Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
Grilled Vegetable Kabobs with Charmoula is a Moroccan-inspired dish that adds vibrant flavors to your summer grilling routine. These kabobs are served over a light and fluffy cauliflower ‘couscous,’ offering a fresh and healthy twist on a traditional favorite. This super-satisfying, veggie-packed meal is a delightful way to introduce bold new flavors to your table!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
These Moroccan-inspired Grilled Vegetable Kabobs are a vibrant and flavorful dish that brings the rich culinary traditions of North Africa to your grill. These kabobs celebrate Morocco’s bold and fragrant cuisine, infused with aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, and paprika in a Charmoula.
The vegetables are marinated in a blend of olive oil, garlic, and spices, then grilled to perfection. The result is a dish that’s not only healthy and delicious but also visually stunning, making it a perfect addition to any meal or gathering.
Whether served as a main course or a side dish, these Grilled Vegetable Kabobs offer a tantalizing taste of the exotic, with each bite delivering a burst of smoky, spiced goodness.
I’ve also included a quick, easy cauliflower “couscous” side dish. Very few Moroccan meals are complete without a side of couscous, a traditional Moroccan pasta side dish made with semolina flour. Using cauliflower instead makes it much better for you!
What is Charmoula (also spelled Chermoula)?
Cooks in North Africa use this herbaceous sauce to marinate fish and dress cooked vegetables. The ingredients vary by the cook and by region, but they typically contain cilantro, flat-leafed parsley, lemon, garlic, cumin, paprika, and either fresh or dried chiles.
How to make Grilled Vegetable Kabobs:
- Mix up the Charmoula first so the flavors have time to marry.
- Refrigerate while prepping the vegetables.
- Prep the fresh vegetables. My favorite vegetables to grill are eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and onion.
- Start with the eggplant. Cut into 1-inch cubes, then place in a colander in the sink or on a plate and generously salt it. The eggplant takes a bit longer to cook than the other vegetables, so this will start to soften it up. Salting the eggplant also removes some of the bitterness. Peeling the eggplant is optional. I prefer to keep it because the skin has antioxidants.
- When the eggplant has drained for 30 to 45 minutes, pat it dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel (much of the salt will wipe off).
- Cut the remaining vegetables into large, grilling-sized chunks.
- Combine the cut vegetables except the onion in a bowl. Leave the onion out at this point because stirring can cause it to fall apart. Brush with Charmoula later.
- Add 1/2 cup of the Charmoula to the vegetables and stir.
- Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.
- While the vegetables are marinating, grate a head of cauliflower so it resembles couscous. You can do this with a vegetable/cheese grater or food processor. I prefer to hand-grate, as it’s easy to over-process it in a food processor.
- Add 1/4 cup of the Charmoula, stir well, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- PRO TIP: >>>When you’re ready to grill the vegetables, get them all sorted and lined up on a sheet pan BEFORE threading on skewers. I can’t tell you how often I used to start threading what I was grilling onto skewers and ended up with oddly proportioned skewers. This way, you don’t have to rearrange anything and put more than one hole into what your grilling.
- When you’ve determined the arrangement of the vegetables, thread them onto skewers. Be careful not to poke yourself with the sharp end of the skewer!
- Grill for 10-12 minutes over medium heat. Rotate the kabobs three times so they cook evenly.
- The vegetables should be nicely charred and the eggplant tender.
- Serve with the cauliflower “couscous” for a beautiful, summery veggie-packed meal!
More Moroccan-inspired recipes!
- Moroccan Beef Stew
- Moroccan-Spiced Caponata
- Moroccan Chicken Tagine
- Moroccan Meatball and Vegetable Ragout
Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
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Ingredients
Charmoula
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped cilantro - approximately 2 bunches
- 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley - approximately 1 bunch
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne - or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Kabobs
- 1 medium eggplant - cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 medium zucchini - cut into 1-inch thick slices
- 2 medium yellow squash - cut into 1-inch thick slices
- 1 large red bell pepper - cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch chunks
- 1 large orange bell pepper - cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch chunks
- 1 large red onion - cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch chunks
Cauliflower "Couscous"
- 1 large head cauliflower - finely grated
- Lemon wedges and parsley sprigs - for garnish
Instructions
Charmoula
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until needed. (Will yield approximately 1 1/2 cups.)
Kabobs
- Place cubed eggplant in a colander. Sprinkle salt over eggplant, toss to coat and place in the sink or on a plate to drain for approximately 30-45 minutes.
- Blot eggplant dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl along with zucchini, yellow squash and bell peppers.
- Add 3/4 cup of the charmoula and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes or in the refrigerator up to 4 hours.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high.
- Arrange vegetables on a large baking sheet in the order you’d like them on the skewers, adding the onion chunks into the line-up of vegetables. Brush the onion chunks with a small amount of the marinade.
- Thread the vegetables onto skewers.
- Place skewers on the grill. Reduce heat to medium.
- Grill the skewers for 10-12 minutes, rotating three times or until vegetables are nicely charred and eggplant is tender.
Cauliflower "Couscous"
- Combine grated cauliflower "couscous" with 1/4 cup of the charmoula and stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- TO SERVE: Place "couscous" on a large serving platter. Place kabobs over "couscous." Drizzle with remaining charmoula or serve it on the side.
- Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs.
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.