Barbecue season is here...finally! When grilling vegetables, here are some general tips to follow:
- Use a propane or charcoal barbecue. If you don't have a barbecue you can use a grill pan on a stove element. In fact, some veggies cook better on a grill pan, so if you own both you can switch between the two and have the best of both worlds.
- Use an oil that can stand high temperatures (like avocado or grapeseed). Olive oil can burn on a hot grill and cause carcinogenic compounds and a bitter burned taste.
- Always ensure that the grill or grill pan is clean and has been brushed with oil.
- Always drizzle the veggies with oil and season them in a bowl or on a plate before you put them on the grill.
Below, we've broken down how to season and grill popular, seasonal veggies to enhance their flavour.
Yellow potatoes
Best to use:
Barbecue
Method:
Slice the potatoes into thin disks and lay them out on a plate. Drizzle with avocado oil and season liberty with sea salt and pepper (potatoes need lots of seasoning).
Grill over medium-high heat and turn often. Cook until golden and crispy on the outside and tender in the middle.
Sweet potatoes
Best to use:
Grill pan
Method:
Slice the sweet potato into thin disks and spread out on a plate. Drizzle with avocado oil and season with sea salt and pepper.
Grill in a grill pan until slightly charred on the outside and tender in the middle.
Tomatoes
Best to use:
Grill pan
Method:
Slice the tomatoes in half and put them in a bowl. Drizzle with avocado oil, season with sea salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat.
Grill the tomatoes on a well oiled grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the tomatoes cut side down and grill for 4-6 minutes or until charred and starting to release from the pan. Flip and cook on the round side for an additional 2 minutes.
Asparagus
Best to use:
Barbecue
Method:
Break the fibrous stems off the asparagus spears. Line up 4-6 spears on a flat surface and skewer at the top and bottom so they stay together.
Drizzle with avocado oil and season with sea salt and pepper (on both sides).
Grill over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side.
Having the asparagus skewered together will stop it from falling through the barbecue grates and will allow you to cook them evenly without managing lots of individual pieces.
Eggplant
Best to use:
Barbecue
Method:
Slice the eggplant into very thin disks and lay out on a plate. Brush avocado oil over the eggplant and season with sea salt and pepper (on both sides).
Grill the eggplant over high heat, turning often. Eggplant needs to be well cooked or it can have a bitter taste and an unfavourable texture, this is why we slice it thin and cook it over high heat.
Red peppers
Best to use:
Barbecue
Method:
Drizzle the outside of the pepper with avocado oil and smear it around to ensure an even thin coating.
Place the pepper on the barbecue over high heat until the pepper is charred on all sides.
Remove the pepper from barbecue, transfer it to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the outside skin (it should peel off easily using your hands). Once the charred outer skin has been removed, remove the stem and all of the seeds.
Break the pepper up into large pieces with your hands. Lay the peeled pieces out on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
Button mushrooms
Best to use:
Barbecue
Method:
Cut mushrooms into quarters and then place into a mesh barbecue wok. Drizzle with avocado oil and season with sea salt and pepper.
Place the wok onto the barbecue over medium-high heat. Grill until the mushrooms are brown and tender, approximately 10 minutes.
The barbecue mesh wok will allow you to grill small pieces of mushrooms without losing them through the grill grates.
Try serving these tasty veggies with our grilled chipotle chicken thighs!