If you want to introduce veggies into your next cookout, this is the recipe for you.
Everything about this dish gives you something to cheer about. It’s gorgeous, easy to prepare, and can be made in advance, but most of all, it’s absolutely delicious. Perfect alongside grilled chicken, beef, and salmon. The perfect BBQ dish!
How To Make Grilled Vegetables with Italian Dressing
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The Ingredients You Will Need
Obviously, the star of this dish are the vegetables. Always seek out the freshest veggies available. And go with whatever your favorites are. If going with solid vegetables such as carrots or potatoes, you’ll want to par-boil them first. Here’s what we recommend:
For the Dressing
Garlic – Finely minced.
Parsley – Flat-leaf, Italian – chopped.
Oil – Extra-virgin is recommended, but regular olive oil is perfectly fine, too.
Parmesan – Grated.
Vinegar – Aged balsamic is best, but red wine or white wine vinegar will work, too.
Seasonings – Salt and pepper.
For the Grilled Vegetables
Asparagus – If you go with thin, you may want to grill them on a grill pan. Just take care to keep them from falling through the grates.
Zucchini – Thickly sliced, length-wise.
Yellow squash – Thickly sliced, length-wise.
Corn – Shucked fresh ears are best. If desired, cut them into smaller pieces with a large knife.
Onion – We recommend red onion cut into thick slices. However, white onions or even scallions are wonderful, too.
Bell pepper – Go with red, yellow, orange, or a combination of them all.
Olive oil – For brushing the veggies. You can also use extra-virgin olive oil.
EXPERT TIP: The dressing can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Be sure to whisk the dressing well before adding to the grilled vegetables.
Tips for Making Perfect Grilled Vegetables with Italian Dressing
Oil the Veggies Liberally – Brush the olive oil (or extra-virgin olive oil) all over each of the vegetables. This helps them to not stick to the grates of the grill and also imparts flavor.
Remove the Veggies from the Grill In Stages – Depending on their size, most of the vegetables will need different times to be perfectly grilled. For the veggies in the recipes, take them off the heat in the following order: Asparagus, zucchini, squash, red onions, corn, bell peppers.
Don’t Pour on the Dressing Until Serving – The vegetables can be grilled several hours in advance. However, you won’t want to drizzle on the dressing until just before serving. If you add it too soon, the veggies will become soggy and unappealing.
How To Serve
For a beautiful presentation, get yourself a nice large platter and then add the vegetables in no particular order. Distribute them evenly, overlapping where possible.
Because the veggies are wonderful served at room temperature, you can grill them up well before you start adding more items to your grill.
Drizzle some of the dressing over the veggies just before serving, and then add the rest into a small bowl with a spoon and allow guests to add more dressing if they prefer.
Other Cookout Side Dish Recipes to Try
Sometimes a stellar side dish can outshine the main event dishes. Here is a collection of some of our favorite cookout side dishes that you should consider for your next gathering.
Warm German Potato Salad
Yellow Squash Casserole
Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)
Southern Baked Beans
Caprese Pasta Salad
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Cucumber Salad with Tzatziki Sauce
Zesty Corn and Black Bean Salad
Slow-Cooker Corn on the Cob
Roasted Foil Potatoes
Zucchini and Yellow Squash Salad with Tomato Relish
These are all amazing in their own way. But, in the meantime, isn’t this dish calling your name?
It’s always a good idea to incorporate vegetables into a BBQ cookout, whenever possible, but that can sometimes be a challenge.
This dish is the perfect solution. Even guests who are only interested in burgers and hot dogs love these grilled veggies.
It also travels well. Assemble on a large platter, cover with plastic wrap (or foil), and then drizzle on the dressing once you arrive.
This is always a true crowd-pleaser dish. So get ready for rave reviews when you serve it at your next gathering!
Ready to make the best-grilled veggies in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of them, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Grilled Vegetables with Italian Dressing
Video
Equipment
- Gas grill, charcoal grill, or electric grill
Ingredients
For the Italian Dressing
- ¼ cup Italian parsley fresh, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
For the Veggies
- 1 bunch asparagus white ends trimmed off
- 1 yellow squash trimmed and thickly sliced, length-wise
- 1 zucchini trimmed and thickly sliced, length-wise
- 2 ears corn each cut into three pieces
- 1 large red onion thickly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- coarse sea salt for garnish
Instructions
Put Together the Dressing
- Place all of the dressing ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and whisk together. Set aside. If making in advance, transfer to a jar with a lid and keep in the fridge until ready to use.¼ cup Italian parsley, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Grill and Plate the Veggies
- Heat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Liberally brush the oil all over all of the vegetables.
- Place all of the veggies on the grill over direct heat. Grill, turning occasionally, until beginning to char in places. Remove as they are ready onto a large cutting board or platter.1 bunch asparagus, 1 yellow squash, 1 zucchini, 2 ears corn, 1 large red onion, 1 red bell pepper, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Place the bell peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for at least 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Remove the peppers and use your fingers to pull the skins from the peppers. Use a knife to remove the stem and the pod of seeds inside the pepper. Cut into strips (½" to 1" wide). Use a paper towel to brush away any lingering seeds.
- Arrange the grilled vegetables on a platter. Drizzle some of the dressing over the top and garnish with the coarse sea salt. Place the rest of the dressing in a small bowl (with a spoon) and serve with the vegetables.coarse sea salt
Mimi Rippee says
Fabulous! Love the dressing.
Kris Longwell says
Thanks, Mimi!! We hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful 4th of July!!! xoxo