Grilled Spring Vegetables

Grilled Spring Vegetables
Grilled Spring Vegetables. Sabrina S. Baksh
  • 35 mins
  • Prep: 25 mins,
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yield: serves: 5-6
Ratings

By Derrick Riches

Updated 04/02/18

Grilled vegetables are always a favorite, but spring vegetables really kick off the barbecue and grilling season. These tender and delicious veggies are quickly marinated in a red wine vinegar mixture and cooked quickly on the grill. This dish makes a perfect side dish, but flavorful enough for the vegetarian or vegan in the group. 

What You'll Need

  • 1 bundle of asparagus (about 1 1/2 pounds/680 g)
  • 2 whole artichokes
  • 2 large zucchini
  • 1 bundle of small rainbow carrots (6-7 total)
  • 4-6 large spring onions
  • 1 lemon (cut in half with seeds removed)
  • For the Marinade:
  • 1/4 cup/60 mL red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons/45 mL olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon/5 mL salt
  • 1 teaspoon5/ mL dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon/2.5 mL black pepper

How to Make It

1. Cut the bottoms off asparagus spears so that they are about 4 1/2" to 5 " inches in length. Wash in cool water, pat dry with paper towels and set aside.  Cut off any stems and greens from carrots and wash thoroughly.  Pat dry and set aside. Wash spring onions, pat dry, trim tops about 1/4" and cut off about 1/2" from the bottom (the green parts).  Do the same with the zucchini except cut into diagonal strips (about 3-3 1/2" long and 1/2" thick).

 Place all of the veggies into a resealable plastic bag. 

2. Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine and taste for salt content.  Adjust to your preference.  Remove 1 1/2 tablespoons/23 mL of marinade and place into another bowl.  This will be used for the artichoke.  Add remaining marinade to vegetables in bag.  Seal and carefully move vegetables around to evenly coat with marinade.  Place into refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

3. While the vegetables are marinating. Bring 4-5 cups of water to boil in a medium pot.  Cut the pointed tops off of artichokes and any pointed leaves around the perimeter. Cut in half and using a small spoon, carefully scrape away any fuzzy bits on the interior of artichoke.  Once water has come to a boil, place artichokes into the pot. Boil for 5 minutes only.  Promptly remove and place onto a clean dish towel or several layers of paper towels. Using tongs, carefully rotate them to remove any excess water trapped between the layers.  Let cool for 10 minutes. If the carrots being used are large, then use this same par-boiling method. Let them cool and brush with marinade.  Make sure to adjust for this by reserving more marinade.

4. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.  Once grill has reached the right cooking temperature, oil grill grates using a large pair of tongs, folded paper towels and oil.  Dunk paper towel in oil and wipe across grill grates several times to create a non-stick cooking surface. 

5. Brush reserved marinade onto the cut side of artichoke and place them onto the grill cut side down.

Add the remaining vegetables to the grill and cook for a total of 8-10 minutes, carefully turning 1-2 times during cooking process.

6.  Once cooked through, vegetables should be tender but not too mushy.  Place onto a platter, drizzle with fresh lemon juice and serve immediately.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 217
Total Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Unsaturated Fat 6 g
Cholesterol 69 mg
Sodium 524 mg
Carbohydrates 29 g
Dietary Fiber 8 g
Protein 8 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)