Grilled vegetables make a delicious accompaniment to your favorite meat or chicken, but they can be downright magical when you take the time to marinate them before grilling. If you’ve never considered marinating your vegetables, you’re going to be thrilled with the delicious flavors you can create with just a little effort.

Preparing a Grilled Vegetable Marinade

Like marinades intended for meat, your vegetable marinade will consist of an oil, an acid, and whatever flavorings and herbs you want to add. The acid (citrus juice or vinegar) serves to break down the vegetable fibers, allowing the flavor to be absorbed.

It’s easy to create your own marinade by deciding what flavor family you want and choosing herbs and spices that fit in that category. For instance, an Italian meal might use an herb-garlic vegetable marinade, while a Cajun theme might opt for something a little spicier.

Grilled Vegetable Marinade Ideas

Not everyone feels confident enough in their chef skills to throw together a marinade off the top of their head. For those of us who would rather work from a recipe, here are five delicious vegetable marinades to tantalize your tastebuds:

1. Garlic Soy–1/2 c. olive oil, 1/2 c. lemon juice, 1/2 c. soy sauce, and 1 clove fresh minced garlic. Whisk together in a bowl and pour over vegetables in a zip top bag.
2. Mojo–3/4 c. olive oil, 1 c. sour orange juice (or substitute 1/2 c. orange juice, 1/4 c. lemon juice, and 1/4 c. lime juice), 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 c. minced onion, 1 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. crushed peppercorns, and 1 tsp. salt.
3. Asian–2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar, 2 tsp fresh ginger, 1 tsp sesame oil.
4. Garlic Lemon Basil–1/4 c.  olive oil, 1/4 c. lemon juice, 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil, 2 cloves minced garlic.
5. Basalmic Honey–1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 c. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. honey, 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, 1 tsp black pepper.

Don’t be afraid to experiment! Change up the ingredients, add your own, or try something completely different. It’s all part of the outdoor chef experience!

Grilling Tips

Pre-chop vegetables into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Once your marinade is prepared, let the vegetables steep in it for 30 minutes to an hour. Don’t leave any longer than this or your veggies will be mushy. Thread the pieces onto a skewer for veggie shish kabobs. Heat grill to medium-high (350 or 400 degrees) and place skewers on grill plate. Grill for 10-12 minutes, turning once about halfway through. Veggies are done when they can be pierced easily with a fork.

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