Anyone who doesn't like vegetables has never had a good grilled vegetable recipe. Easy to prepare, it's suitable for almost any vegetable you choose. Served with or without dipping sauce, this is an excellent barbecue side dish alongside meat or seafood, or a vegetarian meal great with garlic bread or pasta.
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Easy Grilled Vegetables
1/2 pound vegetables per serving, before trimming*
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Clean and trim the vegetables. Wipe dry with a paper towel, if necessary. Cut into largish pieces for grilling. (See Vegetable Grilling Suggestions below.)
Brush with olive oil and lightly salt and pepper each piece.
Grill over medium-hot heat for a few minutes on each side, just until tender. Don't overcook them. If you like, serve with a favorite Dipping Sauce or two, below.
*Vegetable Grilling Suggestions:
As a general vegetable grilling rule-of-thumb, it's best to cut the veggies into pieces that will lay as flat as possible, thus cooking evenly, and of a size that will not fall through the grill. Many vegetables are suitable for this simple, all-around grilled vegetable recipe; consider serving a variety. Here are a few favorites:
Asparagus: Snap the tough, bottom part off. Place crosswise on the grill so they don't fall through.
Beets: Trim the ends and slice the beets into 1/4" rounds. Allow extra cooking time over medium-low heat, or pre-cook them in the microwave for a few minutes.
Bell Peppers: Cut the top/stem area off and quarter them lengthwise. Remove the seeds and any white pulp. Red peppers are especially tasty.
Corn-on-the-cob: Remove the husk, silk, and ends. Break cobs in half crosswise. Not practical for dipping sauce.
Eggplant: Remove top and bottom. Slice into 1/2" rounds. No need to peel them if you don't want to. Grilled eggplant is especially delicious but it has a cooking quirk. It goes from not-quite-done to overdone in a flash. Remove it from the grill when you feel it's not quite done. It will be perfect.
Squash: Trim the ends. Cut zucchini and crookneck squash in half lengthwise, and trim a little from the rounded side so they lay flatter on the grill. Slice summer squash in half crosswise, forming 2 disks.
Vegetable Kabobs: Skewer smaller vegetables or pieces like whole mushrooms, onion wedges, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini rounds before grilling.
Dipping Sauce Recipes
More grill ideas like the Grilled Vegetable Recipe