Vegetables that are best for grilling and why: Chefs share 5 smart tips
Summer is the time for grills to be fired up for barbecues. To inspire some healthy additions to dinner for family and friends, two chefs revealed how they grill vegetables.
With summer grilling season in full swing, folks might be looking to push beyond the standard summer grill fare of burgers, hot dogs and sausages.
While vegetables are not a traditional barbecue item, grilling is actually a great way to prepare them – and add some color to a meal.
Two chefs shared with Fox News Digital ways to grill vegetables – and their techniques to bring out the best flavors from the grill.
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"For the most part, almost any vegetable, theoretically, can be grilled," Jami Flat, executive chef at Amaterra in Portland, Oregon, told Fox News Digital in an email.
"You want to make sure you're cooking it until al dente and not cooked too much through," he added.
Flat's biggest tip for grilling, he said, is to "slightly reduce the heat" used, depending on the size of the vegetable being grilled, he said.
Different vegetables have to be approached differently, Flat said.
"There isn't one technique that fits each ingredient," he said. "Time and temperature on the grill will vary depending on what you want to do with it. You need to begin with the end product in mind."
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For instance, he said he grills zucchini or eggplant "with the purpose of removing the inside from the skin." He will then purée the grilled vegetable for one of his dishes.
But vegetables or even fruits with a high water content should not be grilled the same way as other vegetables, he said.
"As a general rule of thumb, items with a higher water or moisture content will be more difficult to grill because you won't get that char," he said.
The type of grill used – such as a gas grill, charcoal or other type – plays a role in how to approach grilling a vegetable, he said.
"Grilling food with higher moisture needs to be approached in a different way," Flat said. "Make sure it's a very quick grill on an extremely hot surface."
Flat's favorite vegetable to grill, he told Fox News Digital, is green beans – particularly in the summer months, when they are in season at the farmer's market.
"They are beautifully tender," he said.
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"Just add a little olive oil, salt and pepper over high heat. Add a little char on one side, but be careful not to grill them for too long."
Chef William Dissen, a James Beard-nominated chef, restaurateur, culinary diplomat and author, told Fox News Digital that his favorite vegetables to grill are "squash, broccoli, asparagus, potatoes, peppers and onions."
"These vegetables love a good char and are enhanced by the flavor of the smoke from the grill," Dissen said in an email to Fox News Digital.
Dissen is the owner of the Market Place restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, and the author of the book "Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted in the New South."
A way to further enhance the flavor of grilled vegetables is with a simple marinade, Dissen said – even something like lemon juice or vinegar.
"Growing up, my dad always used a bottle of Newman's Own balsamic vinaigrette and Italian dressing to make a quick marinade, then put it on the grill with the veggies to add acidity, herbal-ness and oil," he said.
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"It was a quick and easy way to add more flavor to the grilled vegetables," Dissen said.
But most of all, Flat encouraged people who might be afraid to grill to "just try it."
"Do a grilled potato salad or roasted potato salad over the grill instead of boiling or roasting potatoes," Flat said. "Look up a standard recipe online and see what works."
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Plus kids love it, he said.
"Grilling is a fun way for kids interested in vegetables since they can watch it cook and learn something at the same time," Flat said.