28 Vegetarian Grilling Recipes for Summer

Upgrade your menu with these deeply flavorful vegetarian options.

While peak-season vegetables don’t need much more than salt, oil and a sliver of space over an open flame (hello, grilled corn), they’re positively ignited by a little extra attention. These vegetarian recipes — mostly vegetables, but also including some fruit masquerading as vegetables — range from minimum to medium effort. Most operate as sides or entrees, depending on what you pair them with, but all deliver hugely flavorful results.

1. Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad With Feta Dressing

This five-star recipe from Sue Li balances grilled corn, scallions and jalapeño with a creamy buttermilk-feta dressing that is just tangy enough to temper the heat, richness and sweetness of its surrounding ingredients. (Opt for a vegetarian feta if your diet dictates.) The results are fresh, crunchy and unforgettable.

Recipe: Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad With Feta Dressing

2. Grilled Tofu

Marinating tofu infuses it with flavor. Kay Chun expedites that process in this recipe, employing a hot soy marinade with garlic and ginger that permeates faster than lukewarm preparations. Once grilled, the tofu can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature, and is equally delicious with any number of grilled vegetables, atop rice or tucked into sandwiches.

Recipe: Grilled Tofu

3. Charred Eggplant With Burrata and Fried Capers

Hetty McKinnon has devised a summer formula: grilled vegetable plus herby dressing plus burrata. The results are as memorable as the concept. Grill these outdoors all summer long — or return to them on a rainy day, when you can pull out a grill pan for a taste of sunshine.

Recipe: Charred Eggplant With Burrata and Fried Capers

4. Stuffed Pepper Tacos

You need only four core ingredients to make these simple-is-best tacos, adapted by Ali Slagle from Bricia Lopez. Fill Anaheim or Hatch chiles with queso Oaxaca, grill, then stuff into flour tortillas and enjoy, ideally by a body of water.

Recipe: Stuffed Pepper Tacos

5. Grilled Broccoli and Halloumi Salad

You don’t often see broccoli, halloumi, grapes and lime together, but in Ali Slagle we trust. It’s adjacent to Southern broccoli salad, but lighter and fresher, swapping out raisins for green grapes showered in lime zest, which makes them irresistibly bright when eaten with the savory elements.

Recipe: Grilled Broccoli and Halloumi Salad

6. Grilled Tofu Salad With Honey Chile Dressing

Is this recipe an appetizer, a side or a meatless main? Just like tofu itself, it’s whatever you need it to be. Firm tofu cooks great on the grill and tastes even better when tossed with a nước chấm-inspired spicy vinaigrette, as Kay Chun does here. Cherry tomatoes, zucchini, green beans and a sprinkle of roasted peanuts make it a complete meal, worthy of a dinner party.

Recipe: Grilled Tofu Salad With Honey Chile Dressing

7. Grilled, Marinated Jimmy Nardello Peppers

If you’ve ever seen a bag of these bright red, long peppers in your supermarket and not known how to cook them, Alexa Weibel has the answer: Simply grill them until they get charred and soft, then toss in a marinade of vinegar, olive oil, garlic and herbs. They are wonderful on their own, but you can also put them in sandwiches and salads for a sweet, fruity kick.

Recipe: Grilled, Marinated Jimmy Nardello Peppers

8. Grilled Corn Panzanella

If you think you couldn’t love panzanella salad more, think again. Ali Slagle chars the bread and corn on the grill, adding smokiness to the mix. Follow one smart commenter and rub the bread with garlic after toasting to elevate the flavors even further.

Recipe: Grilled Corn Panzanella

9. Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables

Halloumi and fresh vegetables don’t need much — just salt, pepper, olive oil and herbs, as in this recipe from Martha Rose Shulman. When halloumi is grilled, it doesn’t melt, but develops a satisfying, squeaky chew. If you’ve put the grill away for the season, you can also make this inside with a ridged grill pan.

