Grilled Zucchini with Peppers and Eggplant

Char the bell peppers first—that smoky skin blistering on the grill is where this whole thing starts. Three orange, two red. Let them blacken. The smell is a signal. Steam them covered after, peel the skin off easy, then build your jar with layers of everything else grilled tender with marks still showing. Marinade hot over top. Wait 24 hours minimum. That’s it.

Why You’ll Love This Grilled Vegetables Recipe

Takes an afternoon but most of it’s hands-off—peppers steaming while you prep everything else. You’re not actually cooking the whole time. Vegetarian side that works with literally anything. Fish, meat, nothing. Leftovers taste better than day one. Flavors settle into the oil. Grilling vegetables on grill means char and smoke you can’t get any other way. Oven roasting won’t give you that. Mediterranean angle—looks fancy in jars but it’s just vegetables and salt and time. Simple enough that nothing complicated can go wrong. One batch makes enough for two weeks. Room in the fridge. No constant cooking.

What You Need for Grilled Vegetables

Three orange bell peppers and two red ones—the color mix matters visually once jarred. Two medium zucchini cut in half lengthwise, then sliced thick about 1cm. Eggplant too, same thickness. Three medium red onions sliced into rounds at 1cm—threads toothpicks through the loops so they don’t scatter into coals. Two cloves garlic chopped fine for the vegetable toss, then 14 more halved for the marinade oil.

Olive oil. 270 ml for tossing vegetables, then 460 ml more for the marinade. Extra virgin. The cheap stuff disappears into jars like it was never there.

Red wine vinegar instead of white—earthier, less sharp vinegar bite. Six rosemary sprigs, thyme works if that’s what you have. Salt, pepper, eight whole black peppercorns. That’s actually everything.

How to Make Grilled Vegetables on the Grill

Heat the grill high. Peppers go straight on the bars. No oil. No pan. Just char the skin until it blackens and blisters all over, rotating as you go. Takes maybe 7 to 10 minutes. Smell that smoky tang—that’s your cue. Pull them off into a bowl. Cover tight with plastic wrap. They steam themselves for 20 minutes. Loosens the skin. Makes peeling stupid easy.

While they’re sweating, thread toothpicks or skewers through onion rings so they stay intact on the grill. No falling pieces. This step sounds fussy. It saves everything.

Big bowl. Throw in your onions, zucchini, eggplants, the finely chopped garlic. Drizzle 150 ml olive oil over top. Salt. Pepper. Toss until they glisten. Not drenched. Just coated.

How to Get Grilled Vegetables Perfectly Charred

Medium heat on the grill. Watch for flare-ups from the oil hitting coals. Move vegetables around, let them sit long enough for marks to form. You’re looking for tender with still a slight firmness when you fork-test it. Not mushy. Not chewy. That takes about 20 minutes but depends on heat and thickness. Some vegetables finish before others. That’s fine. Pull them as they’re done.

Spread them on a tray to cool so they don’t trap steam and go soft. You want texture.

Peppers—once they’re cool enough, peel them. Skin slips right off with your finger or a knife tip. Remove seeds and membranes. Cut each one into three generous strips. Aim for color mixing in the jars later.

Grilling Zucchini and Other Veggies: Tips and What Goes Wrong

The marinade is where flavor lives. Heavy saucepan. Combine 460 ml olive oil, the 14 garlic cloves halved, rosemary sprigs, peppercorns. Heat it slowly. You want small bubbles around the edges, not a fry. About 12 minutes. Garlic softens, goes slightly golden, releases aroma but doesn’t brown. Browned garlic tastes burnt. Bad.

Pull it off heat. Stir in red wine vinegar. Salt to balance. Let it sit five minutes. The oil and vinegar marry.

Layer vegetables in clean sterilized jars. Colors alternating. Peppers, onions, zucchini, eggplant. Softened garlic halves and rosemary sprigs scattered through the layers. Pour the hot marinade over everything until it’s completely covered. Tap the jars on the counter edge—expels trapped air bubbles.

Seal them. Not too tight. Leave a tiny gap for expansion as things cool. They cool on the counter until lukewarm. Maybe an hour. Then refrigerate. 24 hours minimum before opening. 48 is better. Flavors need time to settle into the oil.

Tried this rushed once. Everything tasted separated and harsh. Wait.

If you don’t have a grill, broiler works. Or cast iron on the stove with oil—gets grill marks faster but loses that smoke. Missing something. You can fake it with smoked paprika in the marinade but it’s not the same.

