Grilled Vegetables with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled vegetables get a serious flavor boost with a few spoonfuls of this spunky Argentinian chimichurri as a bright and zesty finishing sauce in this easy vegetarian side dish.

When it comes to grilling vegetables, most figure it takes a soak in a marinade before grilling to infuse flavor into those healthy, veggie plain-janes.

That’s hardly the case.

Times have changed and so have our ideas about how to eat our veg. Adding this easy and tangy homemade chimichurri sauce to the savory flavors of grilled vegetables perks up and adds to the delicious gusto that comes along with cooking them over the fire.

This summer, grill first, marinade after. Rejoice and eat more plants! It’s what all the cool kids are doing.

Beyond Meat: Why You Should Grill Your Vegetables

Cooking just about any vegetable on the grill shatters any perception of eating boring veggies. A quick rotation on hot grill grates, vegetables seasoned with a little olive oil and salt and pepper is all that’s needed to completely change the way you taste your veggies.

Grilled vegetables take on a smoky flavor that can’t be replicated on the stove or even by roasting. Their built-in sweetness is amplified when grilled, turning tender asparagus spears or rings of red onion literally into bites as sweet as candy.

Grilling vegetables is not only good for you, but safe too. According to WebMD, grilled vegetables are safe to grill because risk-potential PAHs and HCAs don’t form on grilled fruits and vegetables. Vegetables don’t have fat to render and drip onto the grilling element to cause the flare-ups to flap back these compounds back onto the food.

Get all my tips for the Best Easy Grilled Vegetables here. 

How to Chimichurri Sauce Your Veggies

This chimichurri sauce combines the classic Argentinian chimichurri flavors of garlic and parsley with cilantro and oregano added in. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, or don’t have fresh oregano on hand, you can skip either or both and make up the rest with more parsley instead.

I use a food processor or high powered blender to chop the herbs, garlic, and onion fine. If you don’t have either of these appliances on hand, go the traditional route with a mortar and pestle, or mince your herbs and onion fine with a sharp chef’s knife.

This sauce has a bright acidic bite thanks to red wine vinegar. Adding yet another acid in lemon juice surprisingly balances things out. Use the best fruity olive oil you can afford for this sauce, it makes all the difference in taste and quality.

Get all my tips for How to Make the Best Chimichurri Sauce here.

More Chimichurri Recipe Ideas

• Grilled Skirt Steak With Chimichurri
• Quinoa And Avocado Chimichurri Salad
• Marinated Flank Steak With Asian Chimichurri Sauce
• Portobello Mushroom Burger With Avocado Chimichurri

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.

4.52 from 29 votes

Grilled Vegetables with Chimichurri Sauce

This easy Argentinian chimichurri sauce adds loads of garlic and herb flavor to smoky grilled vegetables. Choose any assortment of vegetables you love, season simply with olive oil and salt and pepper, grill, then add spoonfulls of chimichurri sauce for a side dish that can be served warm or at room temperature.

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Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword vegetables

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 215kcal

Equipment

• Food processor or high speed blender

Ingredients 

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For the Chimichurri Sauce

• 1 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves only, stems removed
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves only, stems removed
• ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves only, stems removed
• ⅓ cup roughly chopped red onion or shallots
• 3 cloves garlic peeled
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Grilled Vegetables

• 2 portabella mushrooms
• 1 eggplant
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 red onion
• 1 bunch thick asparagus
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

For the Chimichurri Sauce

• To the container of a blender or food processor, add the parsley, oregano, cilantro, onion, and garlic and pulse to mince. Add the red pepper flakes, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice and pulse 2-3 times to mix. Season with kosher salt and add more to taste. Or, finely mince all of the ingredients with a sharp knife, then whisk with the olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice in a bowl or shake in a covered glass jar. Make ahead and store in the refrigerator 1-3 days or until ready to serve.

For the Grilled Vegetables

• Get the full set of instructions for the best easy grilled vegetables here.

Notes

Make the chimichurri sauce ahead of time and refrigerate for 1-3 days before serving. 

Feel free to omit the cilantro or oregano in the chimichurri sauce, and make up the amount by using the Italian parsley instead. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1179mg | Potassium: 591mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1730IU | Vitamin C: 46.1mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2.9mg

More Summer Vegetable Side Dish Recipe Ideas

• 31 Days of Summer Produce Recipes to Make in August
• Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Herbed Ricotta
• Classic Three Bean Salad (That’s Really Four)
• Dill Cucumber Salad
• Grilled Zucchini With Feta and Pine Nuts
• 30 Healthy Summer Potluck Salads to Make in June

Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.

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