Easy Grilled Vegetable Recipes

One of the tastiest and easiest ways to prepare vegetables is to grill them. The easiest way to grill vegetables is on a Propane or Gas Grill or in a Griddle on the stove. You can also wrap them in foil packets placed on the grill. In addition to being quick and easy, grilling really brings out the natural flavor of vegetables. Grilled vegetables are great hot off the grill, at room temperature, or chilled.

You can serve grilled vegetables with almost anything – meatloaf, chicken, fish, burgers or steak. Or they can be a meal all their own when served with a healthy grain like quinoa, brown rice, or polenta.

It is a good idea to grill a batch of vegetables any time you have the grill on since they will keep in the refrigerator for several days and you can use them in so many ways. You can add them to salads, sandwiches, and pasta or for topping pizza.

One of my favorite easy grilled vegetable recipes is to make summer salads from leftover grilled chopped vegetables. Combine grilled and chopped zucchini, eggplant, green beans, peppers, onions and corn cut off the cob with a simple Dijon vinaigrette. Voila. A delicious salad perfect for lunch or dinner. Before we get to more easy grilled vegetable recipes here are some helpful tips & hints.

Tips for Grilling Vegetables

• Use a Grill Pan or Grill Basket for small vegetables that could fall through the grate like green beans, small mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. Most anything else can go directly on the grill if you cut the pieces large enough.
• Make sure the grill is fully preheated before placing vegetables on the grill.
• Slice the vegetables thinner than you would if you were roasting them so they cook more quickly.
• Coat the vegetables lightly with a little oil or marinade before grilling.
• Clean the grill grate when it is hot and before putting the vegetables on to cook. They will be less likely to stick.
• If you are grilling variety of vegetables, start those that take longer to cook before those requiring less time.
• Apply any sweet sauce, such as teriyaki or barbecue to the vegetables when they are almost done so they do not burn.

How to Grill Vegetables

1. Heat your gas grill by turning all burners to high and closing the lid for at least 10 minutes so it is nice and hot.
2. Prepare your vegetables while the grill is heating. Cut the vegetables into large enough pieces so they won’t slip through the grate into the fire. Use a grill basket for small items.
3. Toss the vegetables with oil, salt, and pepper and 1 teaspoon of dried basil, thyme leaves, or tarragon, if desired.
4. Clean the hot grill rack with a Wire Grill Brush.
5. Oil the grill grates.  I like to do this with a paper towels dipped in oil that I hold with Tongs and sweep over the grates.

Basic Grilled Vegetable Recipe

Serves 8

This is an easy recipe that can be used for all kinds of vegetables. You can use it to make grilled asparagus, grilled zucchini, grilled corn, grilled eggplant, grilled zucchini, grilled sweet potatoes, grilled peppers, or any combination that appeals to you.

8 – 9 cups of any of the vegetables in the list below*

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil, thyme, or tarragon (optional)

Salt and ground black pepper

Heat your gas grill by turning all the burners to high and closing the lid, for at least 10 minutes. while the grill heats prepare your vegetables. Toss them with the oil, dried herb or your choice, and salt and pepper to taste. Clean the hot grill rack with a wire brush.

Arrange vegetables on the hot grill, leaving a bit of space between them. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until the vegetables have grill marks on both sides and are done to your liking.  It should take 10 to 12 minutes for them to be tender.

*Vegetables that are great for grilling and how to prep them

Asparagus – trim tough ends

Carrots (medium size) – peel and then cut in half lengthwise and crosswise

Corn – remove husks and silks.

Eggplant – peel if desired and then cut into 1/2″ thickness.

Mushrooms (small portobellos) -  remove the stems

Onions (small) – unreeled and halved lengthwise

Onions (large) – peeled and cut into 1/2″-inch slices

Peppers – remove the core and seed and then cut in half or quarters.

Potatoes (small red) – halved

Sweet Potatoes – peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices or lengthwise wedges

Tomatoes (large ripe but firm) – cut in half crosswise and squeeze gently to remove seeds

Yellow Squash & Zucchini – if small cut them in half lengthwise.  If large cut into 1/2″-inch thick lengthwise slices.

Grilled Vegetables are perfectly delicious when cooked with just olive oil, salt and pepper but there are lots of ways you can top them for an added punch of flavor.

