Not sure which veggies are the easiest and most delicious for grilling? Here are seven that you can’t miss with!
Peppers
There are a million varieties of peppers and all of them can be grilled. With peppers, you’ll get a smoky flavour that really compliments them, whether hot or sweet. For optimum results, halve them, core them, and then put them on a hot greased grill until they’re softened and well marked. Turn them once. They should take about 12 to 15 minutes. Once they’re off the grill, slice them and toss them with olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper—it’s an instant side dish, for just about anything.
Onions
Grilled onions simply taste better than raw slices. Grilling onions makes them super sweet and tender. There are a lot of varieties of onions and they all work well, especially the sweeter ones like Vidalia onions. Slice them crosswise into at least half-inch slices. Brush them with oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and throw them on a hot, greased grill. Don’t touch them for a bit, because if you flip them too much, they’ll separate. Turn only once, just a little more than halfway through the cooking time. And they’ll probably take about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the onion.
Mushrooms
Steak and mushrooms is a classic combination, and mushrooms on the grill are easy. If they’re large, like Portobello, throw them directly on a hot greased grill. Make sure to cut out the black gills and the stem or they’ll just become a black inky mess. Smaller ones, like cremini or buttons or white mushrooms, can be skewered or put in a grill basket on a hot greased grill. Cooking time depends on the mushroom, but it should be around 10-15 minutes.
Lettuce
Grilled lettuces are super trendy and are an easy way to change up your favourite summer salad. Firmer lettuces such as romaine, radicchio, escarole, and kale are best because they’ll hold together. If there’s a core in the lettuce, leave it in, halve a head (or quarter if it’s really big), then just lay those pieces on the grill. Turn it as little as possible, but be sure to grill every side. You just want to get grill marks, which should take about 8 minutes. Toss it and dress it afterward.
Zucchini (summer squash)
Zucchini or any summer squash are great for the grill because they’re firm and the grill adds a nice flavour to what’s an otherwise relatively bland vegetable. Green or yellow zucchinis, patty pans, and any other summer squash can be halved lengthwise, tossed with oil, and put on a hot greased grill. Turn them just once. You want them to be tender with grill marks. You can slice them up and add to salads, or on burgers. They should take about 10 minutes
Asparagus
A nice change from any other way you would eat asparagus, grilled asparagus is great in salads or as a side dish. Toss these with a bit of oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, and put them on a hot grill (perpendicular to the way the grills are running so they don’t fall through). Roll them around a little bit to make sure all sides are cooked. They should take about 8 minutes. After it’s off the grill you could put a creamy dressing or vinaigrette on it. Dress them right away so the stalks take in the flavour.
Corn
Corn is a particularly sugary vegetable, so it caramelizes on the grill really well, giving it a super sweet and smoky flavour that tastes like summer. You can do it two ways: Either in the husk or out. In the husk gives you more of a steamed cob, so you don’t get any caramelization, but the husk gives the corn a great smoked flavour. To do them in the husk, you have to soak them first so the husk doesn’t catch on fire. Submerge them completely in water for at least an hour. Put them on the grill and turn them a couple of times. They should take about 15 minutes, the husk will be brown and blackened. Without husks, put them directly on a hot greased grill. Grill them, turning occasionally, until the kernels look caramelized and tender. This should take about 15 minutes. Slather with butter!
