When the summer sky softens and the grill’s embers flicker, dinner anticipation builds — especially when vegetables are what’s over the coals, curled in smoke. As their colorful outsides singe and their plump bodies slump, vegetables’ vibrant selves become substantial, rich and nuanced. Sugars caramelize, edges char, a whisper of smoke appears. The grill can create satisfying vegetarian meals by sizzling out moisture and teasing out deep, dark flavors. And yet a plate of grilled vegetables does not a meal make.
Follow these recipes and apply their lessons to other dishes for plant-based mains that are filling, fun to eat and a friend to summer’s bounty — and to you.
The Dish: Grilling mushrooms and tofu accentuates the nutty quality of soba, while snap peas, serrano chile and herbs give this salad a juicy crunch. Lime juice, miso and maple syrup serve as both dressing for the salad and marinade for the tofu, which chars once it hits the grill. It’s an efficient meal too: As the grill heats, the noodles cook in the kitchen.
The Lesson: You have 30 minutes or so while your grill warms up to ready anything inside. This is enough time to boil noodles, grains or eggs; marinate tofu or vegetables; stir together sauces or dips; and chop herbs or toast nuts.
The Dish: A thick, tangy, pleasantly sweet dressing made from barbecue sauce gives this salad of grilled summer vegetables and peaches a festive feel. Beans add protein, and crunch comes from lettuce and a shower of corn chips.
The Lesson: Compared to a skillet or sheet pan, a grill has lots of cooking space, so put that real estate to use and grill a lot of produce. Using the same cooking method for different fruits and vegetables is a straightforward way to incorporate textures and flavors into a hearty meal. Kale and collard leaves turn to chips; juicy peaches, peppers and eggplant slouch and soften; and hardy vegetables like carrots and broccoli can be crisp-tender or creamy depending on how long you cook them.
If you’re wondering what does well on the grill, ask yourself what you like in sheet-pan meals. Anything that roasts or broils, and can be cut into pieces large enough to not to fall through grates, will like being grilled, too.
The Dish: Bricia Lopez’s taco encuerado, or naked taco, proves that simplicity is often best. In this dish, adapted from her cookbook, “Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling,” she stuffs mild chiles with cheese and grills them until they become sweet, spicy and gooey. Wrapped in tortillas, they become dinner.
The Lesson: Use focaccia, injera, naan, pita, roti, tortilla or other flatbread as a landing pad for whatever comes off the grill. You may want to warm the flatbread on the grill so it’s pliable, or cook it past warm to crisp for something sturdy like a tostada or pizza.
The Dish: Dry bread is the key to this Tuscan salad’s deliciousness, as it soaks up the tomato juices and vinaigrette for a mix of crisp and soft bites. Charring the bread in this full-meal rendition brings a nutty, smoky edge to sweet tomatoes, corn and cucumbers.
The Lesson: Lift and lighten the charred flavor of grilled ingredients with a drizzle of vinaigrette, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice or raw fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes, stone fruits, herbs, salad greens and cucumbers work especially well.
The Dish: For a cozy, produce-packed dinner, top cheesy grits with grilled peppers and broccoli. To pull it off without racing between the yard and the kitchen, the grits cook on the unheated part of the grill, while the vegetables blacken over the heat.
The Lesson: Build a two-zone grill — with one side heated, one not — and think of the unheated side as a back burner. While your attention is on the ingredients over the fire, you can let the sauce (or another dish typically cooked over medium-low heat) bubble away. This works for dal, creamed corn, grits and sauces like barbecue, buffalo, tamarind or teriyaki.
A cast-iron, carbon-steel or other oven-safe pot or skillet can withstand the grill’s heat; if you’re using a light-colored vessel, like stainless steel, wrap the bottom with foil to avoid smoke stains.
Cooking outside is a wonderful way to enjoy a warm night, especially when summer’s sweet vegetables are what’s sizzling on the grill. You’ll end the night with a nourishing meal — just save a little room for ice cream.