Some Favorite Grilled Vegetable Combinations

While you can grill just a single vegetable, a mixture is always nice. Here are some of my favorite grilled mixed vegetable recipe combinations

• Red, yellow, and green peppers
• Red peppers, yellow squash, and zucchini
• Red peppers, eggplant
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes
• Onions, peppers, and mushrooms

Great toppings for grilled vegetables

• Mayonnaise
• Salsa
• Vinaigrette dressings
• Balsamic or red wine vinegar
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Chile sauce
• Teriyaki sauce
• Barbecue sauce
• Honey mustard sauce
• Pesto

More Easy Grilled Vegetable Recipes

Grilled Asparagus with Lemon

Serves 6

A simple recipe for asparagus that is tossed with a little olive oil, grilled and then seasoned with fresh lemon juice.

This easy grilled vegetable recipe would also work well with slices of zucchini or yellow squash, eggplant or colorful bell peppers.

2 pounds fresh asparagus, stems trimmed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Juice of one lemon

Preheat the grill to medium. Drizzle the asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill the asparagus, turning occasionally until tender, 6 to 12 minutes.

Arrange the asparagus on a platter and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Grilled Ratatouille Recipe

serves 8 to 10

Here is an easy grilled vegetable recipe for ratatouille on the grill. This is a great way to enjoy ratatouille in the summertime when it is too hot to turn on the oven or the stove. Because you grill the vegetables, it has a fresher flavor and texture than traditional ratatouille

Grilled ratatouille is great as a vegetarian main course or as an accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish, or steak. Leftover ratatouille can be used to fill sandwiches or omelets, to toss into cooked pasta, layered in lasagna, or to top rice or polenta.

Canola oil for oiling the grill

1 large red or yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds

1 yellow squash, quartered lengthwise

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise

1 eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into half

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine or balsamic vinegar

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 tomatoes, cored and chopped small

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried oregano

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons drained capers, optional

Brush the grill grates with canola oil. Preheat the grill until hot, about 10 – 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the onion, squash, zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper with olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

When the grill is hot, arrange the vegetables on the grill. Cook, turning occasionally until tender. Remove from the grill and cool slightly. Cut into smaller pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, capers, basil, oregano, and lemon juice and toss gently to mix. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, and/or vinegar as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

6 More Great Easy Grilled Vegetable Recipes from Around the Web

Note – The descriptions below are excerpts from the recipe sites.

Grilled zucchini with Parmesan – Asparagus is one of those ingredients that I think is best suited to fairly simple preparation methods, and this recipe is even more simple than the first one I submitted, Lightly Steamed Asparagus with Basil Vinaigrette. I loved the way grilling brought out the flavor of the asparagus, and also loved the way the grilled asparagus looked. From Kalyn’s Kitchen

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Scallions – A great easy grilled vegetable recipe that is simple and basic as it sounds. Found at Martha Stewart

Grilled Corn with Miso Butter - To start off, here is an easy grilled corn recipe with miso butter. I used Miso butter to add a special touch to plain old grilled corn on the cob. I love the depth and umami flavor of miso; and it goes really well with the sweetness of grilled corn. If you dont have or dont like miso, use soy sauce as a substitute. Found at Veggie Belly.

Lemony Grilled Zucchini Roll Ups - I have really enjoyed grilling this summer, especially veggies. This recipe was created by accident – I originally thought of just roasting the zucchini and then chopping it and mixing it with a little cheese. But, the grilled zucchini planks just looked so pretty off the grill, I decided to leave them whole and roll them up with a little soft cheese inside. Found at Fab Frugal Food

Grilled Potatoes in Foil Packets – This recipe is so easy, it’s almost embarrassing to post.  This is a great last minute side dish to whip up when you’re grilling a steak or even burgers or chicken.  Toss it onto the grill and let it go while you fix the rest of your food. Found at Dishin and Dishes.

Grilled Eggplant Lasagna – When I started the South Beach Diet a few weeks ago, I had to rethink some of our meals, and less pasta was high on the list. It’s easy to get good fresh vegetables at this time of year, and we’ve kept the refrigerator stocked. I’ve had eggplant lasagna on many occasions, but always with the noodles, so this time I decided to use the eggplant in place of the noodles, thus keeping the hearty comfort food a little healthier. Found at Andreas Recipes