Here’s a quick round up of how we like to cook various different veggies on the BBQ. Add some grilled halloumi, a drizzle of pistou or some tomato salsa and serve on a flatbread for an absolute winner of a veggie barbecue! This is a way more fun way to eat barbecue veg than a veggie skewer…
Our top tip is to get the coals nice and hot before you start cooking – once you lay the veggies on the grill, they’ll cook fast, so be well prepared with your tongs and serving dishes so that you can take them off before they completely blacken!
French/Runner Beans – Just lay them whole on the BBQ grill, crossways so that they don’t slip through the gaps, and they will soften quite quickly. Flip them once or twice and toss them in some pesto or chimmichurri to serve.
Leeks – trim the tops, then place them on the bbq grill. Turn them three or four times to get them evenly cooked. They should be almost blackened on the outside when you remove them, but they’ll be nice and squishy inside. Peel off the outer layer and enjoy the perfectly tender leek inside – a good one to have with feta or blue cheese.
Aubergine – either slice and cook quickly on each side, or place on the grill whole, and turn every few minutes until the skin starts to blacken and the flesh is super soft all the way through. If you cook it whole, you can then scoop out the insides, mash them up with a spoonful of tahini and a squeeze of lemon, season and serve as a Baba Ghanoush dip.
Peppers – we like to roast them whole on the bbq – cook them until the flesh softens and the skin starts to blacken and peel away. Once cooked on all sides, remove from the BBQ, let them cool slightly, and then peel away the skin and tear the flesh into strips to add to your wrap/sandwich. For padron peppers, use an old frying pan or skillet over the bbq grill, and cook in a drizzle of olive oil with some sea salt seasoning until the skin blisters.
Courgettes – either slice and cook quickly on both sides, or if you’ve got baby courgettes, just pop them on whole. You can’t really go wrong with BBQ courgettes – they are so good with a squeeze of lemon/lime and some chilli and mint.
Cucumbers – try slicing and giving them a quick blast on each side – no need to leave them long at all, but a little bbq cooking brings out the flavour.
Sweetcorn – cook as corn on the cobs, either in the husks, or peeled. Either way, turn them regularly for even cooking. Have the butter and herbs/chilli/salt at the ready!
Broccoli/Cauliflower – quickly cook these as florets, turning a couple of times – they’re great if you leave them a little crunchy.
Tomatoes – grill small tomatoes whole, still on the vine if you can, and don’t forget to season with sea salt when you serve them. Maybe a drizzle of balsamic too.
Kale/Spinach/Chard – you can cook these super quickly by laying them over the grill. If you splash them with a little water first, they’ll wilt and cook even faster. For the kale, you could drizzle with a tiny bit of oil and then cook, and it’ll turn quite nice and crispy, a little like roasted kale. The chard/spinach is best served with a dressing of some kind afterwards – chimmichurri would work well.
