Appetizers
Tuscan Grilled Vegetable Platter with Balsamic-Soy Glaze
Tuscan Grilled Vegetable Platter with Balsamic-Soy Glaze
Recipe Notes
- Yield: Serves 6 to 8
- Method: Direct grilling
- Equipment: Toothpicks or slender bamboo skewers
Ingredients
For the Balsamic-Soy Glaze:
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
For the vegetables:
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus (about 1 pound), preferably not too thin, trimmed
- 1 large sweet or red onion, peeled, top trimmed (leave the stem end intact), and sliced into 8 wedges
- 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
- 2 medium yellow squash, or more zucchini, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
- 2 heads Treviso, radicchio, or Belgian endive, quartered lengthwise through the stems
- 1 medium eggplant, trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch rounds
- 3 bell peppers (ideally, one each red, yellow, and orange), cored, seeded and cut into 2-inch strips
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Coarse salt (sea or kosher) and freshly ground black pepper
Recipe Steps
Step 1: Make the Balsamic-Soy Glaze: In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, and honey. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the mixture is reduced and syrupy, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Step 2: Pin the asparagus stalks crosswise in groups of 3 or 4 with toothpicks to make rafts. Pin each onion wedge with a toothpick. Arrange the asparagus, onions, zucchini, squash, Treviso, eggplant slices, and peppers on a baking sheet. Brush the vegetables on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. Brush and oil the grill grate.
Step 4: Arrange the vegetables on the grate and grill until tender and browned, 2 to 5 minutes per side depending on the vegetable. (Extra points for great grill marks.) Remove any toothpicks or skewers and arrange the grilled vegetables decoratively on a platter. Drizzle with the Balsamic-Soy Glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.
