Appetizers

Grilled Vegetable Platter

Author: Mary DiSomma

If you spent any time in my kitchen, you’d know that vegetables are a non-negotiable part of every meal. My mom made sure of that when I was growing up! As for me, I never really got into grilling much… but my daughter Maddy sure did. She takes after her dad in that way and has taught me a thing or two about mastering the grill! These days, I absolutely love grilling—especially in the summer when produce is at its peak and those Midwest days feel like magic. In summertime, grilled veggie platters like this one are on repeat. They’re easy, colorful, and pair great with just about anything.

Grilled Vegetable Platter

Grilled Vegetable Platter

This colorful, smoky grilled vegetable platter is a perfect addition to any summer meal—easy to prep, fun to serve, and delicious with homemade sauces!

Yield
6-8 Servings
Prep Time
30 minutes 30 min
Cook Time
7 minutes 7 min
Total Time
37 minutes 37 min

Ingredients

Optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare all your vegetables and place them, arranged by type, on a baking sheet.
  2. Heat your grill to medium high. While the grill is heating, lightly brush your vegetables with avocado oil. I like to use avocado oil because it has a high heat point, up to 500° F.
  3. When your grill is ready, start grilling your vegetables. More dense vegetables like potatoes, carrots, peppers, and eggplant will take longer than more tender vegetables like asparagus, broccolini, tomatoes, mushrooms, and green onions.
  4. When grilled, place the vegetables decoratively on a serving platter and serve with my Romesco sauce or one of my other sauce recipes!
Grilled Vegetable Platter

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Romesco Sauce

This rich and smoky Spanish-style romesco sauce is packed with flavor from roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and ancho chiles—perfect for veggies, meats, and more.

Yield
2 ½ Cups
Prep Time
1 hour 15 minutes 1 hr 15 min
Cook Time
15 minutes 15 min
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1½ cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chiles. Let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour to soften. I like to put a heat-proof plate on top of the peppers so they stay submerged.
  2. While the chiles are soaking, roast the red bell pepper. Turn your broiler on high. Place the red pepper, cut side down, on a piece of foil on a baking sheet. Broil until the skin begins to blacken. Remove from the broiler and let cool to the touch. Place the pepper under cool running water and remove the blackened skin. Discard the blackened skin. Coarsely chop the red bell pepper and set it aside.
  3. Drain the ancho chile, reserving the liquid. Remove and discard the tops and seeds from the chiles. Coarsely chop the chiles and set aside.
  4. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When warm, add the bread and garlic and cook over moderate heat, turning the bread occasionally, until the garlic and bread are slightly browned. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
  5. In a food processor, place the ancho chiles, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and almonds or hazelnuts. Add the garlic, bread, and any remaining olive oil from the pan. Pulse to puree until smooth, using a spatula to push down the mixture as needed.
  6. Add the smoked paprika, sherry vinegar, and parsley along with ⅓ cup of the chile soaking liquid. Pulse to puree, adding additional chile soaking liquid as needed to create a sauce consistency you like. I prefer this sauce to be rather thick.
  7. Season the sauce to taste with salt and black pepper. The sauce can be stored for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Bring the sauce to room temperature before serving.
Romesco Sauce
Ingredient Tips

There are so many veggies that love the grill! I like to mix colors and textures for the prettiest (and tastiest) platter. Here are some of my go-to picks and how I prep them:

  • Summer squash and zucchini: sliced long way into ⅓-inch strips
  • Japanese eggplant: sliced long way into ⅓-inch strips
  • Broccolini: Tough lower stems removed
  • Green onions: Root removed. I love to get these from the farmers’ market so they have lovely long greens on them.
  • Asparagus: tough ends removed
  • Sweet potatoes or Yukon potatoes: sliced into rounds
  • Trumpet mushrooms: sliced into long ⅓-inch pieces
  • Shitake mushroom caps: tough stems removed
  • Onions: sliced into ⅓-inch rounds
  • Peppers: red, yellow or green—cut into quarters, seeds removed
  • Small peppers: I love these small red, yellow and orange peppers that are sold in bags at the grocery store. Just throw them on the grill whole!
  • Carrots: I love to use organic carrots from the farmers’ market. You can get a variety of colors from yellow and red to orange and purple.
  • Tomatoes: Tomatoes are not the easiest vegetables to grill. I like to find small tomatoes that are still on the vine. If you are careful, you can put the whole bunch of tomatoes on the grill to lightly char them. Another way to grill tomatoes is to choose smaller tomatoes and put them on a water-soaked wood skewer. Soaking the skewers before putting them on the grill makes them less likely to char.

A little goes a long way. I prefer to keep things simple with a blend of avocado oil (high smoke point = better grilling), kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. If I’m feeling fancy, I might sprinkle on some crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest, or a drizzle of balsamic glaze just before serving. Grilled veggies are versatile, so feel free to experiment with your own favorite flavors!

Preparation + Preservation Tips

It all depends on the veggie, but generally you’re looking at 3 to 7 minutes total. Dense vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, and eggplant take a bit longer. More tender ones like asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, and green onions grill up quickly. Grill until they’ve got beautiful char marks and are tender but not mushy.

You can, but it’s not a must. Personally, I prefer to brush them with avocado oil (which has a high smoke point and won’t burn easily) and sprinkle with a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. That lets their natural flavors shine, especially when you’re serving them with a great sauce on the side.

Extra Tips

Honestly, these veggies are wonderful on their own, but I love adding a couple of sauces to dip or drizzle. Set everything out family-style and let people dress their own plates. Add a loaf of crusty bread and a chilled glass of white wine, and you’ve got yourself a summer dinner worth repeating. Here are a few of my favorite sauces to share when I grill out:

Romesco Sauce

Made with roasted red peppers and ancho chiles for a smoky, slightly spicy kick. You’ll want to put this on everything!

Romesco Sauce➝

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Rich, tangy, and packed with umami. If you’ve never tried variations on classic pesto, you’ve got to try this one!

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto➝

Mint and Basil Pesto with Almonds

Bright and herbaceous, this mint and basil pesto recipe is made with almonds instead of the classic pine nuts. Refreshing in every way!

Mint and Basil Pesto with Almonds➝

Easy Lemon Herb Mayonnaise

This creamy flavored mayonnaise is versatile and so good in summertime. Seasoned with lemon and fresh herbs, this one feels fancy but is very easy to make.

Easy Lemon Herb Mayonnaise➝

Homemade Remoulade Sauce

This savory sauce goes great with finger foods and grilled goodies! It’s super easy to make, and soon you’ll be dipping everything in it.

Homemade Remoulade Sauce➝

Argentine Chimichurri

An easy, classic chimichurri sauce recipe to add a pop of flavor and color to your next cookout.

Argentine Chimichurri➝

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