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Recipe · Direct · Easy

Costa Blanca grilled seasonal vegetables on the kamado

Eggplant, zucchini, Levante red pepper, red onion and whole skin-on garlic, grilled direct at 220°C and finished with warm sherry vinaigrette. A vegetarian plate that stands on its own, not a side.

Season:Summer ·Autumn

Quick answer

Seasonal vegetables on the kamado roast directly at 220 °C for 35 minutes, cut to 2 cm and turned every 8-10 minutes, with whole unpeeled garlic and no salt until the end. Finish them with a warm vinaigrette of Bajo Aragón oil, sliced garlic and sherry vinegar.

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One big step at a time, screen kept on and built-in timers.

Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Servings
6 servings
Temperature
220 °C

What time do you want to eat?

Pick a time and we'll tell you when to start.

  1. 12:35

    Start the prep

  2. 12:55

    Light the kamado

  3. 13:15

    Onto the kamado

  4. 14:00

    Serve

Estimate: it includes lighting and settling the kamado plus a margin for large cuts. If the recipe asks you to marinate or salt ahead, add that time.

Fire setupDirect heat

Dome
220 °C
Deflector
No
Grate
Standard height
Setup
Foil for the garlic

Temperature curve

1:15 h from lighting

Kamado dome

Dome and internal temperature over the cook0°50°100°150°200°250°10:0020:2030:40451:15220 °Chours from lighting
#FromPhaseDome
10:00Light the charcoalDirect, no deflector20 → 220 °C
20:20StabiliseGrate ready when water drops evaporate at once220 °C
30:40Put the food inVeg spaced apart, garlic parcel aside220 → 200 °C
40:42CookTurn every 8-10 min; herbs for the last 5200 → 220 °C
51:15Serveoff

0:00 is the moment you light the charcoal. Internal temperatures are the ones the recipe gives; without a probe, go by the times. Turn these times into clock times with the planner

For this recipe

Ingredients

Servings6
  • medium eggplants, firm and glossy2
  • small zucchini (<20 cm)3
  • Levante red peppers3
  • medium red onions2
  • purple garlic from Las Pedroñeras1 head
  • Bajo Aragón extra-virgin olive oil6 tbsp
  • sherry vinegar (Reserva)1 tbsp
  • fresh thyme4 sprigs
  • fresh rosemary2 sprigs
  • Maldon flaky salt (at the end)1 tbsp

Allergens

  • Sulphites

Based on the recipe's ingredients. Always check the label of every product you buy.

The gear for this recipe

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Method

  1. 01

    Equal cuts

    Wash and dry all vegetables. Cut eggplant into 2 cm batons, zucchini into oblique 1.5 cm slices, peppers into seedless quarters, onion into thick wedges. Separate the unpeeled garlic cloves.

  2. 02

    Oil rub

    In a large bowl toss the vegetables with 3 tbsp of oil, making sure every face is lightly glossy. No salt yet. The garlic goes in a foil packet of its own with 1 tbsp oil.

  3. 03

    Stabilise at 220°C

    Set the kamado for direct (no deflector) and bring it to 220°C. Wait 20 minutes for the grates to fully heat — water droplets should sizzle off instantly.

  4. 04

    Grill and flip

    Lay the vegetables directly on the grates, leaving space between pieces. Put the garlic packet in a cooler corner. Flip every 8-10 minutes until well marked and tender — about 30-35 min total.

  5. 05

    Herbs at the end

    In the last 5 minutes scatter fresh thyme and rosemary directly on the grate next to the vegetables. They will perfume without burning. Pull when a fork slides smoothly into the eggplant.

  6. 06

    Warm vinaigrette

    In a small pan warm 2 tbsp oil with 1 finely sliced garlic clove. As it starts to brown, take off heat and add the sherry vinegar. It will hiss: be careful.

  7. 07

    Plate and serve

    Arrange the vegetables on a wide platter. Squeeze the roasted garlic onto the plate, discard the skins. Pour the warm vinaigrette over, scatter Maldon salt and finish with a thread of raw oil. Serve immediately.

About this recipe

Seasonal vegetables on the kamado grill direct at 220°C for 35 minutes, turned every 8-10 minutes, and finish with a warm vinaigrette of Bajo Aragón olive oil, confit garlic and sherry vinegar. The ceramic grill concentrates heat, marking the vegetables without drying them; raw EVOO at the end balances the natural sweetness of the char. It is the vegetarian plate in the rotation that does not apologise for being vegetarian.

Produce: Levante leads

On the Costa Blanca we have access to brutal produce nearly year-round. Bright, firm eggplant, zucchini under 20 cm (bigger ones are watery), Levante red peppers that feel heavy in the hand, red onion from Cuenca, purple garlic from Las Pedroñeras. The kamado only amplifies what is already great. Shop the same day, not the night before: an eggplant that has lived a week in the fridge no longer works here.

Technique: equal sizes, salt at the end

The most important rule: cut everything to similar sizes (~2 cm thick) so it cooks at the same rate. Eggplant in batons, zucchini in oblique slices, pepper in quarters, onion in thick wedges. Brush with oil — do not marinate — and DO NOT salt before: salt pulls water out and the vegetables boil instead of grilling.

Garlic grills with the skin on, wrapped together in a cooler zone. The skin prevents burning and the inside turns confit-soft, ready to smash onto the plate. Herbs (thyme, rosemary) go on fresh, in sprigs, scattered over the grill for the last 5 minutes to perfume without scorching.

