How do you use a Weber vegetable basket?

The Weber vegetable basket is a handy accessory for any outdoor grill, allowing you to easily grill vegetables and other side dishes alongside your main course. Perfect for grilling veggies, fish, shrimp and more, the vegetable basket consists of a stainless steel mesh basket with handles that allow you to place it directly on the grill. Using a vegetable basket on your grill opens up tons of possibilities for healthy, flavorful sides to complement your grilled meats, chicken or fish. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your Weber vegetable grilling basket:

Benefits of Using a Vegetable Basket

There are several advantages to using a vegetable basket on your grill:

– Keeps small or delicate foods from falling through the grill grates. The perforated metal basket provides a supportive surface for grilling thinly sliced veggies, small pieces of fish or shrimp, whole cherry tomatoes and more. Without the basket, these types of foods are likely to slip right through the grates.

– Allows you to easily turn or stir foods for even cooking. The basket can be shaken or turned with a pair of tongs, making it easy to roll vegetables over for charring on all sides or stir pieces so they cook evenly.

– Provides easy transfer on and off the grill. Thanks to the basket’s handles, you can conveniently place it directly on the hot grates or lift it off when the vegetables are done cooking. No need for messy foil packets or extra tools like a grill pan.

– Lets you grill a medley of vegetables at once. The basket’s space allows you to combine different chopped veggies or small items like mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini slices, whole baby potatoes and more to create a veggie skewer.

– Enables quick cooking. With the food elevated off the grates in the breathable basket, vegetables and other sides can cook faster than if placed directly on the grill.

– Allows you to infuse flavor from smoking wood chips. When using wood chips for smoking on a gas or charcoal grill, the vegetable basket lets you take advantage of their flavor enhancement.

Choosing the Right Foods

While the vegetable basket can hold a wide variety of foods, you’ll get the best results with items that are:

– Sliced thinly or cut into small, bite-size pieces. Thin, short vegetables like sliced zucchini, quartered mushrooms, diced onions, halved cherry tomatoes will cook quickly and evenly.

– Naturally low in moisture. Dense, starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and turnips will grill up nicely without falling apart. Avoid delicate greens like lettuce which will wilt.

– Measuring around 1 inch in size or smaller. Whole medium shrimp, scallops, cherry tomatoes, baby potatoes are perfect. Large, thick cuts of veggies or proteins will take too long to cook through.

– Softer varieties or pre-cooked. Softer vegetables like eggplant, zucchini and summer squash can be grilled raw. Harder veggies like carrots and broccoli should be partially cooked first.

– Supported by skewers as needed. Skewering cubed foods helps hold them together if needed. Try skewers for tofu, soft fruits like pineapple cubes.

Some top choices for the vegetable basket include:

– Summer Squashes: zucchini, yellow squash

– Root vegetables: baby potatoes, sweet potato wedges, beet slices, turnips

– Alliums: whole shallots, cippolini onions, leek slices

– Mushrooms: portobello caps, cremini, shiitake

– Asparagus, green beans, okra, Brussels sprouts halves

– Tomatoes: cherry, grape, plum

– Tofu cubes

– Fruit: pineapple, peach, fig chunks

Seasoning and Oiling the Food

To get delicious caramelization on the grill, vegetables and fruits destined for the vegetable basket need a light coating of oil. You’ll also want to season them ahead of time to infuse robust flavor right into the food.

Some tips for oiling and seasoning:

– Use olive oil or an oil with high smoke point like avocado, grapeseed or canola oil. Avoid unrefined oils that can impart unpleasant flavor from the smoke.

– Oil thinly sliced or diced foods by spreading on a baking sheet, misting with spray bottle or tossing in a bowl.

– Season several hours before grilling to maximize flavor, at least 30 minutes ahead minimally.

– Create wet rubs by combining oil, acids like lemon juice or vinegar and chopped herbs. Try chimichurri or pesto as flavorful wet rubs.

– Dry rubs work well on firmer veggies. Mix spices, salt, pepper and dried herbs then sprinkle over.

– Sauce or glaze half-way through grilling if desired. Basting with BBQ or teriyaki sauce will get sticky caramelization.

– For fruit, brush with honey, maple or preserves for added flavor and sheen.

