Pakistani dishes in Usa

These grilled veggie kabobs skewer all the best vegetables and are easy to throw on the grill! They’re a great side dish for any summer meal.

Ready for the best, easiest summer side dish? Let’s make veggie kabobs! I love making grilled dinners on the regular in the summer. These skewers combine all my favorite vegetables, perfect for serving over rice or quinoa for a delicious meal!

This is my tried and true method for making veggie kabobs with the best vegetables and a simple seasoning blend. They come out tender and charred, the ideal grilled side dish for summer meal! I like serving them over cilantro lime rice alongside grilled tofu, grilled salmon, or grilled chicken.

5 Star Reader Review

“Loved the spice mix, that IS perfect I followed your exact ingredients and did the zucchini and squash and added pineapple to the mix, Delish…The veggies are so flavorful and honestly, this combo is very filling.” -Natalie

The Best Vegetables for Veggie Kabobs

You can mostly use any veggies you want for veggie kabobs, but some are not ideal here. The trick is to use veggies that all cook in a relatively similar timeframe. That means no extra hard veggies like carrots or potatoes (or parboil them first). Here are the best vegetables for veggie kabobs, in our opinion:

Bell peppers, multi-colored for a beautiful look
Red onion or white onion
Zucchini or yellow squash, or a combination of both
Mushrooms, either baby bella (cremini) or white button
Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes

More Veggie Skewer Ideas

Pineapple adds a nice sweet and savory combination. Small 1 to 2-inch sections of corn on the cob works, and so does diced eggplant. You can use cauliflower, but we recommend steaming it first (see this Grilled Cauliflower recipe).

What to Avoid

What veggies to avoid here? Broccoli and asparagus are too hard to skewer. Carrots and potatoes should be avoided, or you should parboil them first. Brussels sprouts also aren’t ideal for skewers, since they take slightly longer to grill then the above veggies.

How to Cut Vegetables for Skewers

Once you’ve selected your veggies, here’s what to note for the skewering process:

Chop the vegetables into relatively similar sizes. You’ll want them to be bite-sized for easy eating once they’re grilled to perfection. Keep in mind, they’ll shrink quite a bit once they’re cooked.
If using wooden skewers, soak them while you’re chopping. You only need 15 to 20 minutes for soaking, which is about the time it will take to preheat the grill and chop.
Or, use metal skewers! I purchased some metal skewers to save us from the soak. (Worth it.)

How to Season Veggie Kabobs

How to season veggie kabobs? You can make marinated veggie kabobs, but we prefer just throwing them on the grill with olive oil and seasonings. Here’s what we’ve found makes a killer seasoning blend. Throw on equal parts of garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and salt.

Smoked paprika is a smoky version of regular paprika you should be able to find at your local grocery: it really carries the flavor here!

How Long to Grill Veggie Kabobs

Once you’ve cut and seasoned the veggie kabobs, throw the them on the grill! Here are the specifics on timing and heat level (or jump right to the recipe):

Preheat a grill to medium high heat. That’s about 375 to 450 degrees.
Chop and skewer the veggies and season. See the recipe below.
Grill on the grates for 10 to 12 minutes. Cook until charred and tender, turning every few minutes.

Sauce Ideas

You can also skip the seasonings above and just go with the sauce. You’ll want to do it twice: once before they go on the grill, and then a generous slather afterwards. Here are a few sauces I’ve tried and loved:

BBQ sauce: try our homemade BBQ sauce
Teriyaki: try homemade teriyaki sauce
Miso sauce: this miso dressing would also taste incredible

What to Serve with Veggie Kabobs

These vegetable kabobs (aka skewers) are a fantastic side to round out a grilled meal. Here are a few ways to pair it!

Veggie burger: Throw on a veggie burger or portobello mushroom burger.
Shrimp: Try grilled shrimp, shrimp kabobs, blackened shrimp, or Cajun shrimp.
Grilled tofu: This grilled tofu is full of big flavor.
Fish: Try grilled salmon, grilled halibut, grilled cod, grilled red snapper, or grilled tilapia.
Grilled chicken: Go for grilled chicken or grilled chicken thighs.

Storage

Leftover veggie kabobs keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat. They’re also excellent at room temperature tossed into a grain bowl or in pasta.

Dietary Notes

These grilled veggie kabobs are vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best vegetables to use for grilling on skewers?

Sturdy vegetables like bell peppers, onions, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes hold up well on the grill. Make sure to parboil very hard vegetables like potatoes or carrots.

Should I pre-cook my vegetables before grilling them on skewers?

It depends on the vegetable. Dense vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or beets benefit from parboiling or roasting before grilling to ensure they cook through. Most other veggies can be grilled directly from raw.

How do I prevent my vegetables from burning on the grill?

Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 20 minutes before grilling.
Cut vegetables into similar-sized pieces for even cooking.
Cook over medium high heat and flip the skewers regularly.
If using a charcoal grill, keep the coals to one side for indirect heat.

Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Print Recipe

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5 from 1 review

These grilled veggie kabobs skewer all the best vegetables and are easy to throw on the grill! They’re an ideal healthy side dish.

