Grilled vegetable skewers are our answer to two problems: too many different vegetables in the fridge and vegetarians at the barbecue table. The quick version for those who want to get started right away: chop the herbs and garlic for 5 seconds at speed 7, then combine 40 g olive oil, 20 g balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp each of salt and pepper for 10 seconds at speed 4. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, toss in the marinade, leave to rest for 10 minutes, thread onto skewers and grill for 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat. This quantity makes 10 skewers.
We have been making these skewers every barbecue season for years. The Thermomix® handles only the marinade, in 15 seconds. We deliberately cut the vegetables by hand, because uneven piece sizes look better on the skewer and cook more evenly than machine-chopped cubes. Goes beautifully with our grilled bread made with the Thermomix®, which can bake directly on the grill alongside.
Vegetable Skewers with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 12 ✓
- 1/4 bunch mixed herbs
- 1 garlic clove
- 40 g olive oil
- 20 g balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 courgettes
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 3 red onions
- 200 g mushrooms
- 20 cherry tomatoes
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Wash the herbs, shake dry and pick off the leaves. Peel the garlic, add to the mixing bowl together with the herbs, chop for 5 sec / speed 7 and push down with the spatula.
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2
Add the oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and combine for 10 sec / speed 4.
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3
Wash the courgettes and slice. Wash the peppers and cut into pieces. Peel the onions, halve and cut each half into quarters. Clean the mushrooms. Wash the tomatoes and remove the stalks. Place all the vegetables in a bowl and mix with the marinade.
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4
Thread the vegetables alternately onto skewers, brush with the remaining marinade and place on the grill.
Tip: Vegetable skewers are a great way to use up leftovers. If you are using firmer vegetables such as potatoes or carrots, place them in the Varoma to steam before marinating.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the Thermomix® only makes the marinade here
The marinade is the one step where the Thermomix® genuinely saves time in this recipe. We add 1/4 bunch of mixed herbs and 1 garlic clove to the mixing bowl and chop both for 5 seconds at speed 7. Then in go 40 g olive oil, 20 g balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper, 10 seconds at speed 4. Chopping by hand would take longer and never emulsify as finely. Speed 4 blends the oil and balsamic into a marinade that clings to the vegetables rather than running off into the bowl.
While the marinade is being mixed in the mixing bowl, we cut the vegetables at the same time: 2 courgettes sliced, 1 red and 1 yellow pepper cut into pieces, 3 red onions quartered, 200 g mushrooms cleaned, 20 cherry tomatoes washed. This parallel preparation is exactly why the whole process is done in under 15 minutes. Anyone using firmer vegetables can use the Varoma at the same time (more on that below).
Important: leave the cut vegetables to rest in the marinade for 10 minutes. The balsamic and oil penetrate the surface, and the salt draws out a little moisture from the courgette. This prevents the skewers from losing too much liquid on the grill and turning mushy. If you have more time, marinate the vegetables in the fridge for up to 2 hours and the flavour will be even more intense.
The right order on the skewer
We alternate firm and soft vegetables: onion quarter, courgette, pepper, mushroom, tomato. This distributes the heat more evenly. If all the tomatoes sit next to each other, they burst while the courgette is still raw. Mushrooms never go at the tip of the skewer, because they char too quickly at the edge.
Red onions are not just a flavour choice for us, they are essential. Yellow onions turn bitter on the grill, while red onions caramelise to a sweet finish. The layers also hold together better because red onions are firmer and do not fall apart as easily. A quarter of red onion between two softer pieces acts almost like a clamp on the skewer.
Steam firmer vegetables in the Varoma first
Potatoes, carrots, kohlrabi or cauliflower need around 10 minutes in the Varoma at speed 1 before you thread them onto the skewers. Raw, they would burn on the outside and stay hard in the middle on the grill. After steaming they have the same degree of doneness as courgette or pepper and only need the grill to add colour. Small potatoes can steam for 15 minutes, they are the densest.
