Grilled Vegetables and Fruit

Grilling is the most effective way to impart a sweet, smoky, caramelized flavor to vegetables and fruit. There are three ways to prepare produce for grilling—long slices that sit right on the grill, large cubes or chunks that you thread onto skewers, or large cubes or chunks placed in a grill basket.

You can grill just about any vegetable, except leafy greens. Favorites include bell peppers, chile peppers (poblano or hatch), onions, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, radishes, eggplant, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and butternut squash. You can also add fruit to your grill grate or on your skewers—think pineapple, mango, peaches, apples, pears, cantaloupe, and grapes. (Don’t put fruit into your grill basket, however—their juices will release over the vegetables, making them soggy.)

---

perfect grilled vegetables

Serves 2 (with leftovers)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4 to 20 minutes

Total Time: 14 to 30 minutes

• 1 pound mixed vegetables and/or fruit
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Preheat the grill to high heat (500°F).

To grill directly on the grill grate: Cut the vegetables into large, flat pieces, so they won’t fall through the grate. (Avoid small vegetables like cherry tomatoes, radishes, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts with this method.) Specifically, cut pieces into relatively flat strips, 2 inches wide, and ½ inch thick. (If grilling asparagus, simply trim the ends and leave them whole; for onions, apples, or pears, cut into six equal wedges)

Place the cut vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss or mix the vegetables with your hands until they are well coated. Place on the grill at a 45-degree angle to the grate to prevent them from falling through.

Grill the vegetables according to the chart. (Cooking times are highly variable based on your grill, too—so experiment, and check your vegetables often as they cook as you become familiar with this technique.) When you’re ready to flip, turn them with grill tongs, peeling them off along the axis of the grill grate to prevent them from sticking or tearing. Cook the veggies or fruit until lightly charred on the outside and fork-tender on the inside.

Toss with your favorite dressing or sauce (starting here), or sprinkle with salt and pepper and our seasoning suggestions and serve warm.

To grill on skewers: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour to prevent them from burning on the grill.

Cut the vegetables or fruit into 1-inch chunks or cubes. Leave whole smaller vegetables and fruits like cherry tomatoes, smaller mushrooms, radishes, and grapes.

Place the cut vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss or mix the vegetables with your hands until they are well coated, then alternate them on the skewers. Place the skewers on the grill at a 45-degree angle to the grate to prevent some of the smaller items from sticking.

Grill the vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the skewers every few minutes so all sides make contact with the heat. Cook until the most hearty vegetables (like peppers, onions, and mushrooms) are charred on the edges and tender enough to eat, but not so long that more delicate vegetables (like zucchini and summer squash) are burned or dried out.

Toss with your favorite dressing or sauce (starting here), or sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, and serve warm.

To grill in a grill basket: Cut the vegetables or fruit into 1-inch chunks or cubes. Leave whole smaller vegetables and fruits like cherry tomatoes, smaller mushrooms, radishes, and grapes.

Place the cut vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss or mix the vegetables with your hands until they are well coated, then place in a grill basket.

Place the basket on the grill and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the grill basket occasionally. Grill until the most hearty vegetables (like peppers, onions, and mushrooms) are charred on the edges and tender enough to eat, but not so long that more delicate vegetables (like zucchini and summer squash) are dried out.

Toss with your favorite dressing or sauce (starting here), or sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, and serve warm.

Grilling Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetable or Fruit	Grill Time	Seasoning Suggestions
Asparagus	4 to 6 minutes (no need to flip or turn)	squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of zest
Bell peppers	5 to 6 minutes per side	splash of balsamic vinegar
Butternut squash	7 to 8 minutes per side	dried thyme
Eggplant	6 to 7 minutes per side	fresh chopped tomatoes, dried oregano
Hatch or poblano peppers	5 to 6 minutes per side	keep it simple with salt and pepper
Onion	8 to 10 minutes per side	squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of zest
Summer squash	4 to 5 minutes per side	lemon zest, dried chives
Zucchini	4 to 5 minutes per side	lemon zest, dried chives
Apple	6 to 8 minutes per side	squeeze of lemon juice, dash of cinnamon
Cantaloupe	2 to 3 minutes per side	perfect as-is, no seasoning needed
Mango	2 to 3 minutes per side	perfect as-is, no seasoning needed
Peaches (halved)	3 to 4 minutes (no need to flip or turn)	perfect as-is, no seasoning needed
Pear	3 to 4 minutes per side	drizzle of melted ghee, dash of cinnamon or vanilla bean
Pineapple	5 to 8 minutes per side	perfect as-is, no seasoning needed