Suya vegetable mixed grill with salsa verde

 Time to get those veggies in for BBQ season! Great seasonal produce, grilled to smoky perfection - a vegan’s delight!

I’ve always loved grilling things, the flavour that is produced using this method of cooking is simply incredible.  That charred, deep, smoky flavour mixed with vibrant colourful vegetables, what more could you ask for?!

In Cameroon, grilling and BBQing is the centre of street food; suya is hands down the most popular street food going in West Africa and was always a must when I went back to visit. Now that I’m vegan, I wanted to re-create that memory and showcase the beautiful flavour packed experience using Suya seasoning. You don’t need a lot of it as its quite spicy, so don’t get too cocky.

I wanted to use seasonal vegetables that are common during UK summertime, but also widely used in the African community, blending both my cultures together – which is always very important to me. Eating seasonally is a growing trend as part of the sustainable movement. Eating fruit and vegetables that are in season means that less energy is used to grow them, and the produce is at its peak of nutrition! Want to know what’s in season every month of the year? Click here to find out.

Tips for the Best Grilled Vegetables

1.       Slice the vegetables to the same thickness to ensure they cook evenly and at the same rate, aim for about 2cm thick. Slicing the veggies too thin will leave them too tender, meaning they could disintegrate on the grill.

2.       Make sure your pan is hot before you start grilling to get the full charred effect.

3.       Once you’ve got your charred effect, turn off the heat and place a lid on top of the pan, or transfer your vegetables into a container & cover. Covering your grill creates the same environment as an oven, baking the vegetables and finishing the cooking process to soften them slightly.

4.       You can also do this on the BBQ to impress your family and friends.

Suya vegetable mixed grill with salsa verde

Ingredients

Stage 1 – Salsa Verde

80g Gherkins

Handful fresh parsley

1 tsp Dijon

5 tbsp rapeseed oil

Pinch salt

Pinch black pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

50g basil

3 garlic cloves

Stage 2:

2 large sweet pointed red peppers - halved

Stage 3:

1 Courgette – 2cm slices (lengthways)

150g baby corn

425g pineapple slices (4 medium pineapple slices or rings)

3 shallots - halved and cut into 2

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp suya seasoning

3 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 tsp all-purpose seasoning

½ tsp paprika

Prep-work

1.       Prep all vegetables: slice courgettes into strips, prep shallots, half red pepper.

Method:

1.       Make stage 1 – Salsa Verde. Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Ensure to scrape down the sides to be certain all ingredients are incorporated. Place in a clean container or jar and put in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

2.       Stage 2, chargrill the red pointed peppers. If you have a gas stove, place the peppers directly on the burner of a gas stove turned to high heat (alternatively, place them on the rack of a very hot grill). The peppers will immediately start to blister, pop and smoke. Once blackened on both sides, remove, and allow to cool down completely before peeling.

3.       If you don’t have a gas stove, you can use your oven. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Line a large, flat baking sheet with baking parchment. Halve the peppers and arrange on the baking sheet, flesh-side down. Roast for 30-35 mins until the skin is shrivelled and lightly blistered. Set aside to cool completely before peeling.

4.       Once you have peeled your peppers, place them and all of stage 3 ingredients in a large container. Make sure you mix well to ensure all the seasoning coats the vegetables. Allow to marinade for a least 1 hour or ideally overnight.

5.       Place your grill pan on the stove, turn the heat to high and ensure the pan is hot before grilling. The vegetables should not be grilled all together, but instead in this order: baby corn, courgette, pineapple, peppers, and shallots. Cook all vegetables for roughly 5-7 minutes and the shallots for 3-4 minutes before turning off the heat and placing a lid on the pan / transferring them into a covered container for 1 minute to finish cooking before serving.

6.       Serve hot with your pre-made Salsa Verde.