Summer grilling season isn’t complete without a big pile of Grilled Vegetables and delicious dipping sauces to go along with them. Asparagus, sweet peppers, zucchini, eggplant and cipollini onions get a little smoky char on the grill, then they’re served with not one, but two easy sauces: a bright sweet and sour parsley sauce and a cool, creamy dill sauce.
Serve the vegetables as a summer side dish with my Marinated Greek Lamb Chops, Harissa Chicken Skewers or Grilled Piri Piri Chicken Thighs.
Grilled Vegetables: Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings
6 People
Calories*
203 kcal
Difficulty
Easy
Main Ingredients
Asparagus, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, sour cream, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh parsley, fresh dill, lime and honey.
Technique
Mixing sauces, chopping, grilling and serving vegetables.
*Calories are estimated
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to prepare. The vegetables need little more than olive oil, salt and pepper before hitting the grill, and both sauces come together quickly in bowls.
- Perfect for grilling season. This recipe makes the most of summer vegetables like zucchini, eggplant and sweet peppers, but you can easily change the selection based on what’s growing in your garden or available at the market. Check below for vegetable suggestions.
- Tested and Reliable. Groceries are expensive! All my Side Dish Recipes are tested by me, my team or recipe testers before posting.
Ingredients
When the garden is producing faster than I can keep up, or the farmers’ market is overflowing with colorful produce, grilling is one of my favorite ways to put all those vegetables to good use. Here is what you will need:
- Vegetable Assortment: I am using fresh asparagus, sweet peppers, eggplant, zucchini and small Cipollini onions. But there are so many other vegetables suitable for grilling. I included a section below on this, so if you need inspiration or guidance, check it out.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Used in the sweet and sour herb sauce. Adds acidity and tang. White wine or sherry vinegar can also work. If you want to try something a little different, you could make my Mint Chimichurri Sauce, Cilantro Chimichurri or Red Chimichurri Recipe.
- Honey: Also used in the sweet and sour herb sauce. Balances the vinegar with sweetness. Maple syrup can be used instead.
- Sour Cream: Used in the creamy dill lime sauce. Adds tanginess. Plain Greek yogurt can be substituted. If you want to do something a little spicy, my Creamy Chipotle Sauce would be lovely too.
- Lime: I am using both the lime zest and lime juice in the creamy dill lime sauce. You can, of course, use lemons if you prefer.
- Fresh Dill: The star of the creamy dill lime sauce. Fresh dill is preferred here, but dried dill can work in a pinch. If you don’t have dill, you could also use parsley.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Grilled Vegetables with Two Dipping Sauces Recipe
Step 1. Make the Sauces. In two separate small bowls, combine the ingredients for each sauce and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, acidity or sweetness to your preference. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
Step 2. Prep the Vegetables. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus. Slice the zucchini and eggplant into ½-inch rounds. Prepare the sweet peppers for grilling and thread the peeled cipollini onions onto skewers so they don’t fall through the grill grates. Brush the prepared vegetables lightly with olive oil on both sides and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 3. Grill. Heat a gas grill to medium-high. Clean the grill grates well and lightly oil them to help prevent sticking. Arrange the vegetables on the hot grill. Cook until tender and lightly charred, turning as needed. Keep in mind that the vegetables won’t all cook at exactly the same rate, so remove each one as it becomes tender.
Step 4. Serve. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a large serving platter and serve warm or at room temperature with the sweet and sour sauce and creamy dill sauce on the side.
Best Vegetables for Grilling
One of the best things about this recipe is that you don’t have to stick to the vegetables I’ve listed. Use what’s in season, what you have growing in the garden or whatever needs to be used up in the fridge.
I recommend vegetables with enough structure to withstand direct heat as especially good choices. And because different vegetables cook at different speeds, it’s better to treat each one individually rather than expecting everything to finish at once. Some of my favorite vegetables for grilling include:
- Zucchini and summer squash: Cut them into thick rounds, planks or long slices so they hold together.
- Eggplant: Thick rounds or lengthwise slices become tender and smoky on the grill. Make sure eggplant cooks all the way through rather than leaving it spongy in the center. The grilled eggplant can also be used to make Mutabal (roasted Eggplant Dip).
- Sweet peppers: Halves, quarters or large flat pieces are easy to grill and develop great sweetness as they char.
- Asparagus: Keep the spears whole and place them perpendicular to the grill grates so they don’t fall through.
- Onions: Cipollini onions are delicious, but red, yellow and sweet onions are all great options. Cut larger onions into thick rounds or wedges.
- Corn: Grill whole cobs and turn them as they develop color. Or use it in my Grilled Corn Peach Salad.
- Mushrooms: Large portobello mushrooms can go directly on the grill, while smaller mushrooms are easier to manage on skewers or in a grill basket.
- Broccolini: Its long stems make it especially easy to grill, and a little char on the florets adds great flavor.