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Side Dish
Method: Grilled
Cuisine: Grilled
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

1 red onion
3 multi-colored bell peppers
1 small zucchini
8 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms (or button mushrooms)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon each* garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Optional: lemon wedges

Instructions

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees).
If using wooden skewers, soak them at least 20 minutes.
Chop the onion into large pieces. Cut bell peppers into chunks. Slice the zucchini into rounds 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch thick. Add the sliced veggies to a bowl with the whole mushrooms and tomatoes toss everything with the olive oil, spices, and salt.
Skewer the vegetables and place each skewers on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a few more pinches kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Place the skewers directly on the grill. Grill 10 to 12 minutes until tender and blackened, turning every few minutes. If desired, spritz with lemon wedges before serving. Store leftovers refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Notes

*You can also brush the skewers generously with BBQ sauce or teriyaki sauce before grilling and then after grilling.

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Learn how to make French press iced coffee in minutes with this easy method! It’s strong, smooth, and better than anything from the drive-through.

Got a French press? Let’s make French press iced coffee! This coffee maker is a genius tool for making various types of coffee.

You might generally think of it for hot coffee, but the French press is great for cold coffee, too. I often use it for cold brew, but it works for iced coffee, or brewed coffee that’s served over ice and often diluted with milk.

5 Star Reader Review

“This ended up tasting just like an iced americano from the coffee shop to me! Very tasty, thanks for the recipe!” -Ollie

Two Ways to Use Your French Press for Iced Coffee

The French press is a small pitcher with a plunger that’s used to brew coffee. Despite the name, the French press was first patented by Italians in the 1920s. (A simpler version existed in France before then, just without official patents.) It’s most often used for hot coffee, but the French press also makes tea, cold brew, espresso, and more.

There are two main methods you can use for French press iced coffee: cold brew or brewed coffee. Many coffee shops use cold brew for serving an iced coffee, though traditionally, an iced coffee is made with hot brewed coffee. Here are the pros and cons for each:

Method 1: Cold brew iced coffee: Make French press cold brew, and it makes a big pitcher of 5 servings, so you can sip on it all week. The flavor is great and even smoother than with hot coffee. The con? You have to wait 24 hours.
Method 2: Brewed iced coffee: You can make French press iced coffee with strong coffee, then pour it over ice. It also has great flavor and only takes 10 minutes to make. The con? It makes only 2 servings at once, so you’ll need to make it to order.

Choosing Your Coffee

The best coffee for an iced coffee is dark roast coffee. I love light and medium roast pour-over coffee, but find the bitter flavor of a dark roast is what I expect in an iced coffee. Starbucks and Intelligentsia have nice dark roast options available.

Tools You’ll Need

It starts with a French press! Here’s what you may need to make this iced coffee, as most of these are entirely optional:

French press coffee maker: I use a Bodum 34-ounce (1 liter) French Press. The Bodum brand has been making this coffee tool since the 1940s.
Coffee grinder (optional): You can use any type of coffee grinder, and it’s optional if you have pre-ground coffee. An electric burr grinder is most consistent for a medium grind.
Filtered water (optional): Filtered water has the best flavor for coffee!
Food scale (optional): You can use a digital food scale to weigh out the coffee and water, or just use the ratio of 1 cup grounds to 4 cups water.
Electric kettle (optional): To easily measure the temperature of water, you can use an electric kettle.

How to Make French Press Iced Coffee

If you want to use cold brew as the basis of your French press iced coffee, see my recipe for French press cold brew. Otherwise, here’s how to do this quick and easy method. You’ll make double-strength French press coffee, then pour it over ice, which dilutes it. This method uses half the water as the normal method. Here’s what to do:

Grind the coffee. Grind 75 grams of coffee beans to a medium grind using a coffee grinder. That’s about 1 cup.
Heat the water. Heat 2 cups of water to hot but not boiling (200 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit) using an electric kettle. Or, bring it to a boil on the stovetop and then let it sit for a minute to cool in temperature.
Add coffee grounds. Add the coffee grounds to the bottom of the pot.
Let coffee bloom for 1 minute. Add hot water to the height of the coffee and stir with a spoon. Set a timer and wait for 1 minute.
Add water and brew 4 minutes. Fill the French press to the top (just below the spout) and stir again. Set a timer and wait for 4 minutes.
Plunge. Place the lid on the French press and slowly press the plunger all the way down.
Serve. Fill two tall glasses with ice. Pour the hot coffee over the ice. (About half the ice should melt.) Add additional ice if necessary.

Ways To Serve Iced Coffee

If you like, you can serve iced coffee with a splash of milk and sweetener! Here are my top choices for this drink:

2% milk: A splash of milk adds just the right richness.
Oat milk: Oat milk is a great dairy-free option with good creaminess and flavor. You can also try almond milk or cashew milk, but oat milk is my top choice for coffee drinks.
Maple syrup: Maple syrup adds just the right hint of sweetness.
Vanilla syrup: Use homemade vanilla syrup to make vanilla iced coffee.
Other sweeteners: You can use other sweeteners like honey, agave nectar, or simple syrup.

Storage

French press iced coffee is best consumed immediately, as the flavor degrades quickly once brewed. If you want a make-ahead option, I’d recommend making French press cold brew instead: it keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks.

More French Press Drinks to Try

The French press is so versatile. It’s one of my top coffee-making methods! Here are my top drinks to make in the French press:

Brewed coffee: Make a pot of French press coffee.
Espresso: French press espresso is great for a strong shot or espresso drinks.
Cold brew: It’s easy to make French press cold brew.
Tea: Go for tea with French press tea.