Healthy Vegetarian BBQ & Grilling Recipes

Find healthy, delicious grilled vegetarian BBQ recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Esquites (Mexican Corn)

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This street corn dish, known as esquites, is served in cups instead of on the cob for all the flavor of elote without the mess.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Quinoa-Black Bean Salad

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Enjoy this quinoa and black bean salad as a delicious and quick vegetarian main dish or as a side for grilled chicken or steak. And don't forget the leftovers! They make an easy lunch on the go.
By Robin Bashinsky

Summer Vegetable Gnocchi Salad

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This riff on pasta salad is best served warm while the gnocchi are nice and tender. Plus, the grilled veggies taste extra-good fresh off the fire in this easy gnocchi recipe.
By Devon O'Brien

Basil Pesto Pasta with Grilled Vegetables

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This dish is an easy way to turn grilled vegetables into a satisfying meal, thanks to hearty whole-grain pasta and a quick homemade pesto.
By Sara Haas, RDN

Grilled Zucchini with Parmesan

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Grilled zucchini is one of the great food joys of summer. In this easy recipe, the crunchy, bright breadcrumbs offset the sweet, soft zucchini in the most delightful way. Serve this healthy side with grilled chicken, fish or shrimp or as part of a vegetarian summer meal. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled if you have a bumper crop of zucchini.
By Liz Mervosh

Grilled Eggplant Salad

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This easy grilled eggplant salad is the healthy side dish you'll want to serve all summer long. It comes together in just 25 minutes and can be served warm or at room temperature, so it's equally suited to casual parties and weeknight dinners. The combination of eggplant, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, red onions and fresh herbs makes for a salad that's full of bright flavors and colors. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish or as part of a vegetarian mezze platter with dips like hummus and pita bread.
By Julia Levy

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Almond Pesto & Butter Beans

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Need some new meatless dinner ideas? This vegan recipe for grilled cauliflower steaks with buttery (but butter-free!) butter beans and almond pesto comes together in just 25 minutes but is impressive enough to serve to guests. We're sorry to ask you to buy 2 heads of cauliflower to make this recipe when you only cut a couple of "steaks" from each, but it guarantees the best results. Just think of it this way: having leftovers gives you an excuse to try one of our many other healthy cauliflower recipes!
By Erin Alderson

Marinated Grilled Vegetable Kebabs

Tender vegetables soak up this tangy marinade and turn delicately smoky and tender on a hot grill. These kebabs make a wonderful side dish with grilled meats or fish.
By Carolyn Casner

Blistered Corn Salad with Charred Scallions, Okra & Feta

This corn and okra salad gets loads of flavor from the grill. If okra isn't your jam, you could slice a large zucchini into planks to grill, then chop and stir into the salad. Grill some chicken thighs or tofu steaks to serve alongside.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Grilled Zucchini & Squash

Grilled zucchini and yellow squash are tender off the grill with a hint of char, spicy garlic and a bit of zing from fresh lemon juice.
By Jasmine Smith

Grilled Eggplant & Tomato Pasta

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The combination of slightly smoky grilled eggplant and sweet tomatoes is delightful. The eggplant-tomato mixture served over whole-wheat pasta with fresh basil and a bit of salty cheese makes an easy, healthy weeknight dinner.
By Adam Dolge

Stuffed Eggplant with Couscous & Almonds

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Smoky almonds, meaty eggplant and whole-grain couscous with herbs make this meal plenty satisfying. Harissa gives the creamy sauce a little kick.
By Carolyn Malcoun
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Inspiration and Ideas

18 Vegetarian Grilling Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less
These vegetarian grilling recipes are a delicious and easy way to eat your vegetables. Vegetables like portobello mushrooms, eggplant and cauliflower are hearty and filling so you won't even notice the absence of meat. Recipes like Grilled Eggplant & Tomato Pasta and Greek Summer-Squash Grilled Pizza are healthy, tasty and make the most of two of summer's best offerings: veggies and grilling.
Grilled Vegetables In Foil
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Grilled vegetables in foil is a great recipe to have on hand when camping or cooking over an open fire, but it's also nice on your backyard gas grill too. Here, we cook asparagus, mini peppers and zucchini together with a hint of garlic and butter. Delicious!
Build-Your-Own Grilled Cheese
Grilled Corn Salad with Chili-Miso Dressing
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Avocado & Corn Salad
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In this fresh summer salad recipe, sweet corn and honey balance nicely with tomatoes, avocado and lime juice. Bring it along to your next summer picnic or pair it with grilled shrimp or chicken for an easy weeknight meal.