Setting Up the Grill

Properly heating up your grill is important for ensuring vegetables cook thoroughly without burning. Follow these tips when prepping a charcoal or gas grill:

– For charcoal, wait until coals are glowing red with some ashes to signify medium heat. Position most coals to one side of grill for indirect heat zone.

– For gas, preheat grill on medium-high setting, around 400??F. Leave one burner lower to create indirect cooking zone.

– Oil the hot grates right before adding food. Use a wad of paper towels dipped in high smoke point oil held with tongs.

– Ensure grill is clean. Scrape grates thoroughly with a grill brush and wipe with oil-dipped paper towels.

Placing and Grilling Vegetables

The vegetable basket can be placed directly on the grill grates, over direct or indirect heat depending on the food. Follow these guidelines:

– Set basket over direct high heat for searing. This works well for firmer, dense items needing quick browning like potatoes or bread.

– Grill softer, quicker cooking foods over indirect heat. This allows steaming and gentle cooking of items like sliced summer squash and fruit.

– Use tongs to turn basket often, every 2-3 minutes. Shake basket or stir contents to expose all sides to heat.

– Move basket for customized cooking. You can sear both sides over direct heat then move to indirect heat to finish cooking without burning.

– Cook vegetables until tender-crisp or fully soft, 5-15 minutes usually. Use fork or knife tip to test doneness.

– Transfer basket to a heat-safe surface or plate when done. Never place hot basket directly on grass, wood, plastic or glass.

Grilling Tips for Specific Foods

While techniques will vary based on the size and type of vegetables, proteins or fruits being grilled, here are some basket grilling tips for specific ingredients:

Firm or Hard Vegetables

– Partially steam or boil carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts first before grilling to soften. This allows quick cooking and charring on the grill.

– Par-cook root vegetables like potatoes and beets. Boil larger pieces for 5-10 minutes then finish on grill.

– Cut offparsnips outer skin before grilling to prevent burning. Parsnips can get quite soft when grilled.

Mushrooms

– Choose mushrooms like portobello, shiitake or oyster with larger caps if grilling whole. Medium cremini work halved or quartered.

– Clean dirt from mushrooms using damp cloth or paper towels rather than washing to avoid excess moisture.

– Due to high water content, grill mushrooms over indirect heat, tossing frequently.

– Brush mushroom caps with oil or melted butter and season before placing in basket.

Corn

– Husk corn, remove silk strands and rub with oil before grilling.

– For best results, soak cobs in salted water 30 minutes before grilling.

– Grill corn over direct medium heat, turning every 2-4 minutes until kernels char.

– Try coating corn with mayonnaise, cotija cheese or spice rubs for extra flavor.

Asparagus

– Select thick, evenly sized spears. Very thin asparagus will overcook.

– Trim woody ends then lightly coat spears with oil, salt and pepper.

– Grill over direct heat for 2-4 minutes per side if spears are 1/2 inch or thicker.

– For charring, move to indirect heat to finish cooking once seared on both sides.

Onions and Leeks

– Peel onions, cut off root and stem ends and remove outer layer if thick. Halve or quarter.

– Cut leeks into 1-2 inch strips, rinse well to remove dirt.

– Grill over direct heat, turning occasionally, until softened and charred in spots, about 15 minutes.

Stone Fruits

– Cut peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots into thick wedges or halves to grill.

– Be sure fruit is ripe but still fairly firm. Avoid overly soft fruit.

– Grill skin side down first. Move fruit to indirect heat to finish cooking if needed.

– Brush with honey or preserves glaze last 1-2 minutes if desired.

Tofu

– Press excess water from extra firm tofu block. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

– Skewer tofu cubes. Brush with sauce like teriyaki, soy glaze or peanut sauce before grilling.

– Grill over direct heat until heated through and lightly charred. Turn skewers frequently.

Seafood

– Brush fish fillets, whole fish, shellfish with oil or sauce. Sprinkle with spices.

– Grill delicate white fish over indirect heat, turning once, just until opaque.

– Cook shrimp, scallops and clams over direct heat just until opaque, 2-3 minutes per side.

– For whole fish or fillets with skin, grill skin-side down first. Carefully flip halfway through cooking.

Breads and Pizza

– Quickly grill slices of bread, naan or pita over direct heat just to char marks.

