While “meat” and “grill” generally go hand-in-hand, there’s an underrated world of vegetarian ingredients perfectly suited for grilling. If you’re in a burger mood but don’t want to go the beef route, don’t worry. Our meat-free burgers are as good as any hamburger. We’ve got a black bean burger flavored with cumin, paprika, coriander, and both poblano and chipotle chiles; a portobello mushroom burger topped with blue cheese and sautéed red onions; and a quinoa burger with carrot, celery, arugula, and beans topped with a roasted red pepper relish.
Grilled vegetables add an interesting flavor and texture to other salads. In our endive salad, the vegetable is steamed, grilled, and dressed with a bee pollen vinaigrette. Beets, asparagus, eggplant, cauliflower, and fennel come together into a warm, smoky salad when grilled and tossed with lemon juice and zest. And for dessert, try grilling fruit—the heat causes the sugars to caramelize. Try cantaloupe dressed with a peach agrodolce and served with blueberries and basil.
Find all of these dishes and more in our collection great vegetarian grilling recipes.
Barley is typically eaten in a pudding for breakfast or dessert in Egypt, but in this recipe from cookbook author Suzanne Zeidy, it’s turned into a hearty salad, seasoned with cumin and chiles, and tossed with grilled vegetables, feta, and pistachios. Get the recipe for Grilled Vegetable and Barley Salad »Helen Cathcart
Grilled Greens and Leek Tops with Chile-Garlic Sauce
Chef Chris Fischer likes to lay out these charred mushrooms at the start of a meal for snacking—they put cheese plates and crudités to shame. Tossing them with the marinade infuses them with deep flavor. Get the recipe for Grilled Shiitake Mushroom with Chile and Thyme »Elizabeth Cecil
Chef José Andrés likes to cook these calçots, here served with asparagus, in the traditional manner: in a newspaper. The newspaper traps in steam from the cooling calçots, making them more tender and soaking up any excess oil. These tender Spanish green onions, always served with Romesco sauce, are a classic springtime treat. Get the recipe for Grilled Calçots and Asparagus with Romesco Sauce »Farideh Sadeghin
Grilled Cantaloupe with Peach Agrodolce
In this elegant dessert, cantaloupe is grilled until it caramelizes and is then dressed with agrodolce, a sour-sweet Italian sauce made by reducing vinegar and sugar. Get the recipe for Grilled Cantaloupe with Peach Agrodolce »Drew Anthony Smith
Charred Cabbage Slaw
In this offbeat slaw, raw red cabbage adds a textural contrast to the grilled green cabbage, and a zippy, spicy-sweet-salty dressing goes well with the charred bits. Get the recipe for Charred Cabbage Slaw »Drew Anthony Smith
Grilled Corn Bhel
In this lively salad, flame-kissed corn kernels are teamed with fresh vegetables, a zesty cumin-lime dressing, and for a surprisingly delicious crunch, unsweetened corn flakes. Get the recipe for Grilled Corn BhelThomas Payne
Grilled Onion Salad with Sumac and Herbs
Zippy sour pickle juice offsets the sweetness of the pomegranate molasses and charred onions in this vibrant salad. Get the recipe for Grilled Onion Salad with Sumac and Herbs »Simon Bajada
Paneer Tikka Kebabs
Charred bell peppers and onions help balance out the richness of the paneer in these colorful vegetarian skewers. Get the recipe for Paneer Tikka KebabsThomas Payne
A thick honey vinaigrette pairs with pleasingly bitter endives that are steamed, grilled, and marinated in this recipe from Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island. Get the recipe for Endive Salad with Bee Pollen Vinaigrette »Ingalls Photography
Grilled Shallots with Dill (Schalottenlök i Folie)
Ripe tomatoes develop umami-rich flavor when grilled with a soy sauce marinade. Mitsuba, a Japanese relative of parsley, lends a mild cilantro-like freshness. Get the recipe for Tadashi’s Grilled Tomatoes »Todd Coleman
Black Bean Burger with Salsa Fresca and Avocado Crema
Cumin, paprika, coriander, and both poblano and chipotle chiles lend their robust flavor to this earthy black bean burger. Dredged in cornmeal, it’s a hearty base for a bright salsa fresca and smooth avocado crema. Get the recipe for Black Bean Burger with Salsa Fresca and Avocado Crema »Helen Rosner
Portobello Burgers with Blue Cheese and Sauteed Red Onions
A far cry from the standard grilled-mushroom-cap-as-burger, these ultra-savory portobello patties get a further umami boost from garlic and steak sauce—a perfect match for a flavorful topping of melted blue cheese and tangy caramelized red onions. Get the recipe for Portobello Burgers with Blue Cheese and Sauteed Red Onions »Helen Rosner
Quinoa Veggie Burger with Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Our take on a classic meatless burger calls on a slew of vegetables for flavor, color, and texture: carrot, celery, arugula, beans, and quinoa, the high-protein South American grain that has a nutty flavor and toothsome bite. Get the recipe for Quinoa Veggie Burger with Roasted Red Pepper Relish »Helen Rosner
Polenta is a popular dish in Venice and is often served grilled as a side, though you can also eat it without grilling it if you like. Get the recipe for Grilled Polenta »Maxime Iattoni
Four-Hour Pineapple
Slow-cooking pineapple whole on the grill concentrates and enriches its flavors while keeping the fruit tasting bright. “The pineapple must be very ripe,” Mallmann says. “If not, it’s useless. The slower you do it, the better.” Get the recipe for Four-Hour Pineapple »Matt Taylor-Gross
