, whole garlic, tomatoes (shh! I know it’s really a fruit), and sweet corn. For dessert (make some room veggies!), add a couple of nectarines or peaches for a perfect ending to your evening.

Veggie Prep for Success
1. Wash and dry your veggies.

2. Cut your veggies. Some veggies are better to grill whole, halved, or thickly sliced length-wise. For diced veggies, make sure that the sizes are similar and that you consider which veggies have similar cooking times.

3. Add oil or a simple marinade. For items grilled whole, halved or thickly sliced, a high smoke point oil (like grape seed oil) is best. Lightly coat the veggies to keep from sticking to the grill grates. Add salt, pepper, paprika, and/or garlic powder as desired.  For diced veggies, make an easy marinade like olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and minced herbs. Once veggies have been tossed with marinade, they are ready to go. No need to wait before grilling!

It’s Grill Time
When you’re grilling vegetables, it’s important to stay pretty close to the grill. Every grill has spots that are hotter than others so vegetables in one area of the grate will be done before others. And, of course, different vegetables will take varying amounts of time to be cooked through. So stay close so you can flip veggies over and pull them off the grate as they are ready.

For veggies grilled whole, halved or thickly sliced, grill directly on grates, and flip halfway through, until veggies are starting to char (usually about 5-10 min.). For diced veggies, we recommend either using a grill basket or making kabobs. For kabobs, soak skewer in water for 30 min prior to putting veggies on the stick; flip periodically on the grill. For a grill basket, put all marinated veggies directly in grill basket (best with a lid) and flip periodically (usually about 8-12 min).

Easy Grilled Veggie Platters
You can keep it simple by squeezing some lemon over your grilled platter of vegetables or serve them with a sauce to create an impressive, party-worthy dish. We find that pesto, hummus, yogurt sauce, or chipotle almond dip are great options to enhance the veggies’ flavors and add a little more complexity to your meal. Or take it one step further and create Antipasto plate by adding cheeses, Charcuterie, crackers or fresh bread. Tip for garlic lovers; take your whole grilled garlic, crack it open and smear the cloves on bread before piling high! For more inspiration that requires a little more planning, check out our Summertime Grilling blog post here.

Now Let’s Talk Dessert
Peaches, nectarines, and even apricots and Plums, are all delicious grilled. Serve over Greek yogurt or ice cream and drizzle with honey and a reduction of balsamic vinegar. Click here for the recipe.

We wish you a perfect evening of grilling, delicious flavors and a laid-back vibe. Enjoy!