These Grilled Vegetable Kabobs are a fun and easy side dish to make at your next summer cookout. Each perfectly cooked bite-sized veggie is seasoned with zesty Italian dressing, giving it a little tang and a lot of flavor.
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Easy Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
During summer, these Grilled Veggie Kabobs are my favorite way to serve a variety of vegetables. They make eating a rainbow of veggies fun. Plus, these shish kabobs could not be more simple to prepare.
This recipe calls for using a variety of different bell peppers, red onions, yellow squash, zucchini, and button mushrooms but you can feel free to add other veggies like cherry tomatoes and eggplant. For a little extra zip, brush Italian dressing over the skewers as they cook. My favorite way to finish these off is with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
If you're looking for more kabob recipes, be sure to try our Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs, Fingerling Potato Kabobs, Chicken Bacon Pineapple Kabobs and our Asian Beef Kabobs.
Veggie Kabob Ingredients
- Bell Peppers - I like to use at least 2 different colors of bell peppers. Any one will work great.
- Red Onions - you can cut the red onions into 1” chunks, then skewer the entire piece.
- Yellow Squash and Zucchini - you can use both or just one or the other.
- Mushrooms - whole button mushrooms work great. Baby bella mushrooms are another good option.
- Olive Oil - either olive oil or avocado oil help keep the veggies from sticking and add good flavor.
- Italian Dressing - this can be used to brush over the Vegetable Kabob while it cook. It’s completely optional but gives the kabobs just a little tang and a lot of flavor.
- Italian Seasoning - this is an easy way to season veggies, but you could substitute any dried herbs and garlic powder.
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese - freshly grated Parmesan cheese is a great way to finish off your Grilled Veggie Kabobs.
- Kabob Skewers - you can use either metal skewers or wooden/bamboo skewers. Metal skewers will just need to be lightly brushed with olive oil. Wooden and bamboo skewers, however, need to soak in water for 30 minutes so that they don’t catch fire.
More Vegetables for Kabobs
There are loads of other great vegetables to add to your Grilled Veggie Skewers. Just make sure that the vegetables you put together will take a similar amount of time to cook. Here are a few more ideas:
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Asparagus
- Eggplant
I recommend avoiding the following, simply because they should either be blanched first or will take too long to cook on a skewer:
- Baby potatoes
- Carrot chunks
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
How to Make Grilled Veggie Kabobs
- Soak the bamboo skewers. Place the bamboo or wooden skewers in a shallow baking dish and cover with water. Let wooden skewers soak for at least 30 minutes so the sticks don't burn while the vegetables cook.
- Prep the veggies. Rinse and prepare the vegetables by slicing them into ½" thick slices or 1" bite sized pieces.
- Add veggies to skewers and season. Thread the vegetables onto the wooden skewers, alternating colors. Be sure to evenly space the vegetables so they cook evenly. Brush the kabobs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and Italian Seasoning to taste.
- Grill the veggies. Spray the grill with cooking oil then grill the kabobs over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender and slightly charred. If desired, brush lightly with a vinegar-based Italian dressing. Continue to grill until all sides of the kabobs are lightly roasted, turning with tongs as each side cooks.
- Serve. Remove the kabobs from the grill and lightly sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Tips for Making the Best Vegetable Kabobs On The Grill
- Choose the Right Vegetables: When making grilled vegetable kabobs, it's important to choose the right vegetables that will hold up well on the grill. Opt for vegetables that have a firm texture and won't turn mushy, such as bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and cherry tomatoes.
- Prep the Vegetables Properly: Before assembling your kabobs, make sure to prep the vegetables properly. Wash and dry them thoroughly, then cut them into uniform-sized pieces. This will ensure that all the vegetables cook evenly and is easier to thread onto the skewers.
- Marinate the Veggies: To add an extra burst of flavor to your grilled vegetable kabobs, it's a great idea to marinate them. Whisk together a simple marinade using ingredients like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs, and spices. Let the vegetables marinate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse.
- Soak the Skewers: If you're using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before assembling the kabobs. This will prevent the skewers from burning on the grill.
- Brush with Oil: Before grilling, don't forget to brush the vegetable kabobs with oil to prevent them from sticking to the grill and to help with caramelization. You can use olive oil, vegetable oil, or any other oil with a high smoke point.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need to marinate veggies for kabobs, however you absolutely can. For certain porous vegetables such as mushrooms or squash, marinating them can add quite a bit of flavor. You only need to marinate for about 20-30 minutes.
The amount of time it takes for your veggies to grill depends on lots of factors including what types of vegetables, what size and shape they are cut in, how hot your grill is, and how many you are cooking at once. In general, you can expect it to take between 5-10 minutes for Veggie Kabobs to become golden brown and cooked through on all sides.
The most important thing to keep in mind when prepping veggies for kabobs is to keep them all roughly the same size. This way they will cook evenly. Otherwise, just aim for bite-sized pieces.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: remove all grilled veggies from the grilling skewers and store in the airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: you can microwave leftovers, or reheat in a skillet over the stovetop slowly with a little water or avocado oil.
Grilled Vegetable Kabobs Recipe
Equipment
- 4 Bamboo Kabob Sticks soaked in water
Ingredients
- 1 medium Green Pepper
- 1 medium Red Pepper
- 1 small Red Onion
- 2 medium Yellow Squash
- 2 medium Zucchini
- ½ pound Button Mushrooms
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Italian Dressing optional
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Meanwhile, place the bamboo or wooden skewers in a shallow baking dish and cover with water. Soak for at least 30 minutes so the sticks don't burn while the vegetables cook.
- Rinse and prepare the vegetables by slicing them into ½" thick slices or 1" bite sized pieces.
- Thread the vegetables onto the wooden skewers, alternating colors. Be sure to evenly space the vegetables so they cook evenly. Brush the kabobs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and Italian Seasoning to taste.
- Spray the grill with cooking oil then grill the kabobs over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender and slightly charred. If desired, brush lightly with a vinegar-based Italian dressing.
- Continue to grill until all sides of the kabobs are lightly roasted, turning with tongs as each side cooks.
- Remove the kabobs from the grill and lightly sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Easy Summer Grilling Recipes
- Lemon Rosemary Chicken Kabobs
- Southwest Chicken Kabobs
- Hamburgers
- Homemade Grilled Pizza
- Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Chicken BLT Salad
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
- More Veggie Side Dish Recipes
- More Easy Summer Recipes
These easy Grilled Vegetable Shish Kabobs are the perfect side dish to serve at your next summer BBQ. For extra flavor, brush the veggies with Italian dressing as they cook.
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