Bathed in a tangy balsamic garlic marinade, and grilled to ever-so-slightly-charred perfection, this marinated grilled vegetables recipe takes everyday vegetables from meh to completely irresistible! The flavor-packed veggies make a show-stopping side dish, and are even better when made in advance.
Visual Guide: How to Make Marinated Grilled Vegetables
Robyn’s Testing Notes
These simple marinated and grilled vegetables are vibrant, packed with flavor, and truly irresistible.
And the best part? Because they taste even better when made ahead, so they are just as perfect for entertaining as they are for batch prepping .
I swear, just adding a super simple marinade to vegetables takes them to the next level with very little effort.
They come out beautifully charred and perfectly seasoned and make a versatile and show stopping side dish – trust me, people are always so impressed when I bring out the colorful platter of these babies.
But don’t just reserve them for guests – this is the best meal prep veggie recipe to have in the fridge since the vegetables get better with time, and you can use them in so many ways (just like slow cooker ratatouille and slow cooker carrots).
And while this recipe screams summer, it can be made any time of year since the 5-ingredient marinade makes even out-of-season vegetables taste amazing.
I recommend using bell peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, crimini mushrooms, asparagus, and red onions; but you could choose a few of your favorites from this list, swap the crimini mushrooms for portobello mushrooms, use yellow or white onions, or another type of summer squash.
Whatever vegetables you use, make sure to slice them large enough (and equal in size) so they don’t fall through the grates. Otherwise, you can use skewers for smaller vegetables.
Most of the veggies will cook about 7-10 minutes on the grill, but asparagus cooks for just 4 minutes. In the oven, everything will roast for the same amount of time.
Once they’re cooked, arrange on a beautiful platter with the reserved marinade either warm or at room temperature or refrigerate for later in the week.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar gives this recipe an essential bit of sweetness and caramelization that you don’t get from other vinegars, so I wouldn’t recommend using another vinegar.
Fresh Garlic: Since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, I highly recommend using fresh garlic.
Fresh Parsley or Basil: The freshly chopped herbs complete the dish by adding a level of freshness. You could also use thinly sliced green onion.
Vegetables: With so many incredible vegetables in this dish, don’t worry if you don’t have one or two. Pick your favorites from the list or add a few of your favorites that aren’t listed. The possibilities are endless!
How to Use & Serve
Who said eating your vegetables has to be boring?
These grilled vegetables are so easy and scrumptious and can be eaten in countless ways!
For a dinner party, serve as a side dish by arranging the cooked vegetables on a platter and drizzling with reserved marinade.
Since they are delicious the next day, I highly recommend making a batch of these vegetables at the beginning of the week to add color to your meal.
Stored in an airtight container, they keep for 3 days in the fridge.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to use grilled marinated vegetables:
- As a BBQ side dish with any grilled or barbecued meat
- Chop into smaller pieces and add to scrambled eggs
- Layer into a sandwich with balsamic marinated chicken
- Add to red pesto pasta or pasta with homemade marinara sauce and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Add on top of green salads and use the reserved marinade as a dressing
How to Make Ahead
While I don’t recommend marinating the vegetables longer than 3 hours, you can easily prepare the marinade up to 4 days ahead and store in the fridge until ready to use.
You could also chop up the vegetables a few days ahead of time, allowing for a super quick prep when it’s time to cook.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoVeganVegetarianWhole30
Irresistible Grilled Vegetables (Balsamic Garlic Marinated!)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil
- 3 pounds mixed vegetables (such as 3 bell peppers, 3 yellow squash, 3 zucchini, 1 eggplant, 8-oz crimini mushrooms, 1 bunch asparagus, and 2 red onions)
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables
- Wash the vegetables, then slice into thick wedges or triangles. If using asparagus, snap off woody bottoms, but do not slice.
Prepare the Marinade
- Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, garlic, and herbs in a small bowl until smooth.
Marinate the Vegetables
- Set aside 3 tablespoons marinade. Add the remaining marinade along with the vegetables to one to two 1-gallon zip-top bags or a large baking dish.
- Toss to coat, then press as much air out of the bag (if using) as possible, or cover with plastic wrap (if using a baking dish). Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 hours.
Grilled Vegetables
- Prepare a grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over, about 8-10 minutes for bell peppers, 7 minutes for yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant and mushroom, and 4 minutes for asparagus.
- Arrange on a platter, then drizzle with the reserved marinade. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Roasted Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Place the vegetables on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip and roast for another 10-25 minutes.
- Arrange vegetables on a platter, then drizzle with the reserved marinade. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
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