We marinate pre-cooked potato pieces separately, because otherwise they fall apart when turning. Thread them onto the skewer first, then brush carefully. The clever part: while the firmer vegetables steam in the Varoma, the mixing bowl below is already mixing the marinade. One machine, two steps at once.
Common pitfalls that can ruin your barbecue evening
The skewers burn on the outside and are raw inside
This almost always happens with too much heat or directly over the coals. Vegetables need medium heat and time, not the fierce searing you would give a steak.
Our solution: Grill over medium heat and position the skewers towards the edge of the direct zone rather than straight over the full coals. Allow 15 to 20 minutes and one turn is enough.
The marinade drips off and causes flare-ups
Too much oil is the most common cause. Some recipes use 200 ml of oil, which drips into the coals and ignites. Olive oil also has a lower smoke point than refined oils and smokes faster at high heat.
Our solution: We keep to 40 g of oil for the whole batch and let any excess marinade drip off briefly before placing the skewers on the grill. Anyone grilling at very high heat can replace half the olive oil with refined rapeseed oil, which handles more heat.
The tomatoes fall off the skewer
Cherry tomatoes soften and slide off the wood if they spend too long on the grill or are pierced through the centre.
Our solution: Pierce the tomato slightly to the side through the firmer flesh rather than through the centre, and always position it between two sturdy pieces such as onion or pepper. That way it holds until the end.
Aubergine turns bitter and spongy
Unsalted aubergine absorbs a lot of marinade and oil like a sponge and can easily taste bitter.
Our solution: Salt the aubergine slices for 15 minutes before marinating, pat dry and only then add them to the marinade. This draws out the bitter compounds and excess water, so the slices no longer soak up too much.
New ways to build your skewers every time
Mediterranean with feta: Thread firm feta cubes (at least 2 cm) between the vegetables and sprinkle with a little oregano. The feta turns lightly golden on the outside without melting.
With halloumi instead of mushrooms: Cut halloumi into 2 cm thick pieces and thread onto the skewers. Grilling cheese holds heat better than any other cheese and gives the skewers bite and protein.
Asian style: Replace the balsamic with 20 g soy sauce plus 1 tsp sesame oil in the marinade, and chop 1 cm of fresh ginger along with the garlic. Works well with peppers, mushrooms and spring onions.
Sweet grilled corn: Pre-cook corn pieces in the Varoma at speed 1 for 25 minutes, then thread onto the skewers. This keeps the corn juicy and it only needs to turn golden on the grill.
What we serve with the vegetable skewers
We love serving a fresh dip and some bread for mopping alongside the skewers. Our garlic dip made with the Thermomix® is ready in 5 minutes and nicely cools the charred flavours. For something more punchy, our BBQ sauce made with the Thermomix® works as a sweet and smoky alternative.
A crispy grilled bread made with the Thermomix® goes perfectly alongside and can bake directly on the grill at the same time. That turns the skewers into a complete vegetarian meal that no one will miss the meat from.
How long grilled vegetable skewers keep
Grilled vegetable skewers keep in the fridge for 2 days in a sealed container. We slide the vegetables off the wooden skewers first, as they store more compactly that way. They taste best straight from the grill, but cold the next day they work surprisingly well in a salad.
We no longer reheat them on the grill, as the vegetables turn mushy. Instead, we chop the leftovers roughly and use them as a pasta sauce with a little double cream or as a filling for wraps. Freezing marinated grilled vegetables is not worth it as they lose their texture and go watery when thawed.
One last practical tip: always soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before use. Dry skewers char on the grill and give the vegetables an ashy taste. Metal skewers do not need soaking, but they conduct heat into the centre of the vegetables and cook them from the inside as well.
Goes well with: Tzatziki and Hummus.
More ideas for barbecue season: try our Guacamole with the Thermomix® as a fresh dip and our Grilled Bread with the Thermomix® on the side.
