Vegetarian BBQ: 10 Recipes Worth Grilling (Not Just Sides)
Ten preparations that work as the centrepiece - not an afterthought alongside the chicken
The vegetarian BBQ option at most summer gatherings is an afterthought - a veggie burger that emerged from a supermarket freezer, or a portobello mushroom that nobody specifically wanted. This is a failure of imagination rather than a limitation of what the grill can do with vegetables.
A whole cauliflower marinated in chermoula and grilled over indirect heat until smoky and caramelised is a genuinely impressive centrepiece. Halloumi skewers with pomegranate molasses glaze are better than plain grilled halloumi in the way that any marinated and glazed protein is better than plain. Corn on the cob with miso butter develops a flavour from the grill's heat that no boiling achieves.
Every recipe below works as the main event - for vegetarians who get it specifically, and for meat-eaters who reach for it because it looks too good not to try.
1. Whole Cauliflower with Chermoula
Centrepiece rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Serves 4-6 | Indirect heat: 45-55 minutes
The most dramatic vegetarian BBQ preparation in this collection. A whole head of cauliflower, marinated in North African chermoula (see Harissa post in the World Cuisines collection for the chermoula connection), grilled over indirect heat until cooked through, then moved to direct heat for the final caramelisation.
Chermoula marinade: Blend large bunch coriander + large bunch flat-leaf parsley + 4 garlic cloves + 1 tsp cumin + 1 tsp smoked paprika + ½ tsp chilli + juice of 1 lemon + 4 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp salt. Thin with a little water to a spreadable paste.
Trim the cauliflower's leaves and cut a thin slice off the base so it sits flat. Score the base in a cross pattern (helps heat penetrate). Massage the chermoula all over the entire surface.
Grill over indirect heat with the lid closed for 45-55 minutes until a skewer meets no resistance anywhere in the cauliflower. Move to direct heat for 5 minutes to caramelise.
Serve whole on a board. Slice at the table.
2. Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers with Pomegranate Glaze
Serves 4 | Direct heat: 8-10 minutes
Halloumi grills well but benefits enormously from a glaze in the final 2 minutes - the pomegranate molasses (see Pomegranate Molasses post in the World Cuisines collection) caramelises and gives the halloumi a specific sweet-sour depth that plain grilled halloumi doesn't have.
Skewers: Alternate cubes of halloumi (2.5cm), cherry tomatoes, courgette rounds, and red onion pieces on metal skewers or soaked wooden ones.
Glaze: Mix 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses + 1 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp olive oil + ½ tsp ground cumin + pinch of chilli.
Brush with olive oil. Grill over direct medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Brush with the pomegranate glaze in the final 2 minutes. The glaze caramelises quickly - watch carefully.
Serve with a handful of pomegranate seeds and fresh mint.
3. Corn on the Cob with Miso Butter
Serves 6 | Direct heat: 12–15 minutes
Corn on the cob achieves a specific flavour on the grill - the sugars caramelise, the kernels develop char, and the smoke from the coals adds a depth that boiling cannot produce. The miso butter takes it further: the fermented umami of miso against the sweet corn is one of the great flavour combinations. See Miso post in the World Cuisines collection.
Miso butter: Beat together 100g softened butter + 2 tbsp white miso + 1 tbsp honey + 1 tsp lime zest until smooth. Roll in parchment. Refrigerate.
The corn: Pull the husks back but don't remove them. Remove the silk. Soak the corn (husks and all) in cold water for 30 minutes. Pull husks back up. Place directly on the grill grates over medium-direct heat for 12-15 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes, until the husks are charred and the corn is completely tender.
Pull back the husks at the table. Press a disc of miso butter onto the hot corn immediately - it melts over the surface.
4. BBQ Aubergine with Tahini Sauce
Serves 4 | Direct heat: 15-20 minutes
Aubergine has an unusually high capacity for absorbing smoke flavour - more so than almost any other vegetable. Grilled until completely collapsed and smoky, dressed with tahini, lemon, and a little garlic, it becomes something close to the Middle Eastern mutabbal (a smoky aubergine purée), or can be served in slices as a warm salad.
Method: Pierce the aubergines in several places. Place directly on the grill grate over direct high heat. Turn every 5 minutes. The skin will char completely - this is intentional. The inside collapses. After 15-20 minutes, the aubergine should be completely soft when pressed and fully collapsed.
To serve as slices: Peel back the charred skin. Slice the flesh. Dress immediately with: 3 tbsp tahini + 2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 clove garlic (minced) + 2 tbsp water + salt, whisked until smooth. Scatter fresh pomegranate seeds and flat-leaf parsley. Drizzle with olive oil.
5. Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Serves 6 | Indirect heat: 45-60 minutes
Whole sweet potatoes wrapped in foil, cooked slowly over indirect heat until completely soft and caramelised at their natural sugars, then split and loaded with toppings.
Method: Scrub but don't peel sweet potatoes. Wrap individually in foil. Place over indirect heat with the lid closed for 45-60 minutes until completely soft when pressed.
Topping options: Soured cream + chives + smoked paprika (the fastest and most satisfying). OR black beans + chipotle sauce + avocado + lime (the Mexican version). OR cream cheese + spring onion + smoked salmon (the more elegant version).
6. Grilled Peaches with Blue Cheese and Honey
Serves 6 | Direct heat: 6-8 minutes
The BBQ dessert-adjacent savoury plate - ripe peaches, briefly grilled until caramelised, served with strong blue cheese (Gorgonzola, Dolcelatte, or Roquefort), honey, and toasted walnuts. Serves as both a salad course and a light dessert alternative.
Method: Halve ripe-but-firm peaches. Remove stones. Brush cut sides with a little honey and olive oil. Place cut-side down over direct medium heat. Grill without moving for 3-4 minutes until caramelised. Flip. Cook 2 more minutes.
Serve with: A generous crumble of blue cheese, a handful of toasted walnuts, fresh thyme, a drizzle of honey, and a few rocket leaves.
7. Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Serves 4 | Direct heat: 8-10 minutes
The portobello mushroom burger done properly - marinated, filled, and assembled with intention rather than served as a sad replacement.
Marinade: 3 tbsp soy sauce + 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves garlic (minced) + 1 tsp thyme. Marinate 4 large portobello mushrooms for at least 2 hours, gill-side up (the marinade pools in the gills and concentrates there).
Grill: Gill-side down for 5 minutes. Turn. Fill the gill side with a tablespoon of cream cheese mixed with garlic and herbs. Cook 3-4 more minutes until the cheese begins to melt.
Assemble: A toasted brioche bun, the filled mushroom, rocket, roasted red pepper, avocado, and a spoonful of Chipotle Mayonnaise or harissa yogurt.
8. Grilled Padron Peppers with Smoked Salt
Serves 6 | Direct heat: 5-6 minutes
The fastest, most crowd-pleasing vegetarian BBQ option. Padron peppers (small, mostly mild with occasional hot ones) are exactly suited to the high heat of the grill - they blister and char in 5 minutes and are served immediately with smoked sea salt.
Method: Toss 300g Padron peppers in olive oil. Place directly on the grill grate over direct high heat. Turn every 90 seconds for 5-6 minutes until blistered and charred in patches. Remove immediately. Pile onto a plate. Scatter with smoked sea salt flakes.
This is a Spanish tapas preparation that the BBQ produces as well as any griddle pan.
9. Grilled Flatbreads
Serves 6 | Direct heat: 2 minutes per side
Fresh flatbread cooked directly on the grill is one of the most surprisingly excellent BBQ preparations - the char from the grate marks and the smoke flavour from the coals produces a flatbread with a character that oven-baked flatbread doesn't have.
Simple flatbread dough: Combine 300g strong white flour + 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp instant yeast + 1 tsp olive oil + 180ml warm water. Knead 8 minutes. Rest 1 hour. Divide into 6. Roll thin (3mm). Grill directly on the grate over medium-direct heat for 2 minutes per side until charred in spots and cooked through.
Serve with: Tahini sauce, tzatziki, or the chermoula from Recipe 1. Or as a side to the cauliflower or aubergine.
10. Watermelon, Feta and Grilled Halloumi Salad
Serves 6 | Direct heat: 3-4 minutes
A summer salad that uses the grill for the halloumi and serves the rest at room temperature - the warm cheese against cold watermelon is a combination that requires no cooking beyond the halloumi itself.
Method: Slice a thick-cut (1cm) piece of halloumi per person. Grill over direct medium heat for 2 minutes per side until golden grill marks appear.
The salad: Cube 1kg of watermelon. Crumble 150g of feta over the melon. Add a handful of fresh mint, a handful of rocket, a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of good olive oil and a squeeze of lime. Lay the warm halloumi slices over the top. Serve immediately.
The Vegetarian BBQ Timing Guide
Most of these preparations can be sequenced efficiently on a two-zone grill:
Indirect zone (start 45-60 minutes ahead): Whole cauliflower, loaded sweet potatoes
Indirect zone (20-30 minutes ahead): Corn on the cob
Direct zone (10-15 minutes ahead): Portobello mushrooms, aubergine, flatbreads
Direct zone (5-8 minutes): Halloumi skewers, padron peppers, peaches
The principle: Start the longest preparations first. Move items between direct and indirect zones as needed. Everything arrives at the table within a 15-minute window.
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