Balsamic Grilled Vegetable Skewers
on Aug 07, 2025
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Marinated in balsamic vinaigrette, these grilled vegetables skewers are an easy summer side dish to go with whatever entree you have on the grill. I whisk pesto into the marinade to give it good garlic and herb flavor that goes perfectly with zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers and red onions. These healthy kabobs are a recipe that you need to add to your grilling menu.
Also try these grilled vegetable halloumi kabobs.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Summer grilling season is when the best vegetables are in season. I think its the most wonderful time of the year. From zucchini and yellow squash to bell peppers, I like recipes where I can use all of them at once.
You can turn veggie skewer leftovers into another meal. Reheat them or pair them with cooked grains like farro, barley, brown rice or quinoa. Or eat them cold and toss them with lettuce to make a grilled vegetable salad.
This is a simple and versatile vegetable side dish. So often the attention is on the grilled main dish. This recipe is an easy way to round out a summer dinner with an exciting side.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers and red onions: These are my go-to vegetables for summer grilling recipes. They are a rainbow of colors, flavors and textures. I prefer orange, yellow and red bell peppers over green because they are sweeter and less bitter.
- Balsamic vinegar is the base of the marinade, which is a slightly more concentrated version of balsamic vinaigrette.
- Pesto: To give the marinade something garlicky and herby, I include basil pesto. You can use homemade or store-bought pesto. Because pesto has minced garlic and sometimes fresh lemon juice, you get multiple ingredients with a single ingredient. It’s very convenient. If you have fresh basil, you can chop the leaves and garnish the grilled veggie skewers.
- Whole grain mustard helps to emulsify the marinade while giving it more flavor. This is also why I use mustard in vinaigrettes.
- Olive oil: For the best taste, use high-quality extra virgin olive oil in the marinade.
- Kosher salt and black pepper season the marinade/dressing.
How To Make Balsamic Grilled Vegetable Skewers
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or an indoor grill pan on medium high heat. If you’re using a stovetop grill pan, wait to preheat it until you put the vegetables on the skewers.
1. Make the marinade. Stir the mustard, pesto, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and oil in a small bowl.
2. Marinate the vegetables. In a large mixing bowl, stir the zucchini, summer squash, colorful bell peppers and onions into the dressing, making sure they are all well coated.
3. Thread the veggies onto the skewers. If you are using wood or bamboo skewers, you need to soak them in water for 30 minutes first. You don’t have to do this with metal skewers.
4. Grill the vegetable kabobs. Give them 8-10 minutes on the hot grill, turning every couple minutes until they are lightly charred and nicely grilled-marked on the edges.
Serving
These veggie skewers are a good side dish for anything grilled that has Mediterranean flavors and ingredients. That can include proteins like chicken, burgers, salmon or shrimp, or vegetarian entrees like grilled tofu. You can also serve them with couscous, farro or barley and pita bread.
Leftovers & Storage
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. They are easier and more compact to store when you take the vegetables off the skewers. You can reheat them in a 350-degree F oven. I also like them cold in a salad with romaine, baby spinach or arugula.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the vegetables about the same size/thickness. The zucchini and summer squash should be 1/2-inch thick. Both vary in width, so you might need to cut the rounds into halves or quarters. If you have one extra wide vegetable piece, it will keep the other ones on the skewer from touching the grill grates.
- You can marinate vegetables quickly. Unlike chicken and other proteins, all you need to do is toss the veggies in the dressing, and they will pick up all that great flavor.
- Watch out for the hot spots on your grill. You want grill marks and char on the edges of the vegetables. I move the skewers around as I turn the skewers depending on the hotter and cooler zones, so they cook evenly.
- You can use use more of one vegetable than another. Just adjust the quantities accordingly. It might be because of what you have at home or your preferences. I am not a fan of cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes on skewers because they burst and fall off. Plus, grilled tomatoes aren’t as good as roasted tomatoes.
- A sheet pan is great for carrying ingredients from the kitchen to the grill. A rimmed baking sheet will prevent the marinade from dripping.
- You can cook vegetable skewers on an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill pan. Wait to preheat your grill pan until you have all the veggie kabobs assembled.
- If you want the recipe is vegan, use vegan pesto. There is usually parmesan cheese in pesto unless it is plant-based.
More Grilled Vegetable Recipes
Corn Broccoli Salad
Easy Grilled Green Beans
Grilled Corn Couscous
Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables
Peach Corn Salad
Mushroom Corn Pizza
Grilled Veggie Sandwiches
Balsamic Grilled Vegetable Skewers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds*
- 2 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds*
- 3 bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes.
- Preheat a charcoal or gas grill on medium high heat. (You can also use a stovetop grill pan, just wait to preheat it until after you assemble the skewers.)
- In a small bowl, whisk the mustard, pesto, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
- Stir the zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and onions with the marinade in a large bowl, so they are all well coated.
- Thread the vegetables onto skewers.
- Grill the skewers for 2 minutes per side until the vegetables are charred at the edges and have grill marks, about 8-10 minutes total.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