All Healthy Vegetarian BBQ & Grilling Recipes

Grilled Pizza with Summer Squash, Feta & Basil

Spreading roasted red pepper hummus on this easy grilled pizza makes a fast and easy base for tender summer squash and salty chunks of feta. Best of all? This healthy pizza is ready in 20 minutes.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Grilled Summer Squash, Onions, and Tomatoes

Enjoy the freshest summer vegetables hot off the grill, flavored with herbs and a hint of garlic.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Tandoori Grilled Tofu with Red Peppers & Broccolini

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Spiced yogurt does two jobs here as both the marinade and the sauce for this grilled tofu recipe.
By Adam Dolge

Chicago-Style Carrot Dogs

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Whether you're vegan, vegetarian or none of the above, these plant-based "dogs" are magically delicious--period. This recipe makes these vegan hot dogs Chicago-style, but feel free to doctor them up any way you like. Break with convention and add shredded cabbage, sprouts and cilantro, for example.
By Julia Clancy

Panzanella with Tomatoes & Grilled Corn

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Grilled corn adds a note of sweetness to this tangy panzanella salad.
By Eric Wolfinger

Grilled Asparagus

Grilling is a simple and fast way to cook asparagus that yields a delicious result every time. Trimming off about one inch of the asparagus yields the best flavor--the ends are tough and hard to chew.
By Carolyn Casner

Grilled Halloumi & Summer Vegetable Tacos

Because of its semi-firm texture, halloumi is prone to sticking to the grill. Be sure to oil the grill grates well before adding the brined Cypriot cheese.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Vegetarian All-American Portobello Burgers

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Portobello mushrooms stand in for meat patties in this recipe for veggie burgers with all the fixings. Mushrooms are a source of glutamate, a naturally occurring compound that gives the fungi their umami flavor. But to really give these "patties" a savory boost, we brush them with steak sauce. Add a simple side salad or some grilled veggies for a satisfying and easy dinner on the grill.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Summer Grilled Vegetables

Colorful grilled summer vegetables are served with a light and refreshing sauce in this easy side dish that pairs perfectly with just about everything.
By Jasmine Smith

Grilled Romaine with Avocado-Lime Dressing

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Romaine lettuce takes on a nice charred, smoky flavor with a quick trip to the grill in this healthy wedge salad recipe. Avocado makes the dressing extra-creamy without any cream. Serve alongside grilled chicken or fish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mexican Street Corn

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Soaking the corn in its husk in water for up to two hours before grilling is definitely a new approach to cooking corn on the cob, but give it a try! The addition of salt, spices and cheese takes this side dish to new levels.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

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These grilled Brussels sprouts are charred on the grill then tossed with a simple, balanced honey-lemon dressing with a hint of garlic.
By Jasmine Smith

Charred Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette & Hazelnuts

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Our go-to trick for this crunchy, mustardy vegan side dish: Use a grill basket--it lets you cook all the things that would ordinarily fall through the grill grates, no skewering required. Pick one up from the hardware store or order one online for less than $15.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Grilled Vegetable Pitas

Perfect for outdoor dining, these pitas are filled with grilled vegetables and tangy feta cheese and make for easy, no-utensil noshing.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Grilled Tofu with Korean BBQ Glaze & Stir-Fried Napa Cabbage

In this vegetarian grilling recipe, the hot grill gives tofu smokiness and some crispy edges. A BBQ sauce made with gochujang, the hot Korean chile paste, doubles as both a glaze and some sauce to slather on the tofu at the table. Serve with brown rice or farro.
By Bruce Aidells

Easy Grilled Zucchini

Looking for a new way to cook zucchini? Try grilling it.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegetarian Pressed Italian Sandwich

Typically, pressed sandwiches are a celebration of many meats. Here, we've opted for grilled eggplant slices, artichokes and arugula to make a satisfying vegetarian version. Giardiniera, a type of Italian relish typically made from bell peppers, celery, carrots, cauliflower, olives, vinegar and spices, perks up the flavors of any sandwich. You can use convenient prepared giardiniera or homemade. Choose a hot or mild version, depending on your preference for heat.
By Katie Webster

Grilled Cabbage Chopped Salad with Herbed Buttermilk Dressing

Grilling cabbage enhances its natural sweetness and adds a little smoky goodness that amps up the flavor of this simple salad.
By Adam Dolge

Grilled Halloumi Cheese with Blueberry-Balsamic Jam

Halloumi, a firm Greek cheese, can be cooked on the grill or in a skillet without melting all over the place. In this healthy appetizer recipe, it's paired with tangy and sweet blueberry jam. The berry jam recipe makes enough so you'll have leftovers for your morning toast or for a spectacular peanut butter and jelly.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Johnnycakes

Corn muffin mix is a pantry staple. You may not know exactly how you're gonna use it, but it doesn't take up much space and always seems to come in handy, like in this johnnycakes recipe. Grate some fresh corn into the batter to make some incredibly tasty, easy pancakes.
By Eric Wolfinger

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

The eggplant is tender and cheesy and the sauce is juicy and fresh in this easy grilled eggplant Parmesan recipe. The toasted panko mixture gives this summery dish extra crunch.
By Jasmine Smith

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Want to know how to grill corn on the cob? This grilled corn on the cob recipe starts with 4 ears of fresh summer corn.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Grilled Blooming Onion

An onion blooms into a show-stopping side dish when it's cut just right and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Just grab the tender onion petals off the onion and dip them in the creamy barbecue sauce for a fun and festive vegetable side dish.
By Anna Theoktisto

Tomato, Corn & Basil Spaghetti Salad

This bright spaghetti salad makes the most of summer produce. Zucchini and corn get charred on the grill, while cherry tomatoes add freshness and color. Tossing the pasta in the tangy lemon-feta vinaigrette while it's warm helps it absorb the flavors better. Serve this pasta as a vegetarian main or serve alongside grilled chicken or shrimp.
By Julia Levy
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