How to roast any vegetable on the grill like a pro

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Grilling sausages or steaks to perfection is not just a science in itself, vegetables also need a lot of attention on the grill. Whether courgettes, tomatoes, aubergines or peppers: read how you can become a grilling pro.

Grilled vegetables are becoming increasingly popular. It is healthy, inexpensive and many types of vegetables can be easily harvested on the balcony or in your own garden.

In addition, most types of vegetables are available regionally and, if prepared correctly, offer a delicious and tasty alternative to meat, sausage and vegetarian grill specialties.

Many types of vegetables require little preparation time and, of course, a grill or grill pan. Here you can find out which vegetables are best suited for grilling, how to prepare them correctly and which grilling method works best.

Place zucchini on the grill

Zucchini is one of the most popular grilled vegetables, but there is a lot that can go wrong with zucchini. You don’t need a grill pan or grill bowl for a perfect result, because the slices can be grilled directly on the grid.

You can even prepare the zucchini for the grill the day before, all you need is a zucchini, some vegetable oil, spices and herbs. In this article you will find out how the zucchini succeeds on the grill.

Tipp: The popular vegetables can also be used to prepare delicious stuffed zucchini packets, vegetarian or vegan, depending on your taste.

Off to the grill with tomatoes

Tomatoes become juicy and aromatic delicacies on the grill. First, prepare a marinade of vegetable oil, salt, pepper, chopped garlic, and herbs of your choice.

Then halve medium-sized and large tomatoes, quarter particularly large tomatoes and place cut-side down on the grill – preferably slightly away from the middle, the temperature should not exceed 180 °C. After three to four minutes, turn the tomatoes over, drizzle with the marinade and grill for another three minutes, done.

Cherry tomatoes can also be grilled. It is best to use whole bunches, drizzle with marinade and place on the edge of the grill grate. For the marinade you can use herbs and spices of your choice, e.g. B. oregano, thyme or basil, or for a quick version, mix a teaspoon of wild herb spice paste with vegetable oil.

Peppers bring bite

Peppers can also be grilled directly on the grid. Cut into strips one to two centimeters wide, brush sparingly with oil and place on the grill for three to five minutes, turning several times in between. Finally salt and season.

Alternatively, small pieces of pepper can also be cooked indirectly in the grill pan, for example together with courgettes, tomatoes, onions, olive oil and fresh herbs as a Mediterranean grill pan.

Tipp: Try stuffing vegetables with short cooking times such as courgettes, tomatoes, mushrooms, aubergines or leeks in small packets made of vegetable leaves and grilling over low heat!

Eggplants add color

Unlike many other vegetables, aubergines are best salted before grilling.

With the excess liquid, the bitter substances are removed from the aubergine at the same time. For delicious grilled aubergines, cut them into one-centimetre-thick slices, salt them evenly and let them sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Simply dab off the water that has come out.

Brush the slices sparingly with vegetable oil and grill them directly on the grid at medium heat (approx. 160 to 175 degrees) for about three to four minutes on each side. If you’re not sure how hot each section of your grill is, it’s best to check the temperature with a grill thermometer.

Tipp: Grilled vegetables can also be deliciously flavored with this homemade crispy topping for oven-roasted vegetables.

That’s what’s going to happen with corn on the cob from the grill

Fresh sweetcorn on the cob is available from July to October, the pre-cooked and vacuum-packed version all year round. In order for the corn to be successful on the grill, fresh cobs are freed from the leaves, washed and pre-boiled in a pot of water for 20 minutes. You can also put the corn on the cob raw on the grill, but the grilling time is about 30 to 35 minutes.

Before grilling, brush pre-cooked corn on the cob generously with herb butter, herb oil or a homemade marinade made from agave or apple syrup, spices, garlic, soy sauce and chili.

The prepared corn cobs are now placed directly on the grid and cooked with the lid closed – if your grill has a lid – for about 15 minutes. Turn regularly with the grill tongs. For better portioning, cut the cobs into several pieces before putting them on the grill.

Grill basket for mushrooms

Mushrooms are best cooked in a stainless steel grill pan or grill basket. To do this, cut larger mushrooms into pieces, small ones can be left whole. Toss them with a marinade of vegetable oil, soy sauce, minced garlic, salt and pepper and add to the grill pan. Place the grill pan in an area with low or indirect heat. After eight to ten minutes, depending on the size of the mushrooms, they are ready and ready to be enjoyed.

