Do you eat a healthily on a daily basis and choose low-calorie dishes? Or are you on a vegetarian diet? In both cases, grilled vegetables are the perfect choice and can replace the more common option of meat. Which vegetables should you choose and how should you prepare them?
Do you eat a healthily on a daily basis and choose low-calorie dishes? Or are you on a vegetarian diet? In both cases, grilled vegetables are the perfect choice and can replace the more common option of meat. Which vegetables should you choose and how should you prepare them?
Which vegetables are good for grilling?
Are you getting ready for a vegetarian barbecue? Or maybe as an addition to grilled meat you want to serve some healthy and tasty low-calorie ingredients? Find out which vegetables are best for grilling:
- Courgettes – these are among the most popular grilled vegetables. They become soft and juicy very quickly, and are easy to bake on top. Delicious both sliced and cut into chips.
- Aubergines – to make sure your grilled aubergines are tasty, grease them well with olive oil. This way you will bring out the fullness of their taste with a light, buttery consistency. This is a great way to prepare grilled vegetables.
- Mushrooms – if you are looking for a vegetarian alternative to grilled burgers then mushrooms are the perfect choice. Choose large portobello mushrooms. Small ones will be a great addition to skewers or meat.
- Tomatoes – you can stuff large tomatoes with cheese or other vegetables and grill them this way. Cherry tomatoes, on the other hand, taste great on their own, or you could season them with Provencal herbs.
- Corn – whole, well-baked corn cobs are a must-have in summer. Spice up their flavour by spreading melted butter on ready pieces of corn on the cob, sprinkling them with coarse-graine salt.
- Asparagus – although the asparagus season is short, it is one of the tastiest vegetables to grill. And you don’t have to do much – they are delicious sprinkled with salt and do not need more seasoning.
- Cabbage – this is one of the more original ideas. Achieve amazing results by cutting it into quarters, wrapping it in aluminium foil and seasoning it with olive oil and spices – your guests will be in for a pleasant surprise!
- Paprika – the slightly burnt skin of the paprika ideally combines with its sweetness. Padron, i.e. small green peppers, are a great idea for grilling, and can be eaten together with the seeds!
- Potatoes – the last but not least important part of your barbecue menu. Young potatoes, grilled in their skins, or older ones, cut into small wedges. Grilled potatoes are a classic option when served with butter and salt.
Grilled vegetable marinade
If you are planning to prepare vegetable skewers for your barbecue, or grill vegetables in foil, you can make a the same marinade for the whole lot based on olive oil balanced with the sour taste of balsamic vinegar, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. This will then go well with all types of seasoning, that is all types of herbs, fresh or dried, crushed garlic and onion, paprika, herbal pepper and salt.
Seasoning vegetables for grilling
If you don’t want to prepare a marinade for your grilled vegetables, you can season each ingredient separately. In order to maintain the natural taste of asparagus, paprika or mushrooms, simply salt them generously – each of these vegetables has such an intense flavour that even prepared in such a simple way they will come out delicious. However, in the case of courgettes or aubergine, you can allow for a bit of experimenting – e.g. season them with smoked paprika to give them a decisive, slightly meaty flavour. This could be a great idea for vegetarians looking for interesting alternatives to grilled sausage.
You can also enhance the taste of grilled vegetables by preparing delicious, light dips. A garlic yoghurt-based sauce based, or based on yogurt mixed with fresh herbs and mint will boost the summery flavour of your grilled veggies.
Ways to grill vegetables
Vegetables can be grilled separately, directly on aluminium trays or in special aluminium bowls, on which you can prepare a whole array of vegetables. Grilled vegetable skewers are also a common choice, letting you easily serve a whole mix of vegetables on a stick. As they often soften during grilling, it is easier to serve them stuck on a skewer than separately.
Grilling vegetables in the oven Are grilled vegetables from a pan as tasty as straight from the grill? During the winter season you often long for summer-time favourites. Fortunately, there are many ways to prepare grilled vegetables at home – in an oven with a grill function, on a grill pan or on an electric contact grill.
Tips for grilling vegetables
When it comes to grilling vegetables, the preparation time usually causes the most doubt. No wonder – each vegetable has a different level of hardness and texture, so they are rarely ready at the same time. So when making skewers it is worth waiting a little longer to make sure that all the vegetables are ready. If you prefer more crispy vegetables, then you can keep everything on the grill for a shorter time.
Whichever option you choose, grilling the vegetables will not take long. You will usually be able to enjoy the taste of your favourite ingredients after around 10 minutes. The quickest to grill are potatoes and cabbage – here you will need approx. 30 minutes. If you want to speed up the process with potatoes, you can boil them before grilling.
Catering equipment for grilling vegetables
Grilled vegetables are a great option to have on your restaurant menu. They can be served as a healthy side dish or instead of salad with your main dishes. With professional catering grills you can prepare them all year round. Professional grilling equipment comes in many shapes and sizes, as an open grill plate or a closed contact grill. You can also choose between electric and gas models – so feel free to choose something you will feel comfortable using.
If most of the dishes you offer should be served hot, then also equip youself with heating devices that will keep each dish at the perfect temperature, ready to be served. So if the grilled vegetables are ready sooner than the rest of the food, simply place them on the hotplate to maintain their temperature.
How to grill vegetables – summary
You can use a grill to prepare almost anything – various types of fish and meat, but also vegetables. This way both meat lovers and vegetarians alike can indulge in their favourite meat dishes at the same table. Grilling vegetables is easy and offers many possibilities – you can grill whatever you want and serve it in different ways – e.g. vegetable pouches or grilled vegetable skewers.
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