This summer, grill all the vegetables. Corn, mushrooms and eggplant are no-brainers. But what about sweet potatoes, lettuce and broccoli? A rainbow of peak-season produce will add vibrancy and variety to your backyard barbecues. To get you started, here are some of our favorite picks and recipes for glorious grilled veggies.
Lettuce
Grilling lettuce brings out deep flavor, and crisp varieties like romaine will stay crunchy when grilled briefly at higher heat. Slice heads in half and grill them just long enough to get a kiss of char on each side. Lettuce relatives like radicchio and endive grill well too.
Broccoli
The flowery tops of broccoli spears are perfect for catching marinades and getting perfectly crispy while the stems turn soft and sweet. Make sure to keep florets big so they don’t drop through grill grates, or use a grilling basket. Grilled broccoli holds its own as a veggie side and is a welcome addition to pizza and summer pasta salads too.
Eggplant
Eggplant becomes sweet, smoky and meltingly tender on the grill. Sliced, halved or whole small eggplants require just a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. They also make a great canvas for other flavors, like salty feta cheese, sweet grilled peppers and fresh tomatoes.
Corn
Grilled summer sweet corn brings forth a slightly nutty flavor and a perfectly tender texture. Be sure to rotate ears of corn frequently on the grill to cook evenly and avoid charring or drying out.
Summer Squash
Summer squash is best grilled in halves, threaded onto skewers for kabobs or cooked in foil packets. (Hot tip: Foil packets are super handy for camping.)
Vidalia Onions
Grilling brings out a vegetable’s natural sweetness, and in-season summer Vidalias are no exception. These sweet onions undergo a subtle transformation on the grill, coaxing out their amazing flavor as they caramelize.
Try it: Grilled Strip Steaks with Spicy Onion and Tomato Salad
Fennel
When eaten raw, fennel presents a crisp anise flavor. Grilled fennel is more tender, offering a mellow sweetness that pairs nicely with grilled meat and seafood.
Mushrooms
What’s grilling season without umami-packed mushrooms? Hearty portobellos are a satisfying swap for burger patties while white button or cremini mushrooms work well in kabobs.
Sweet Potatoes
Like other super dense vegetables, sweet potatoes benefit from a short precooking before grilling. Try a simple spice rub to balance out their sweetness, and serve alongside grilled protein or other veggies.
Tomatoes
From cherry tomato skewers to giant heirlooms, grilled tomatoes bring forth a complex, smoky sweetness. They can go from plump and juicy to deflated in a heartbeat, so be sure not to overcook.
Helpful Instructions for Grilling Vegetables
Ensure grilling success this summer by following these helpful tips:
- Oil to prevent sticking: A little oil on your veggies or brushed on your grill grates will help prevent sticking. You can use a grill basket if you’d prefer to avoid oil.
- Grill over moderate heat: Most vegetables grill optimally over moderate heat. Rotate and move them to a cooler part of the grill if they begin to char before heating all the way through.
- Precook dense veggies: Precooking dense vegetables like potatoes, beets and parsnips will shorten their grilling time, ensuring tenderness before they char. This is important when combining with meat or softer vegetables on kabob skewers. Precook veggies by blanching them in boiling water until just barely tender, then cool briefly in cold water.
- Marinate for extra flavor: Need a quick marinade? Try using a vinaigrette, or simply toss or brush veggies with an easy combo of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Remember that the oil in marinades can cause fire flare-ups, so keep your coating light.
- Grill more than you need: Grill extra veggies for later on. Leftovers are great in summer sandwiches, grain bowls, tacos and salads.