- Tomatoes: Use cherry tomatoes on skewers.
As a general rule, cut vegetables to expose plenty of surface area to the grill. More contact with the hot grates means more browning and smoky grilled flavor.
Pairing and Menu Ideas
These grilled vegetables work as a side dish, but with two sauces on the platter, they can easily become part of a bigger summer spread. Keeping with the grilling theme, serve them with my Marinated Greek Lamb Chops, Harissa Chicken Skewers, Grilled Piri Piri Chicken Thighs, Grilled Shrimp Skewers (with Garlic, Lemon and Old Bay), Grilled Mediterranean Salmon Kabobs, or Grilled Shishito and Prawns , even my North African Grilled Lamb Loin Chops.
Expert Tips
- Don’t cut the vegetables too thin. Thick slices are easier to handle on the grill and are less likely to become overly soft or fall through the grates.
- Oil the vegetables lightly. You want enough oil to coat their surfaces and discourage sticking, but they shouldn’t be dripping with it.
- Start with a properly heated grill. A hot, clean grill helps create better browning and grill marks.
- Don’t constantly move the vegetables. Give them some time against the hot grates to develop those gorgeous grill marks before turning.
- Pay attention to individual cooking times. Asparagus can cook in just a few minutes, while peppers, eggplant and zucchini generally need longer. Don’t be afraid to add and remove vegetables from the grill at different times.
- Use skewers or a grill basket for small vegetables. Cipollini onions and other small vegetables have a habit of disappearing between the grates. Skewers keep them under control, while a grill basket is useful for smaller chopped vegetables.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. This is especially helpful when entertaining because you don’t need every vegetable to come off the grill at precisely the same moment. Grilled vegetables hold up very well at room temperature.
Grilled Vegetables Recipe FAQs
Yes. Both sauces can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated in covered containers. In fact, making the creamy dill sauce a little ahead gives the garlic and dill time to flavor the sauce. Give both sauces a good stir before serving.
You can wash and cut most of the vegetables several hours in advance and refrigerate them until you’re ready to grill. I prefer to oil and season them shortly before grilling.
Store cooled grilled vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keep the sauces in separate airtight containers. The vegetables are delicious cold, at room temperature or gently reheated.
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Grilled Vegetables with Two Dipping Sauces
Ingredients
For the Vegetables
- 1 Asparagus bunch – tough ends trimmed
- 2 Sweet peppers
- 1 Eggplant
- 1 Zucchini
- 10 Cipollini onions
- 1-2 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
For the Sweet and Sour Herb Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- ¼ Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dreamy Dill Lime Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoon Sour cream
- 2 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Lime zest
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 2 tablespoon Fresh dill (chopped)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the Sauces. In two separate small bowls, combine the ingredients for each sauce and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, acidity or sweetness to your preference. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
- Prep the Vegetables. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus. Slice the zucchini and eggplant into ½-inch rounds. Prepare the sweet peppers for grilling and thread the peeled cipollini onions onto skewers so they don’t fall through the grill grates. Brush the prepared vegetables lightly with olive oil on both sides and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Grill. Heat a gas grill to medium-high. Clean the grill grates well and lightly oil them to help prevent sticking. Arrange the vegetables on the hot grill. Cook until tender and lightly charred, turning as needed. Keep in mind that the vegetables won’t all cook at exactly the same rate, so remove each one as it becomes tender.
- Serve. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a large serving platter and serve warm or at room temperature with the sweet and sour sauce and creamy dill sauce on the side.
Notes
- Red Wine Vinegar: Used in the sweet and sour herb sauce. Adds acidity and tang. White wine or sherry vinegar can also work.
- Honey: Also used in the sweet and sour herb sauce. Balances the vinegar with sweetness. Maple syrup can be used instead.
- Sour Cream: Used in the creamy dill lime sauce. Adds tanginess. Plain Greek yogurt can be substituted.
- Lime: I am using both the lime zest and lime juice in the creamy dill lime sauce. You can, of course, use lemons if you prefer.
- Fresh Dill: The star of the creamy dill lime sauce. Fresh dill is preferred here, but dried dill can work in a pinch. If you don’t have dill, you could also use parsley.
- Don’t cut the vegetables too thin. Thick slices are easier to handle on the grill and are less likely to become overly soft or fall through the grates.
- Oil the vegetables lightly. You want enough oil to coat their surfaces and discourage sticking, but they shouldn’t be dripping with it.
- Start with a properly heated grill. A hot, clean grill helps create better browning and grill marks.
- Don’t constantly move the vegetables. Give them some time against the hot grates to develop those gorgeous grill marks before turning.
- Pay attention to individual cooking times. Asparagus can cook in just a few minutes, while peppers, eggplant and zucchini generally need longer. Don’t be afraid to add and remove vegetables from the grill at different times.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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