Delicious Grilled Vegetables, Every Time

Vegetarian grilling may seem oxymoronic—grilling means hotdogs, hamburgers and steak right? But grilling is actually a great way to cook vegetables and to turn out tasty vegetarian meals. Grilling enhances the naturally delicious flavors of vegetables.

Cooking methods are divided into three groups: moist heat methods like boiling and steaming, dry heat methods such as grilling and baking and combination methods, like braising where both moist and dry heat are used. When cooking, using moist heat methods, the temperature never really goes above the boiling point of water or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry heat methods, on the other hand, allow the food to get much hotter and as a result sugars caramelize (turn brown and change flavor) and more water is lost as it evaporates out of the food. The combination of water loss and caramelization results in more intense flavors.

Sadly, all too often grilled vegetables are served blackened and bitter or essentially raw and either way they're unappealing. So what's the key to delicious grilled vegetables? Understanding the proper technique. When armed with the right information, it's easy to prepare mouth watering, juicy vegetables that are perfectly tender and never over-caramelized.

First things first: size and shape matters. Vegetable kabobs may look nice just before they go on the grill, but they rarely taste good once cooked. The problem is the shape of the pieces, and the fact that they are packed together on a skewer.

The best way to achieve perfectly grilled vegetables is to cut them into large flat pieces that are even thickness throughout. Once cooked these large pieces can be cut into smaller shapes and used in a variety of dishes. This method works particularly well with the summer squashes and eggplant. Their natural shape allows you to cut them into long slabs that are about 3/8-inch thick.

Other vegetables are more difficult to handle because they don't have a uniform shape and size to begin with, but once you master cutting them into the proper shapes they are a cinch to grill.

Onions should be cut into 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch thick rounds, parallel to the equator. Make sure to start from one end and not by cutting the onion in half first. Then skewer the slices with a toothpick or small skewer to keep the rings together.