Recipe: Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables

10. Grilled Feta With Nuts

For an appetizer that will make any occasion festive, grill up this sweet-and-salty grilled feta from Ali Slagle. The best part is that you don’t need to clean your grill grates after — it all cooks on a cast-iron. Even better, you can make this in the oven as well, right before guests arrive.

Recipe: Grilled Feta With Nuts

11. Honey Butter Grilled Corn

This recipe from J. Kenji López-Alt achieves the impossible: sweet, succulent grilled corn that stays moist and tender. First, you’ll grill the corn ears until the kernels start to blacken, then simmer them in a honey-butter bath in an aluminum foil tray set on the cooler side of the grill until tender and glazed. The technique is brilliant, but it’s the fact that the cooked corn can hang out in the pan for up to 45 minutes that makes it a true gift to whoever’s on grill duty.

Recipe: Honey Butter Grilled Corn

12. Grilled Zucchini

As far as grilling recipes go, zucchini welcomes lazy cooks. Slice it into thick slabs, give it a generous glug of oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and let the fire complete the task. You’re guaranteed good results. And a bonus, for beginners: Zucchini has so much moisture that it’s nearly impossible to overcook. Serve it over fresh ricotta and shower it with herbs, lemon zest and even more olive oil to make this quick dish worthy of company.

Recipe: Grilled Zucchini

13. Grilled Mushroom Skewers in Red Chile Paste

Jocelyn Ramirez doubles up on flavor for these hearty skewers. First, she marinates king oyster mushrooms in a salty-sweet guajillo chile paste, then grills them until charred. Complex and colorful, the results can be served as a side, but they command attention at the center of the plate.

Recipe: Grilled Mushroom Skewers in Red Chile Paste

14. Sweet-and-Spicy Grilled Vegetables With Burrata

Melissa Clark suggests a range of grilled vegetable options for this breezy platter but encourages you to embrace your favorites. Don’t sweat your selection: Any summer vegetables will shine when doused in agrodolce sauce and smashed on crostini with burrata.

Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Grilled Vegetables With Burrata

15. Bulgogi Eggplant

Grilled until charred, then brushed with a simple sugar-and-soy blend, eggplant’s deep umami flavors shine. “When thinly sliced like bulgogi, the classic Korean dish of grilled marinated meat, eggplants need only a brief flick of fire — a minute or two per side — to cook through and char at the edges,” Eric Kim wrote. This dish is speedy enough for a side, meaty enough for a main and easy enough for entertaining.

Recipe: Bulgogi Eggplant

16. Grilled Cheese Sandwich on the Grill

Anticipating some fussy little eaters at your gathering? Turn their frowns upside down with these grilled cheese sandwiches from Ali Slagle. Crisp with grill marks and smoky from the fire, they’ll please the palates of guests of all ages. (And don’t forget: Kids love ketchup!)

Recipe: Grilled Cheese Sandwich on the Grill

17. Tofu-Vegetable Satay With Peanut Sauce

Cloaked in a chile-spiked peanut sauce and salty-sweet kecap manis, these caramelized pineapple, tofu and vegetable skewers from Lara Lee are fresh and fruity, but also bold, complex and hearty. They stand alone with great success but can support a full spread of steamed rice or rice noodles, lettuce wraps and any number of sides.

Recipe: Tofu-Vegetable Satay With Peanut Sauce

18. Grilled Mushrooms With Chive Butter

Because of their concave shape, portobello mushrooms caps don’t fully cooperate when cooked over flames, searing on one side but steaming on the other. Slicing them into slabs, skewering them and seasoning with a paprika rub requires a little effort but offers a big payoff: They absorb more smokiness from the fire, and the flavor concentrates even further as they cook.

Recipe: Grilled Mushrooms With Chive Butter

19. Guacamole With Grilled Corn

Inspired by the esquimole at Hasta la Madre, a Mexican restaurant in Bogotá, Colombia, this guacamole-esquites mash-up was perfected by J. Kenji López-Alt. He employs his go-to guacamole technique (avocado, cilantro, chile, onion, lime and salt, mashed in a molcajete), then stirs in charred corn and crumbled Cotija for a dip that is creamy and rich but positively popping with sweet corn and salt. (Use a salty, vegetarian hard cheese of your choosing, or skip it, if following a strict vegetarian diet.) A sprinkle of Tajín takes this over the top.