Large mushrooms, such as giant mushrooms, can also be stuffed with spices. To do this, remove the stalks of the mushrooms, brush the outside of the mushroom cap with vegetable oil and turn over. Now fill the cavity with a mixture of the chopped mushroom stalks, cheese, (homemade) crème fraîche or a vegan crème fraîche alternative, chopped herbs, leftover spicy spreads, diced tomatoes or garlic and spices. Then grill for about ten minutes over low heat.

Tipp: A homemade mushroom spread is quick to prepare and goes well with fresh bread and grilled vegetables.

Grill asparagus? This works out!

Green asparagus is particularly suitable for grilling, as the tender, thin spears cook quickly. Cut off the woody ends, brush the asparagus spears with vegetable or herb oil and place them directly on the grill grate near the top or edges.

To prevent the spears from falling through the grate, skewer five asparagus spears on two skewers or wooden skewers. After about ten minutes the asparagus is ready, turn several times.

To check if the spears are done, poke them with a fork or knife: if the asparagus is soft but still slightly al dente, it’s done. For a shorter cooking time, you can halve the asparagus spears lengthwise.

Before grilling, white asparagus is peeled and blanched in boiling water for about three minutes. Then it can be prepared like the green asparagus. Herb butter or a classic hollandaise sauce or a vegan alternative go well with this.

Grilled tubers

Any potato can be deliciously prepared on the grill. If you have large potatoes on hand, cut them lengthwise into strips no more than an inch thick. In a bowl, mix some vegetable oil with salt and your choice of spices, add the potato sticks and mix well with the marinade. The sticks can then be placed directly on the grill grate over low heat. After five to twelve minutes, depending on the thickness of the strips, and turning several times, the potatoes are ready and can be served.

If you have small potatoes at home, you can place them in their skins directly on the embers without any aluminum foil. The shell serves as a natural protective cover. After 20 to 30 minutes, when the skin has become dark and crispy, the potatoes are removed from the embers, cut in half and, after a short cooling period, spooned directly out of the skin. Poke the potatoes gently with a knife to check if they are soft inside.

This goes well with herb or wild herb butter, herb quark, grated cheese or homemade aioli.

Carrots and more root vegetables

To grill flavorful, caramelized carrots, all you need is some young, fresh carrots and a few other ingredients you’ll probably have at home. Halve the carrots lengthways, possibly quartering larger ones, and brush them with a marinade made from honey (or a vegan honey alternative), orange juice, salt and fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme or oregano. You can also use olive oil, soy sauce, agave syrup, maple syrup and your choice of spices for the marinade.

Place the carrots on the grill and cook with the grill lid closed or on a saucepan lid (be careful, the saucepan lid must be ovenproof!) for 5 to 10 minutes, turning frequently. For large carrots, it is advisable to blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes before marinating to reduce the grilling time.

Like carrots, parsley roots, parsnips, and Jerusalem artichokes can also be grilled. Kohlrabi and beetroot can also be grilled this way if they are cut into even slices or strips.

Cauliflower and broccoli become vegetable steaks

The easiest way to grill cauliflower and broccoli is to cut off the florets, brush with olive oil, salt and spices (or your choice of marinade, such as barbecue or curry sauce), and cook in a grill pan. Depending on the size, the cauliflower will cook in five to ten minutes over medium-high heat.

If you like it a little more unusual, you can cut steaks from the cabbage. To do this, place the cauliflower with the stalk up on a cutting board. Make a cut to the right and left of the stalk to divide the cabbage into three pieces. The middle piece with the stalk can now be cut into two or three steaks. These are marinated as described above and grilled directly on the grid for about 5 minutes per side.

The remaining cabbage can be put on skewers or cooked in the grill basket. If you often grill vegetables, it is worth purchasing a grill grate or a reversible basket.

Fancy artichokes

Artichokes can also be grilled, but should be cooked first. Halve the artichokes, remove the outer leaves and cook the halves in salted water with a little lemon juice for 10 minutes. Then rub with herb oil or a marinade made from olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and fresh herbs and grill for about ten minutes. Turn frequently. The leaves of the grilled artichokes are easy to separate and the hearts are also delicious.

This goes well with fresh bread, hearty potato bread or homemade baguette. You can make a salad from the leftovers of the grilled artichokes and eat them cold the next day.