Grilled Vegetables with Chermoula Sauce
If you have been following my posts lately you probably can tell grilling is my go-to method of cooking in the summertime. It’s quick, easy and makes clean up a breeze! Plus, you are outside, so what could be better?
To keep things interesting I like to play around with using different sauces and vinaigrettes. Simply changing out your usual sauce or vinaigrette is an easy way to add variety to your summer dishes, transforming your favorite recipes into something completely brand new.
For today’s recipe I’ve made a simple dish of Grilled Vegetables with Chermoula Sauce. The chermoula sauce is bright and spicy, and adds a ton of flavour to the vegetables.
Serve as a side dish with grilled fish or meat, or tuck some into your favorite bread for a delicious and healthy grilled veggie sandwich.
Chermoula is a Moroccan/North African sauce that is made with lots of fresh cilantro, mint, and parsley, along with olive oil, garlic, and lemon.
For the spices I’ve used cumin and coriander seeds, that I lightly toasted, some smoked paprika and red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
Traditionally chermoula was used as a finishing sauce for fish, but it also makes a great marinade or finishing sauce for grilled vegetables or meat.
The chermoula sauce can be made ahead and stored, refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 – 5 days. Remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before using.
For other great recipes with grilled veggies check out my recipes for Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad with Spicy Harissa Dressing and Grilled Vegetable and Chickpea Grain Bowl
Enjoy!
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
- Outdoor Grill
Ingredients
Chermoula Sauce
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ( or more to taste0
- 1 cup packed cilantro leaves with tender stems
- 1 cup packed parsley leaves with tender stems
- 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
Grilled Vegetables
- 1 medium size eggplant
- 1 medium size zucchini
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 1 small head romaine lettuce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- kosher or sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the Chermoula Sauce
- Place the coriander and cumin seeds in a small dry skillet and toast until fragrant, tossing frequently, about 2 minutes.Transfer to a mortar and pestle, let cool, then lightly crush. (alternatively crush with the bottom of a heavy pan)
- Transfer the toasted seeds to a blender and add the the garlic, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes. Purée until the spices are ground and the mixture is very smooth.Note: If you prefer a milder garlic flavour, sauté the minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for 1-2 minutes before adding to the blender to purée with the spices.
- Add the cilantro, parsley, and mint; pulse until the mixture is well combined but still slightly textured.
Grill the Vegetables
- Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high.While the grill heats, prep the vegetables. Trim and slice the eggplant, zucchini and fennel, brush with olive oil and season with salt on both sides.Pull off any old leaves from the romaine hearts and cut off any browned bits from the root end, leaving most of the root end intact to hold the lettuce leaves together. Slice the head of lettuce lengthwise then brush with olive oil.
- Place the fennel, zucchini and eggplant on the hot grill in a single layer and grill until tender. When they are almost done add the romaine, cut side down. Grill the romaine for 3 minutes, pressing with your tongs to make sure the lettuce gets a good sear. Flip and grill for 1 to 2 minutes longer.Transfer the grilled vegetables to a large plate or platter and brush liberally with the chermoula sauce while they are still hot. Serve warm or at room temperature with extra chermoula sauce alongside.Serve as a side dish with grilled fish or meat, or in your favorite bread or bun for a tasty grilled vegetable sandwich.Note: You can also use roasted vegetables for this dish. Simply toss in olive oil and roast on a baking sheet at 425 degrees F, stirring occasionally, for 30 -45 minutes.