Recipe: Guacamole With Grilled Corn

20. Grilled Zucchini Ribbons

Your peak-summer squash can become bitter and limp if neglected on a hot grill. But not in this recipe. Steven Raichlen learned to thread squash strips on skewers, then grill them to crisp and char their delicate surfaces. Singe them quickly while basting with barbecue butter, and they sing.

Recipe: Grilled Zucchini Ribbons

21. Spiced Grilled Halloumi

Pairing salty, chewy halloumi with juicy tomatoes and spices, this smoky recipe from Ali Slagle embraces the ethos of breezy, warm-weather grilling. It’s easy, it’s delicious, and it pairs well with any food. Serve this dish with grilled bread, grilled vegetables, grilled anything, and it hits just right.

Recipe: Spiced Grilled Halloumi

22. Grilled Broccoli

Seasoned simply with tamari, balsamic and olive oil, broccoli takes on sweetness and saltiness when tenderized over hot grates in this vegan recipe from the restaurateur Joe Carroll via Sam Sifton. It’s edible proof that throwing vegetables on the grill can yield deep flavor with minimal effort.

Recipe: Grilled Broccoli

23. Grilled Nopales en Chile Rojo

This recipe from Jocelyn Ramirez is a worthy cookout addition that can be finished on the stovetop, while tortillas — or more vegetables — get their time over the grill. Once cooked, cactus paddles are sliced and bathed in a tomato-and-guajillo chile sauce, topped with pepitas and cilantro, and served in the grilled tortillas for a satisfying vegan meal.

Recipe: Grilled Nopales en Chile Rojo

24. Grilled Cauliflower Steaks

Grilling has little to do with geometry, but it does require thinking about surface area. “Flat sides beget more charring than florets because they provide more direct contact with the grill,” writes Ali Slagle, who engineered this recipe to maximize charring and flavor for grilled cauliflower steaks. She cooks the slabs until softened, caramelized and nutty on one side, then douses them with a chile-lime sauce spiked with peanuts and dill, for flavor that is anything but flat.

Recipe: Grilled Cauliflower Steaks

25. Summer Vegetable Skewers

With a garlic-and-oregano dressing so simple it can be pulled from your pantry and cobbled together in no time, this recipe from Melissa Clark is as easy as grilled vegetable recipes come. It’s intended for zucchini and eggplant, but would be equally delicious applied to asparagus, corn, parboiled baby potatoes or nearly any other vegetable you can get your hands on this time of year.

Recipe: Summer Vegetable Skewers

26. Grilled Corn With Cheese, Lime and Chile (Elotes)

While many grilled corn recipes call for blanching beforehand, Melissa Clark sets shucked cobs directly on the grill until charred and tender in her take on Mexican street corn. Slather them with chile-lime mayo, top with a vegetarian shredded cheese, if desired (like Parmesan, Cotija is typically prepared with rennet, so does not qualify as vegetarian), and sprinkle with a flurry of cilantro. A squeeze of lime cuts the richness.

Recipe: Grilled Corn With Cheese, Lime and Chile (Elotes)

27. Buffalo Grilled Mushrooms

Ali Slagle applies the Buffalo wing treatment to grilled mushrooms in this recipe, which yields one big, smoky pile. Grill the mushrooms until crisp to heighten their complexity. Then, toss them with butter and hot sauce until glossy, and top with blue cheese and parsley for your new favorite snack.

Recipe: Buffalo Grilled Mushrooms

28. Marinated Grilled Vegetables

Ali Slagle maximizes flavor with this versatile recipe: Throw your veggies on the grill, then douse them in a mustardy vinaigrette, where they’ll pick up punchy notes in a matter of minutes. Prepare a big batch, so you can enjoy some right away, and squirrel away more for salads, sandwiches, frittatas and other low-effort summer suppers.

Recipe: Marinated Grilled Vegetables

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