Grilled Zucchini with Peppers and Eggplant

By Emma

Prep:

35 min

Cook:

35 min

Total:

1h 10min

Servings:

6 jars 250ml

Ingredients

• 3 orange bell peppers
• 2 red bell peppers
• 3 medium red onions, sliced in 1cm rounds
• 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, sliced 1cm thick
• 2 medium eggplants, sliced 1cm thick
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 270 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Marinade ingredients
• 460 ml olive oil
• 14 garlic cloves, halved
• 6 fresh rosemary sprigs (substitute for thyme)
• 8 peppercorns black, whole
• 200 ml red wine vinegar (instead of white wine vinegar)

Method

1. Vegetables
2. 1 Heat grill to high. Place bell peppers directly on grill bars. Char skin until blackened and blistered, rotate regularly. Smell that smoky tang? When skin darkened all over—maybe 7-10 minutes—remove and place peppers in a bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam 20 min. Helps loosen skin; easier peeling.
3. 2 While peppers sweat, prepare onions: thread skewers or toothpicks through loops to keep slices intact on grill. No one wants falling rings on coals.
4. 3 Mix onions, zucchini, eggplants, chopped garlic in big bowl. Drizzle 150 ml olive oil, season with salt and pepper, toss to coat evenly. Veggies should glisten but not drenched.
5. 4 Grill veggies over medium heat, close to grill but watch for flare-ups. Grill until tender, some grill marks, edges slightly caramelized. Flexibility in time—depends on thickness and heat. About 20 minutes. Test with fork: tender but still with bite. Let cool spread on tray so they don’t steam themselves.
6. 5 Peel cooled peppers: skin should slip off with finger or knife tip. Remove seeds and membranes. Cut each pepper into generous strips, aim for 3 pieces each. Keep colors mixed for jars.
7. Marinade
8. 6 In heavy saucepan, combine olive oil, halved garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs, peppercorns. Heat slowly until small bubbles form around edges—don't let it fry or burn garlic—about 12 minutes. Garlic should be softened, slightly golden, releasing aroma but not browned.
9. 7 Remove from heat and stir in red wine vinegar. Season with salt. Balanced acidity is key; no vinegar heaviness. Let marinade rest 5 minutes to marry.
10. Pack jars
11. 8 Layer veggies with contrasting colors in clean sterilized jars. Alternate peppers, onions, zucchini, eggplant. Scatter softened garlic halves, rosemary sprigs between layers.
12. 9 Pour marinade hot over veggies, covering completely. Pull jars towards counter edge and give light taps—expels trapped air.
13. 10 Seal jars firmly but not overtight; leave slight gap for marinade expansion as cools.
14. 11 Let jars cool on counter until lukewarm (about 1 hour). Then refrigerate at least 24 hours, ideally 48 for flavors to meld. Check oil level before serving; top with more olive oil if needed.
15. 12 Serve cool or room temperature. Nice with bocconcini, cherry tomatoes, grilled meats. Leftovers last up to 2 weeks refrigerated—if oil cloud or odor odd, discard. You can swap rosemary for oregano or thyme; red wine vinegar adds earthy warmth, white is sharper.
16. 13 Vegetables must be grilled just right: too soft, mushy jarred mess; undercooked, chew battle. Take your time, watch closely. Grill marks, slight char, fragrant grill smoke are your pointers.
17. 14 Tried plain garlic once—too sharp raw. Slow cooking garlic in oil tames bite, deepens flavor. Aroma swells kitchen; that’s the cue. Flare-ups? Move veggies and watch oil closely to avoid bitter burnt taste.
18. 15 If no grill, roast under broiler or pan sear with grill marks using cast iron. Speeds up char but misses smoky depth. You can add smoked paprika to marinade to fake barbecue notes.
19. 16 Keep oil quality high. Olive oil should be fruity, fresh. Cheap oil dulls vibrancy and lessens preservation.
20. 17 Note: piercing onions with toothpicks avoids fall-apart strands and messy grill clean-up. Learned that from burnt onion disaster a few summers ago. Simple step, big payoff.
21. 18 Final tip: let jars sit unopened in fridge at least 24 hours. Rushing kills the layered flavors, and the garlic and herbs need time to infuse properly.

Nutritional information

Calories

180

Protein

2g

Carbs

6g

Fat

20g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Grilled Zucchini on the Grill

How long do grilled vegetables last in the fridge? Two weeks if the oil stays clear. Anything cloudy or smell off, pitch it. Oil preserves things.

Can I use white wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar? Yeah but it’s sharper. Harsher. Red wine vinegar is earthier. White gets loud. Tried both. Red works better here.

What if my vegetables get too soft? Next time pull them earlier. Test with a fork. Should have give but not fall apart. Texture matters. Mushy doesn’t keep well.

Do I have to steam the peppers after grilling them? No. But the skin peels clean with steaming. Without it, you’re scraping. Steaming takes 20 minutes sitting covered. Worth it.

Can I use thyme instead of rosemary? Yeah. Oregano too. Rosemary is Mediterranean angle, thyme is lighter, oregano is stronger. Herb choice changes the vibe but it all works.

Should I pack the jars while the marinade is hot? Pour it hot over cool vegetables. The warmth helps flavors move into things. Cool marinade doesn’t infuse the same way. Heat matters.

What if I don’t have a grill? Roast vegetables under the broiler. Get them charred. Won’t taste smoky but texture works. Cast iron on the stove does grill marks if that’s all you have. Microwave? Don’t. Just don’t.