Veggie BBQ series: my favourite BBQ pudding + more favourite recipes

Cooking over coals is so suited to vegetables, and almost any can be used. Undistracted by meat fat, I find the subtlety of veg allows the smoky hum of the coals to come even more alive.

Favourites this year have been wedges of summer cabbage, thin slices of skin-on sweet potato, chicories halved then dressed in a sweet vinaigrette … all grilled so that char marks tattoo themselves on to their exteriors, while their insides are soft and yielding.

Here are some more substantial ideas, to the age-old question that I seem to get asked every week of summer: what do you cook a vegetarian at a BBQ? Fingers crossed these are so good everyone will want some.

Caramelised grilled pineapple with vanilla ice cream

You only need three ingredients: pineapple, honey or brown sugar, and ice cream or yoghurt.

Halloumi, lime and scotch bonnet flatbreads

Halloumi is a barbecue favourite for these flatbreads, but you could use feta, paneer or even tofu.

Celeriac Buns with Spicy Slaw

Try to buy smaller celeriac so they will fit in your buns. If you can only find a bigger one, cut the slices in half before blanching.

Feta, tomato + smoky pepper parcels

This is my take on Greek feta bouyiourdi, although I char my peppers first as it doubles the smoky hum. I use the pale yellow-green Turkish peppers: they are long and thin, sweeter and milder than their green pepper cousins, but, if you can’t find them, don’t worry. This is best done on the barbecue, but you can also char the peppers over a naked gas flame, then cook the parcels in the oven.

Posted: 12.06.21 3 Comments