Grilled Vegetables with Herb Vinaigrette

This is your public service announcement to eat your vegetables and while you’re at it, you might as well Eat the Rainbow!

My Grilled Vegetables recipe will help you do just that! Yellow, orange, red, green and purple are all represented here - courtesy of fresh and vibrant peppers, zucchinis, cherry tomatoes, onions and eggplant. These veggies are stacked onto skewers, seasoned with authority, and grilled to perfection, leaving you with a delicious, flavourful and crunchy yet tender bite. Wait, it gets better - the grilled vegetables are then given some special treatment with a generous drizzle of my herb vinaigrette. This vinaigrette adds layers of bold flavour to this colourful and exciting dish!

Serve them alongside your favourite protein - grilled chicken or turkey, steak, pork or fish and you’ve got yourself a complete and filling meal! So, let’s help you hit your daily vegetable intake quota with this simple and easy recipe. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Serves: Makes 8 Skewers

Ingredients:

Vegetable Skewers

• 1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1 orange pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1 green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

• 1 large onion, cut in half and then quartered

• 1 yellow zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices

• 1 green zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices

• 16 cherry tomatoes

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp ground pepper

• Additional salt and pepper, to taste

Herb Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, leaves and stems, finely chopped

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the grill to 375F and set aside a 11” x 17” rimmed baking sheet and eight 10 inch metal skewers.

2. Assembling the Skewers: To each skewer, add a piece of red pepper, green pepper and orange pepper, 2 slices of green zucchinis, 2 slices of yellow zucchini, 2 cherry tomatoes, a few segments or slices of onion and 2 pieces of eggplant. Repeat the process for the remaining vegetables and skewers.

3. In a small bowl, combine the dried thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Give it a mix until well incorporated.

4. Seasoning the Vegetables: Drizzle olive oil over the skewers and then dust the seasoning over top.

5. Let’s Get Grilling: Once the grill reaches the desired temperature, place the vegetable skewers onto an oiled or seasoned grill. Cook for a total of 10 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly charred and tender on the outside and crunchy on the inside. For best results, rotate the skewers every 2 1/2 minutes for the duration of the cook time.

6. Preparing the Herb Vinaigrette: While the vegetables are cooking, to a small bowl or mason jar, add the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic, thyme leaves, red pepper flakes and salt. Whisk or shake until fully combined.

7. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place them onto a serving platter or plate. Drizzle the herb vinaigrette over top and serve and enjoy!

Notes:

1. Veggie Change Up: Feel free to make any modifications or substitutions to the veggies used in this recipe - the world is your oyster here! Just be mindful that firmer vegetables, such as baby potatoes, beets or carrots, require a longer cook time. If you’d like to use them in this recipe, they should be placed on their own skewer, as they benefit from a longer cook time, and should be grilled until fork tender.

2. Dress It Up: The grilled vegetables have plenty of flavour on their own given a nice dose of seasoning. However, if you really want to see the vegetables shine, top them with my fresh, bright and tangy herb vinaigrette.