Grilled Veggie Kabobs With Balsamic Vinegar

They’re ready in just 30 minutes and this includes prepping the vegetables. Leftovers are great too! Some recipes are just perfect for summer. These tasty kabobs are one of them. They are easy to make, fresh-tasting, and they look gorgeous - so pretty and colorful. A few other summer favorites include grilled peaches (preferably with homemade frozen yogurt), chilled gazpacho, and caprese salad.

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make these grilled vegetable kabobs. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:

For the marinade:

Olive oil: This is my favorite oil, it’s so very flavorful. But if you’re unsure about cooking with it, you can use avocado oil instead. It has a higher smoke point. Balsamic vinegar: Red wine vinegar will also work in a pinch, but I highly recommend using balsamic for the best flavor. Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should use less of it, or the kabobs could end up too salty. Spices: I like to use garlic powder and dried oregano. I actually prefer garlic powder to fresh minced garlic in this recipe. It better coats the veggies and it doesn’t burn on the grill.

The vegetables I like to use include:

Button mushrooms: I love their flavor, even when raw, and I love it even more when they are cooked. You can also use cremini mushrooms. Red bell pepper: I like the color it adds to the skewers. but any color pepper will be fine. Red onion: Yellow onion works too, although it’s not as mild-tasting and - obviously - not as colorful. Zucchinis: You can replace the zucchinis with yellow squash. Just make sure any summer squash you use is nice and firm.

Instructions

Making these veggie kabobs is super easy. Scroll down to the recipe card below for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps: Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl. I often use a hand whisk to ensure they are thoroughly combined. Prepare the vegetables. The video below shows you exactly how I prep each of them. Toss the vegetables in the marinade until well-coated, then thread them on skewers, as shown in the video. Grill the kabobs over medium-high heat until tender, 4-5 minutes per side.

Grilling tips

Charred food is best minimized. So it’s best to grill these kabobs just until the vegetables are tender, and perhaps charred in a few spots - but not overly so. You certainly don’t want them burned. So make sure your grill is set to medium-high (not high), turn the skewers midway through grilling (or even a few times while grilling), and check the vegetables often to ensure they don’t start burning.

Frequently asked questions

Variations and substitutions

As mentioned above, you can definitely vary the veggies you use. Good candidates include yellow onion, yellow squash, and portobello mushrooms. You can also use different spices. Two spices that I like to add are onion powder and ground cumin.

Recommended main dishes

These veggie kabobs are very versatile and truly go with anything, but I find it easy to serve them with main dishes that you can also grill. So I almost always serve them with these grilled chicken skewers or with grilled shrimp. They’re also very good with grilled chicken breast and with grilled salmon.

Storing leftovers

One of the best things about this recipe is that leftovers are really tasty. You can keep them in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave, covered. They are also very good cold - kind of like antipasti.

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