These colourful, fresh vegetable skewers are perfect for grilling when you need a quick side dish. So delicious and easy!
Vegetarian kabobs
Elevate your summer grilling experience with this quick and easy recipe for grilled veggie kabobs, the perfect accompaniment to anything you’re grilling. The charred corn, red onions, peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes are packed with color and texture and are topped off with BBQ sauce for added flavor. Make them ahead of time and throw them on the grill for a quick weeknight dinner or summer party. Perfect for a dairy-free and gluten-free diet. For more kabob recipes, try my Grilled Chicken Pesto Kebabs, Steak Kebabs with Chimichurri, and Blackened Grilled Salmon Skewers.
In summer, seasonal vegetables don’t need much work to develop their flavor. Here I kept it simple and seasoned it with salt and pepper (no marinade needed!) and then topped it off with some BBQ sauce. Fast and easy!
Veggie kabob ingredients
- Vegetables: Corn, red onions, yellow and red peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil spray for the vegetables
- Salt For seasoning
- Kabob Sauce: Water mixed with BBQ sauce (Buy your favorite sauce or make your own.)
How to grill veggie kabobs
- skewers: Use metal skewers or bamboo skewers. If using bamboo skewers, soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes before threading the veggies on them. Soaking will prevent the chopsticks from burning on the grill.
- Corn: Shell the corn and cut off the small ends from the cobs. Cut each ear into six pieces for a total of 12.
- Thread the skewers: Alternate the vegetables so that there are two pieces of each vegetable on each skewer.
- Season vegetables: Drizzle the skewers with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Preheat the grill to medium to high heat.
- Sauce: Combine the BBQ sauce and water in a small bowl.
How to cut vegetables for kabobs
Vegetable kababs are a popular choice for grilling, and the key to a great kabab is even the cooking. In order to cook the vegetables evenly, all the ingredients need to be cut to about the same size. If your pieces are of different sizes, the smaller ones could burn before the larger ones cook through. Here are some guidelines for preparing vegetables for kabobs:
- Paprika: Remove the stem and seeds and cut the peppers into 1 to 1 ½ inch squares. This size is big enough not to fall off the spit, but small enough to cook evenly.
- Red onions: Peel and quarter the onion.
- Zucchini or Yellow Squash: Look for medium-sized zucchini or squash. Cut them into ½ inch rounds. Make sure they aren’t too thin so they don’t get too soft and fall off the skewer.
- Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Leave the tomatoes whole.
- Corn: Remove the shell and silk. Cut the cobs into ½ to ¾ inch slices. Pierce the corn cobs through the center of the corn cob to ensure they are securely attached.
How long to grill veggie kabobs
Place the vegetable skewers on the grill and cook, turning frequently, until lightly charred and tender, about 10 minutes. During the last minute of cooking, brush the vegetables with the BBQ sauce and turn them again.
How to prepare vegetable skewers in the oven:
I find a grill pan is not suitable for these skewers. So if you don’t have a grill, you can also roast them in the oven. Place the oven rack 15cm below the heating element and cook for about ten minutes. Turn a few times to ensure even cooking.
What to serve with grilled vegetable skewers
These healthy vegetable skewers can serve as a vegetarian main course or as a simple side dish. Here are some ideas of what to serve with it.
How to store it
These easy vegetable skewers can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to cook.
How to store veggie kabobs
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave until warm.
variations
- Vegetables: Try different vegetables such as yellow squash, eggplant or mushrooms.
- Tomatoes: Swap cherry tomatoes for grape tomatoes.
- Sauce: If you don’t like BBQ sauce, skip it. You could top them off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
More grilled vegetable recipes you’ll love
Yield: 6 portions
Serving size: 1 kabob
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If using wooden skewers, soak for about 1 hour.
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Cut off the small ends of the corn and cut each one into 6 pieces for a total of 12 pieces.
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Arrange the skewers alternately with the vegetables so that there are two pieces of each vegetable on each skewer. Drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt.
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Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
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Mix BBQ sauce and water in a small bowl.
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Place the skewers on the grill and cook, turning frequently, until the vegetables are lightly charred and tender, about 10 minutes.
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During the last minute of cooking, brush the BBQ sauce over the veggies and flip again.
Last step:
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Portion: 1 kabob, Calories: 105 kcal, Carbohydrates: 24 G, Protein: 3.5 G, Fat: 1 G, Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.5 G, Sodium: 239.5 mg, Fiber: 3.5 G, Sugar: 11.5 G