In Episode 89, host Taryn Solie tells you how to grill up some veggies with a balsamic marinade. This versatile grilling recipe features asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms, all enhanced by a sweet and tangy balsamic marinade. You’ll hear expert guidance on ingredient selection and grilling techniques, ensuring your veggies turn out perfectly every time.
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast player. Or scroll down to read a full transcript.
RECIPES MENTIONED
These are some of the recipes mentioned in the episode, all of which are on Hot Pan Kitchen.
- Marinated grilled vegetables
- 4 ingredient marinated chicken thighs
- Red skin potato salad
- Fruit salad for a crowd
- Grilled flank steak
- Gluten free hamburgers
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Some of the following are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Episode 75 Grilling Zucchini
- Episode 76 Grilling Bell Peppers
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Salt conversion chart from Epicurious
- 9×13 baking dish
- Ziploc gallon bags
- Tongs
- Basting brush
TRANSCRIPT
Taryn Solie: Hello grillers, and thank you for tuning in today! I am your host, Taryn Solie, and I am here to talk with you about everything grilling and outdoor cooking, including delicious recipes and handy tips and tricks, all to give you some grilling inspiration
Today on the podcast we’re going over a recipe that’s actually several recipes in one, because we’re going to be grilling up a bunch of vegetables. Now I already have several podcast episodes on how to grill different veggies, including episode 75 on grilling zucchini and episode 76 on grilling bell peppers.
But this one is a little different because the veggies are in a super simple balsamic marinade. They only need about 30 minutes in the marinade and then you can pop them on the grill and have them done in less than 15 minutes.
This recipe is great when you’re serving a crowd because it grills up a lot of different veggies quickly so people have options. The marinade makes the veggies slightly sweet and tangy, but not overpowering, which means they go well with a bunch of different types of foods.
But before we get into what to serve them with, let’s talk about what you need! For the marinade itself, grab the following ingredients:
- 4 oz of a mild high heat oil, like avocado oil;
- 2 oz of balsamic vinegar;
- 2 tsp of Diamond Crystal kosher salt; and
- ½ tsp of ground black pepper
You can use the marinade with whatever veggies you want to grill, but if you’re following this recipe specifically you’ll want the following veggies:
- 1 lb of asparagus;
- 1 zucchini;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 1 red onion; and
- 8 oz of mushrooms.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind about the ingredients. For the marinade, I like to use an aged balsamic as it tends to be a little sweeter than a regular balsamic. This helps lend a sweeter, more mild flavor to the marinade.
Then for the salt in the marinade, I specifically used Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is the brand of salt I prefer to cook and grill with. It’s less salty by volume than other salts, leaving a little more room for error as you season your food. If you have a different type of salt, I’ll link to an article on the show notes page that will help you figure out how much salt to use.
About the veggies, there’s two things to really call out. One is the zucchini – you want to get a small or medium zucchini. If you get a really large one, meaning one that’s very wide, it’s likely to get mushy on the grill because it has a really large soft center. So try to get one that’s not too wide around.
For the mushrooms, I would recommend using a common button-style mushroom since we’re going to be putting them directly on the grill. I like to use cremini mushrooms as they have a bit more flavor than white mushrooms, which are quite bland. Try to get large mushrooms but medium or even smaller sized ones will still work – as long as they’re not so tiny they’re at risk of falling through the grill grates.
Okay, now let’s get to the recipe!
First up you want to prep the vegetables. Make sure they’re clean and dried off – particularly for the mushrooms you’ll likely need to wipe off any dirt and grime with a paper towel. Take out one or two large rectangular 9 by 13 inch dishes or a couple plastic ziploc bags to put the prepped veggies into for marinating.
Starting with the asparagus, take the stiff, woody ends off of them. You can either bend them until they snap off at a natural breaking point, or cut them off with a sharp knife on a cutting board. Set them in the dish or plastic bag when done.
For the onion, peel the papery outside layers off, then cut it into roughly half inch slices with a sharp knife on a cutting board. Carefully push a toothpick into each slice until it reaches the center to help keep the onion layers together, then place the onion slices in a dish or bag as well.
To prep the bell pepper, first you’ll need to remove the tops. Start cutting less than half an inch down from the top of the pepper and carefully cut all the way around until the top comes off – it will kind of look like a hat. Slice each bell pepper in half from top to bottom and remove any seeds with your fingers and throw them away. Place the pepper halves in a dish or plastic bag.
For the zucchini, cut a bit off the ends first then you can either cut it in half or quarters lengthwise – so you have long skinnier pieces. If you have a thinner zucchini you may want halves; for a thicker zucchini I would definitely recommend quarters. Place the zucchini in a dish or plastic bag.
The mushrooms, after they’re cleaned, require very little prep. You can remove the stems if you like – they do tend to soak in more of the marinade that way – but it’s not necessary. Place them in a dish or plastic bag as well.
Now you need to make the marinade and cover the vegetables in it. First make sure the veggies are in a single layer in the dishes or plastic ziploc bags. You will likely more than one dish or bag to do this.
Make the marinade by pouring the balsamic vinegar and oil into a measuring cup, then add the kosher salt and ground black pepper into it. Stir with a whisk until it’s combined. If it doesn’t want to combine try pouring it into a container with a lid and shaking it – I like to use a mason jar for this.
Next pour the marinade over the veggies. Use your hands to help coat all of the veggies in the marinade – you will likely need to flip both the onion slices and bell peppers several times to get them completely coated.
If you’re using 9 by 13 dishes, then cover them with a lid if you have them, or pieces of plastic wrap. If you’re using plastic bags just squeeze out as much air as you can and seal them shut. Marinate the veggies in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour, removing them 10 minutes before placing them on the grill to let them warm slightly – meaning they’d only be in the fridge for 20 to 50 minutes.
When the marinated veggies are on the counter warming up, go ahead and preheat your grill to between 375 and 400 degrees F. Once the grill comes to temperature, use tongs to place the veggies directly on the grill grates and close the lid. Keep the marinade the veggies were in to either brush or drizzle on the grilled veggies once they’re done.
Each veggie will have different grilling times, though they can all be placed on the grill at the same time and taken off as they finish cooking. Starting with the veggies that have the shortest cooking time:
- Both the asparagus and the zucchini will cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, then another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.
- The bell peppers will cook for 4 minutes on the first side, then another 2 to 4 minutes on the second side.
- The mushrooms will cook for 4 minutes on the first side, then another 3 to 4 minutes on the second size.
- The onions will cook for 5 minutes on the first side, then another 4 to 7 minutes on the second side.
When the veggies are done cooking, remove them from the grill with a pair of tongs and set them on a platter. You can drizzle or brush any leftover marinade on top, if desired, then serve!
As I mentioned previously, you can eat these veggies with just about anything. My family likes to eat them with some marinated and grilled chicken thighs, with maybe a potato salad and some fruit as other sides. You could certainly eat them with other grilled proteins like grilled flank steak or even some hamburgers.
I’ll include a link to the full printable recipe for grilled marinated veggies, as well as the other recipes and resources I’ve mentioned, on the show notes page. To get to it you can either go to my main website at Hot Pan Kitchen dot com and click on podcast in the main menu, or you can click on the link provided in whatever podcast app you’re listening on.
If you enjoyed this recipe, consider subscribing to the show on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss out on future episodes! I’ve got so many more great grilling and smoking recipes you’re going to love.
That’s it for today, thank you so much for listening, and until next time, keep grilling like a mother.
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