10 alternative vegetables for your barbecue

Try these alternatives to traditional grilled vegetables to liven up your summer barbecue with unusual, charred flavors.

Barbecue season is now underway, and you have no doubt by now dusted off and cleaned your outdoor grill in anticipation of getting the charcoal burning. Of course, many of us love stunning barbecued meat like ribs, steaks, burgers, and chicken, but one thing we have seen in recent years is the rise of chargrilled vegetables and fruits which are no longer considered a side or an afterthought to the meat, but delicious ingredients worthy of grilling.

Traditionally we often see vegetables like yellow and red peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms on the barbecue and they are always delicious, but oranges are not the only fruit as they say, and there are plenty of alternatives that work well on the grill. Try these alternatives on your barbecue this summer.

With the chargrilled caramelization of the romaine lettuce leaves, you get to unlock a whole new world of flavors, deep and bitter, creamy and complex. Simply cut the lettuce in half to give a good rinse under the faucet and allow it to dry naturally. Salt your lettuce and place the halves face down on the grill. They grill best on a low to medium heat so keep them around the edges of the grill where the temperatures are lower. When they are dark green and beautifully charged simply remove and set aside to cool. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a good sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Try this recipe by Christian Puglisi for lettuce, smoked almond and olive oil.

Cut the sweet potatoes in half, salt, and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil. These work very well with sage and rosemary so press a sprig of each onto the surface of the potatoes and place face down on the grill. Cover the grill and allow it to cook slowly, turn them after about 15 minutes and cook on the other side for a further six minutes. Remove the sweet potatoes and allow them to cool, they can be eaten by scooping the flesh directly out of the skins, or you can make a delicious smoky sweet potato mash or salad.

An unusual choice for the barbecue, cucumbers take on a whole new flavor profile once they are charred over the coals. Cut them lengthways and scop out the center with the seeds. Char on the grill until you have dark char lines visible, remove, and allow to cool. They can be served in savory salads or in fruit salads.

Simply brush your chicory and radicchio with olive oil and place it on the grill. Cover your barbecue to keep in the smoky flavors. Leave to char and turn until dark on all sides, serve whole on the plate with a wedge of lemon and a dollop of crème fraiche.

They are not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of barbecuing, but avocadoes are naturally suited to smoky chargrilled flavors. Cut a nice ripe avocado in half, remove the stone and place face down on the grill until beautifully charred all over. Eat out of the skin or make a smokey guacamole.

Not everyone’s favorite, but Brussels sprouts take on new character when chargrilled on the barbecue. A dark and bitter char enhances the sprouts’ leafy green notes, squeeze with lemon juice and serve with pine nuts, parmesan cheese…. They are versatile and delicious.

Place lovely large kale leaves face down on the grill. Leave the stems on as it makes them easier to flip. When they are grilled, remove and allow to cool. You can use your kale leaves as wraps for other food, shred them for a coleslaw alternative, or simply eat them whole.

The wonderful subtle flavor of leeks lends itself well to chargrilling. Split them in half and give them a good rinse in between the leaves. Wrap in tin foil and place on the grill and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Then remove from the foil and place them face down on the grill to char. Make sure they are well cooked through, or they can be overly tough. Delicious.

Lovely summer flavors sing when your fennel is grilled on the barbecue. Cut the fennel bulb into thick slices, drizzle with olive oil, and place on the grill. When charred you can serve as part of a Sicilian fennel and orange salad or as a burger alternative in a bun.

Not a vegetable, but tofu is worth cooking on the barbecue. Try making your own tofu and storing it in the fridge until you fire up your barbecue. Cook straight from the fridge and grill on high heat while keeping a close eye on your tofu, so you get good external char, without melting your tofu on the grill.

Cooking fruit on the barbecue changes the character of the ingredient, with the natural sugars caramelizing and adding layers of unexpected flavor. Kids will love caramelized bananas on the barbecue—peel and place the whole banana on the grill to char. Alternatively you can cook them in the peels, then set aside and allow to cool. Grilled peaches with cream make the perfect end to a summer barbecue. Watermelon slices when charred have a wonderful, unexpected smokiness and caramel notes. Small bunches of grapes left on the barbecue take on a raisin-like depth of flavor and can be eaten on their own thrown into a fruit salad or served with a cheese board.