Vegetable skewers on the BBQ
Angela Slater
29 July 2016
Daughter of a farmer and market gardener so have always had a connection with the outdoors, whether it was keeping animals or producing fruit, vegetables and cut flowers. Along with my work at Hayes Garden World I also have a smallholding, mainly breeding rare breed pigs. I gained an HND and BSc in Conservation and Environmental Land Management, as a result I am an ardent environmentalist and have a keen interest in environmentally friendly gardening. In my time at Hayes I worked for several years in the Outdoor Plant and Houseplant areas

How To Cook Vibrant, Nutritious Vegetables On Your BBQ

Cook tasty vegetables quickly and easily on the BBQ

The summer barbecue doesn’t need to mean hungry vegetarians watch while the carnivores enjoy a meat fest. There are lots of delicious vegetarian recipes; click here to watch the Gourmet BBQ chef Richard Holden cook Baked Eggs in a Spicy Tomato Sauce, using the Weber Gourmet Barbecue System (GBS) griddle. This is absolutely delicious served with fresh bread with a good crust you can use as a spoon. Click here to watch Ian and Ed, Hayes Barbecue Shop staff, cook an Oriental Vegetable Quick Stir Fry in the Gourmet System Wok.  

Oriental vegetable stir fry cooked on the BBQ

The larger vegetables such as: asparagus, aubergine, mushrooms, courgettes, corn on the cob, peppers, onions, beetroot, squash and tomatoes are more suitable for cooking on the BBQ. The sugars in the vegetables caramelise and the result is a more flavoursome dish. When they are cooked just drizzle with a little balsamic syrup; nothing could be simpler. Smaller pieces of vegetable can be threaded onto skewers to make them easier to turn over and it also keeps them together on the grill, making maximum use of the space, particularly if you are trying to cook a lot on the grill.

courgettes (zuccini) growing

With the range of BBQ accessories available the array of recipes you can cook is almost endless. The Weber Vegetable Baskets are really handy if you just want to roast small pieces of vegetable on the BBQ, also ideal for delicate pieces of fish and prawns.

Weber vegetable baskets

If you are just grilling vegetables straight on the grate place them into a plastic bag with a glug of vegetable oil, a grated garlic clove, a pinch of mixed dried herbs, sea salt and ground black pepper. Massage gently to cover all the vegetables and place over a medium direct heat, turn just once. The amount of time needed to cook the veggies will depend upon the vegetable, the size of the pieces and the heat of the BBQ.  

Combinations to try:

  • mushrooms with tarragon
  • tomatoes with basil or thyme
  • courgettes and aubergines with oregano, thyme and parsley
  • root vegetables with cumin and paprika
  • cherry tomatoes with halloumi on a skewer
  • sweet peppers with oregano
  • red and yellow sweet peppers, red onion, courgette and aubergine marinated in olive oil, garlic and Mediterranean herbs on a skewer

Tomatoes with thyme on the BBQ

Field mushrooms with parsley pesto and goat’s cheese (courtesy of Weber)

  • 4 – 6 large flat mushrooms
  • 8 – 12 slices goat’s cheese

Pesto; place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth:

  • 150ml vegetable oil
  • 25g parmesan cheese
  • ½ clove garlic
  • 30g flat-leaved parsley
  • 30g hazelnuts
  • sea salt & ground black pepper

Pre-heat the BBQ to 180 – 190C.
Place the mushrooms with the gills uppermost into a Weber Grill Basket and brush with the pesto.
Put 2 pieces of goat’s cheese into each mushroom.
Place the grill basket over indirect heat, close the BBQ lid and cook for 12 – 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Braised red cabbage

This makes a lovely accompaniment to beef dishes.

  • ½ small red cabbage; finely sliced
  • 3 large carrots; grated
  • handful sultanas
  • pinch cumin
  • black pepper
  • 50ml white wine

Combine all ingredients and place in a Large Weber Drip Pan; cover with foil and place on the BBQ in an area of medium indirect heat.
Close the lid on the BBQ and leave for 15 – 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft. 

We regularly hold BBQ demonstrations in store by Richard Holden and other top BBQ chefs, why not come along and be amazed at just what you can cook on your BBQ. Click here to see when we are holding the next demos.