Let this sink in: THE GRILL IS FOR MORE THAN JUST MEAT! EVERYTHING BENEFITS FROM SMOKE FLAVOR!
I interrupt your meat filled social media feed to remind you that there is no better way to add amazing flavor to veggies than to grill them! In fact, when I fell in love with grilling, it was because it is such great way to add flavor to ANYTHING, including veggies, without having to do much else.
My goal on the grill is to cook the Entire Meal on the Grill (the name of the book I wrote way back when!) because who needs to run back inside when everything benefits from smoke flavor!
A lot of people ask, what should I marinate veggies in? What’s the Best Seasoning for Grilled Veggies?
With grilled veggies, less is more! All you need is a touch of olive oil, high quality sea salt (I love Maldon or French Grey), some shaved parmesan, and some fresh herbs! I’ve played around with adding balsamic but I will tell you that adding too much liquid or letting them marinate too long in the oil and vinegar will make them mushy.
The fire adds so much smoke flavor you don’t need to add much more!
So, again, in my experience- less is more! A light drizzle of olive oil, a bit of sea salt and finish with fresh herbs and fresh grated parm at the end is all you need. My favorite herbs for grilled veggies are fresh basil, thyme, oregano or rosemary but I find any fresh herb is great on veggies so have fun with what is in your garden!
When I’m grilling, I always have a veggie I grill at the same time as the meat. This is part of my “Meal on the Grill” concept where I do everything on the grill, start to finish. Grilling veggies gives them a great char and flavor without having to add a lot of fat. The cold squash and zucchini are great the next day served added to a salad or other dishes like pizza. You can also take grilled veggies and amp up pasta dishes, make fun sandwiches paired with goat cheese for a picnic, or just great on their own.
Want to up your game in the veggie department and don’t have a grill? Try giving them some nice char with cast iron such as with these cast iron herbed veggies. Another thing that is fun is to grill romaine for a grilled salad. The theme here is that the grill adds so much flavor that we don’t need to get stuck in the mindset that the grill is for meat. Use all that surface area to cook the entire “Meal on the Grill’ the next time you spend time on your grill!
Other fun Vegetables on the Grill to try, like Grilled Romaine!
Herbed Grilled Veggies Recipe
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
Nothing beats grilled veggies- adding a touch of smoke and char marks to the grill takes them to the next level! The grill adds so much flavor that you don't need to do much to them, just a touch of olive oil, fresh herbs, and fresh grated parm make this my go-to side dish!
Ingredients
- 3 squash or zucchini- sliced lengthwise
- 2 tsp Olive oil
- 2 cloves Garlic, crushed (optional)
- large bunch fresh herbs
- 1 tsp Sea salt (or to taste)
- Pepper (optional)
- 1/4 cup Fresh grated parmesan
Instructions
Slice veggies lengthwise and drizzle with olive oil, and sea salt. Grill on medium direct heat until char marks form. Once off the grill, sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs and grated parm. Great served hot or cold! (Great served as a cold antipasto salad the next day with meats or added to a traditional salad).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Grilled Squahs, Zuccini
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Darn you, Robyn! I was doing a grilled veggie post this week, you punk. Now I have to wait at least a few weeks so it doesn’t look like I’m copying you;)
She’s a showoff like that. 🙂
Cool shot, Robyn. Did you use the new lights?
Chris, we can all do veggies! 🙂 The more the merrier in my book! 🙂
LOL. It’s your favorite- instagram.
Unfortunately, the lights are still in a box as the house is in total disarray due to a renovation project. Very little cooking this week as I’ve been up to my eyeballs in paint and sheet rock. Hoping to break them out this week!
This sounds great! I recently got some Himalayan pink salt and organic peppercorns from Sustainable Sourcing https://secure.sustainablesourcing.com and I’ll have to try them out in this recipe. Thanks for sharing!