The warm vinaigrette that changes everything

Once plated, warm 3 tbsp oil, 1 sliced garlic clove and 1 tbsp sherry vinegar in a small pan. Wait 30 seconds for the perfume to lift, then pour hot over the plate. The emulsion shines, the acid wakes the caramelised sugars, and that final flavour layer is what separates correct vegetables from memorable ones.

In 30 seconds: Levante seasonal produce cut at 2 cm, direct grill 220°C 35 min, flip every 8-10 min, skin-on garlic, salt only at the end, warm sherry vinaigrette with sliced garlic, raw EVOO to finish.

Will it fit your kamado?

  • Small

    33-40 cm · Joe Jr, MiniMax

    Tight

    For 6 servings, probably two or three batches: only a few pieces fit at once.

  • Medium

    46-51 cm · Classic, Large

    Tight

    Very tight in one batch; better in two to leave space between pieces.

  • Large

    56-61 cm · Big Joe, XL

    Fits

    All the vegetables fit at once with space between pieces.

What to serve with it

Sides

Wine
Rueda Verdejo white or Navarra rosé
Beer
Wheat beer or saison
Alcohol-free
Iced herbal tea with lemon

Leftovers and storage

In the fridge
Airtight within 2 h: 3-4 days in the fridge.
Freezing
Freeze 2-3 months but turn soft; best for soups or sauces. Never refreeze.
Reheating
Hot pan or kamado at 200 °C for 5 min to bring back the char; or at room temperature.
Using them up
On toast with cheese, in a vegetable omelette or blended into soup.

Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours. When in doubt, throw it out.

Leftover embers

You still have embers: what to do with the leftover heat

For 35 min at 220 °C in a classic kamado you load about 800 g of charcoal and burn 600 g: when you serve, about 250 g of live embers remain. Before you shut the vents, that is still enough for:

Before opening the lid, crack it open for a few seconds first; if you raise the heat, stir the ash so the coals can breathe. And if you are not going to use them: once the food is out, close the bottom and top vents. The charcoal that does not burn (about 250 g) can be used next time. Different size of kamado? Work out your load for 1 h of fire, lighting included.

No kamado?

How to make it without a kamado: oven, gas grill or pellets

The vegetables roast over direct heat at 220 °C for 30-35 minutes, turned often. On gas they come out nearly the same; in the oven they are tender but unmarked.

Home oven

Temp.
220 °C conventional (205 °C fan)
Time
35-40 min, a few more than on the kamado
  • Use two trays and do not crowd them; touching pieces steam
  • Turn at 20 min and finish with 3-4 min under the broiler to char the edges
  • Thyme and rosemary on the tray for the last 5 min, as in the recipe

SmokeBarkJuicinessTender and tasty; no grill marks

Gas grill

Temp.
220 °C direct, lid closed
Time
30-35 min, same as on the kamado
  • Preheat the grates for 15 min; water should flash off instantly, as in the recipe
  • Put the garlic parcel over a low burner, your cool corner
  • Close the lid between turns so the aubergine cooks through

SmokeBarkJuicinessPractically the same, with good grill marks

Pellet grill or electric smoker

Temp.
220-230 °C on a pellet grill
Time
35-40 min; hot air marks more slowly
  • Pellet grill only; at an electric smoker's 135 °C the vegetables stew instead of browning
  • Preheated cast-iron grates or a griddle for the marks
  • Mild fruitwood or olive pellets; vegetables soak up smoke fast

SmokeBarkJuicinessPleasantly smoky; fainter marks

Temperatures and times are a guide; the original recipe is the kamado one. Tempted? which kamado to choose for what you cook

Editor's tips

  • Salt only at the end. Salt earlier and the vegetables release water and boil in their own juices instead of charring.
  • Whole skin-on garlic does not burn: the skin works as insulation. Peeled, it turns black in 10 minutes.
  • Fresh thyme and rosemary, never dried. Dried turns to dust and gets bitter; fresh perfumes and stays whole.
  • As an alternative to sherry vinegar, try Pedro Ximénez reduced by half: it brings sweetness and depth.

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FAQ

  • Which vegetables should I avoid grilling on the kamado?

    Thin leafy greens (spinach, arugula, lettuce) burn instantly. Raw potatoes also fail on direct heat at 220°C: the outside chars before the inside cooks. For potatoes, use a foil pouch or par-cook them first.

  • Can I freeze the grilled vegetables for later?

    Yes, especially eggplant and pepper, which freeze well once grilled. Zucchini and onion lose texture. To thaw, fridge 6 hours and reheat 5 minutes at 180°C indirect on the kamado.

  • What if I do not have a grill grate, only a tray?

    It works, but the result drops. Without a grate you lose the marks and the dry contact with hot metal, so vegetables cook more in their own juices. If unavoidable, use a heavy cast-iron tray preheated 15 minutes in the kamado and work in small batches.

  • Should I marinate the vegetables before grilling?

    No. An acidic marinade (lemon, vinegar) or salt pre-cook softens the cell walls and the vegetables lose structure. Better to coat with oil alone and build all the flavour with the warm vinaigrette at the end. Counterintuitive, but it works.

  • Can you roast these vegetables without a kamado?

    Yes: on a gas grill at 220 °C direct they come out practically the same in 30-35 minutes. In the oven they turn tender in 35-40 minutes, without marks, and on a pellet grill they gain smoke but brown less.

  • What do I do with the embers left after making Costa Blanca grilled seasonal vegetables on the kamado?

    After 35 min at 220 °C in a classic kamado about 250 g of live embers remain: 25 min more at 220 °C without touching the vents or 35 min at 140-200 °C closing the vents. If you are not going to use them, close both vents and keep the charcoal for next time.

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