– For pizza, preheat vegetable basket over direct heat 5 minutes. Place flattened dough in basket, grill with lid closed until crust is crisp and toppings heated, 3-5 minutes.

Maintaining the Vegetable Basket

Like all grilling tools, keeping your Weber vegetable basket in top condition ensures the best performance. Follow these maintenance tips:

– Allow basket to fully cool before cleaning. Use a grill brush and metal scraper to remove any stuck on food particles from mesh basket.

– Hand wash basket using dish soap and water. Do not put vegetable basket in the dishwasher.

– Make a bubbling water and baking soda solution. Occasionally soak basket to remove grease and help prevent corrosion.

– Apply cooking oil or vegetable oil from time to time. Wipe a thin layer of oil over the mesh basket to help prevent rusting.

– Store basket indoors or have a grill cover to protect from weather exposure when not in use. Avoid leaving the accessory outside.

– Replace basket if the mesh metal becomes too rusted, damaged or bent to properly hold foods for grilling. Most are designed for 5+ years of use.

Tips for Grilling Success

Take your vegetable basket grilling skills to the next level with these helpful tips:

– Experiment with mixed vegetable and fruit kebabs in the basket. Try mushrooms, zucchini and peaches threaded onto skewers.

– Use two baskets at once to grill different foods simultaneously. Baskets can hold sides while meats cook on the grates.

– Grill a foil packet of rice, quinoa or couscous right in the basket as an easy side.

– Top bread basket pizzas with grilled veggies for delicious pairing. Try zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes as tasty toppings.

– Skewer cubed tofu, peppers and pineapple in the vegetable basket for a fun veggie kebab.

– Foil line the basket to grill delicate boneless fish fillets if the grates are too wide.

– For a showstopper, load a whole head of cauliflower into the basket, drizzle with oil and grill until perfectly charred.

Grilled Vegetable Basket Recipes

The vegetable basket opens up all sorts of possibilities for quick and easy grilled sides. Here are some tasty recipe ideas to try out on your grill using the basket:

Grilled Greek Summer Squash

Ingredients:

– 1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
– 1 medium yellow squash, sliced into 1/4 rounds
– 1 pint cherry tomatoes
– 1 lemon, juiced and zested
– 2 Tbsp olive oil
– 1 garlic clove, minced
– 1 tsp dried oregano
– Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, toss all ingredients together until vegetables are evenly coated.

2. Grill in vegetable basket over indirect heat, tossing every 2-3 minutes, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Sprinkle with feta cheese before serving if desired.

BBQ Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

Ingredients:

– 12 oz chicken breast, cubed
– 12 cherry tomatoes
– 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
– 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
– 2 Tbsp BBQ sauce
– Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto skewers.

2. Brush with BBQ sauce and season with salt and pepper.

3. Grill kebabs in vegetable basket over direct heat until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, about 12-15 minutes.

Grilled Corn with Spicy Lime Butter

Ingredients:

– 4 ears corn, husks and silks removed
– 4 Tbsp salted butter, softened
– 1 lime, zest and juice
– 1/4 tsp chili powder
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Mix butter, lime zest and juice, chili powder, cayenne and salt and pepper in a small bowl.

2. Grill corn in vegetable basket over direct medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until kernels are lightly charred, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Brush grilled corn with spicy lime butter and serve.

Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Stacks

Ingredients:

– 1 large Italian eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
– 2 large tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
– 2 Tbsp olive oil
– 1 garlic clove, minced
– 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
– Salt and pepper to taste
– 4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced

Instructions:

1. Brush eggplant and tomato slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill in vegetable basket over direct heat 2-3 minutes per side.

2. On a platter, create stacks by alternating layers of eggplant, tomato, basil leaves and mozzarella.

3. Drizzle with balsamic reduction before serving if desired.

Conclusion

A Weber vegetable basket is a handy grilling accessory that opens up tons of quick and healthy side dish possibilities. Allowing you to grill vegetables, fruits, breads and more while your main course cooks, the basket prevents smaller foods from slipping through grates and enables easy handling. Use over direct or indirect heat on a charcoal or gas grill depending on the food being cooked. Maintain the basket by cleaning after use and storing indoors. With a few simple guidelines and flavorful recipe ideas in mind, you can take your grilling skills to new levels with the help of a versatile vegetable basket.