I like to grill all year, but especially during the summer when there’s so much fresh produce available. We like going to the farmer’s market and picking out all kinds of fresh veggies to cook on the grill.
Grilled vegetables are easy to do, but there are some tips and tricks to making them, so they turn out perfectly cooked. How long to grill vegetables will depend on what kind you want to cook. Usually, we do a mix of veggies, so knowing the approximate cooking time for each and cooking them based on that ensures they will be fully cooked instead of burned or undercooked.
For the best grilled vegetables, you want to start with denser ones because they will need more time. Lighter veggies with a higher water content will need less time than meatier ones.
For this grilled vegetable recipe, I’ve chosen several veggies that taste delicious together but also need to be cooked in a specific order so you can see how this works. It’s not an exact science, but keeping these tips in mind will help you cook them just long enough.
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchinis cut into 1.5 inch thick round pieces
- 2 – 8 ounce packages of white mushrooms
- 2 medium purple onions sliced into ½ inch thick round pieces
- 2 red bell peppers halved and seeds removed (you can trim the pith out if you want)
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Spray Barbecue with non stick grill cooking spray and heat to medium high heat.
- Place mushrooms on grill skillets and spray with cooking spray. Onions, bell pepper and zucchini will be placed directly on the grill. Spray zucchini with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Pour olive oil in a small dish and use a brush to coat the onion and bell pepper.
- Place the onion and bell pepper on the grill first. Cook for 4-5 minutes. If you have a good char flip them over. You may have to wait an additional minute or so. Once flipped cook another 4-5 minutes. Add the asparagus and mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes and then add zucchini. Let veggies cook for about 4 minutes. Stirring the mushrooms and flipping the asparagus and zucchini.
- Onions and peppers should be soft and charred but not overly burned. Asparagus should be softened with a char but not burned. Zucchini should be softened a bit but not too much. You don’t want them mushy but should have a little char. Mushrooms are softened with a char.
- Serve hot with any protein.
Recipe Notes
- You can eat these as a standalone meal. They all have wonderful flavors.
- You can keep these in the refrigerator for a couple of days and re-heat.
- You can mix up the veggies you use. Broccoli and Cauliflower grill up well along with other veggies.
- Cutting the onions up and serving the onion and mushrooms over steak is delicious.
