Made with a medley of marinated veggies and grilled to perfection, these Grilled Vegetable Kabobs are easy to make, fun to eat, and incredibly delicious.
My Favorite Vegetable Kabob Recipe
When bell peppers, zucchini, and summer squash become abundant at farm stands and backyard gardens, I love turning to this easy recipe for grilled vegetarian kabobs.
With a simple marinade and the smoky undertones the grill imparts to these veggie kabobs, this easy recipe lets seasonal summer vegetables shine–without the need to heat up the kitchen!
As the vegetables grill, they become perfectly crisp-tender and slightly caramelized, which enhances their natural flavor. But it is the simple, bright and tangy marinade that makes this summer side dish memorable.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
What You Need to Make Veggie Kabobs
- Vegetables: I recommend selecting vegetables that hold their shape and have a similar cook time when grilled. An added bonus is selecting a variety of colors so that your kabobs have visual appeal. Zucchini, yellow squash, red onions, sweet onions, green bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, red bell peppers, and orange bell peppers are my favorite veggies for shish kabobs. Avoid root vegetables, tomatoes, eggplant, and cruciferous veggies (like cauliflower and broccoli).
- Marinade: Extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, and dried onion soup mix work together to create tangy bold vegetable kabob marinade. I like to use my homemade onion soup mix to control sodium and additives but, but feel free to use your favorite store-bought mix.
- Skewers: You can use wooden or metal skewers to make kabobs. Wooden skewers need to be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before assembling veggie kabobs, to prevent catching fire when grilled. Metal skewers don’t need to be soaked, but are get really hot and caution should be used when eating anything off a metal stick. In fact, if using metal skewers, I HIGHLY recommend removing the grilled veggies from the skewers before serving.
How to Make Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chop Vegetables. For these kabobs, I recommend 2-inch chunks of peppers and onions and about 1-inch rounds for zucchini and summer squash. This ensure the veggies will cook evenly and are large enough to easily thread onto skewers.
- Prepare Marinade. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and dried seasonings together.
- Marinate Vegetables. Add the chopped veggies right to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
Want to Add Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are a delicious addition to grilled vegetarian kabobs, but should NOT be marinated, as they will become soggy. Instead, add the mushrooms to the kabobs right before grilling.
- Skewer Vegetables. When ready to grill the vegetable kabobs, thread the marinated vegetables onto the soaked wooden skewers or metal skewers in an alternating pattern while the grill preheats. Alternating the veggies is not only visually appealing, but it helps for the veggies to absorb flavor from each other as well.
- Grill Kabobs. Using a charcoal, electric, or gas grill (or grill pan), grill the kabobs over medium heat until JUST fork tender and slightly charred around the edges, turning once or twice. We want our vegetables to still have some bite left to them and not become soft and mushy.
Serving Suggestions
Vegetable Kabobs make an obvious and delicious side dish to any summer meal. Below are a few of my favorite ways to serve these veggies.
Veggie Kabob Variations
- Swap out the Marinade: Instead of preparing the marinade from scratch, you can opt to use balsamic vinaigrette or zesty italian dressing. While they will each impart different flavor profiles, both are delicious options.
- Use an Indoor Grill Pan: If you don’t have a grill or the weather is not cooperating, feel free to make these veggie kabobs using grill pan heated over medium heat. Perfect year-round!
- Bake Vegetable Kabobs: If you don’t have a grill pan, you can bake the kabobs at 400F on a baking sheet for 15 minutes, turning halfway.
- Use a Grill Basket: Instead of threading the marinated vegetables onto skewers, you can place them in a grill basket and grill as directed, flipping the basket mid-way through the cook time. While not as pretty, the veggies are just as delicious and the basket decreases the prep time significantly.
More Favorite Summer Veggies
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