10 Sauces for Simple Grilled Vegetables

Kristin Donnelly
·2 min read
Spicy Jerk Vegetables with Yogurt-Scallion Sauce
Spicy Jerk Vegetables with Yogurt-Scallion Sauce

© John Kernick

Make a mixed grill platter of vegetables and serve it with a sauce, and you have an impressive, party-worthy dish to serve alongside some simply prepared meat or fish. Here, 10 delicious accompaniments to your grilled veggies.

Green Goddess

Grilled Shrimp and Lettuces with Charred Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
Grilled Shrimp and Lettuces with Charred Green Goddess Dressing Recipe

Eric Wolfinger

That classic creamy, herby dressing is fantastic with charred flavors from the grill. Here, the retro favorite gets a smoky upgrade from from charred parsley and scallions.

Shallot Vinaigrette

Grilled Butternut Squash with Shallot Vinaigrette
Grilled Butternut Squash with Shallot Vinaigrette

© Guy Ambrosino

You can't go wrong with this simple, French-style vinaigrette. Stir six ingredients together a half hour before spooning over grilled vegetables so the shallots can mellow.

Walnut Dressing

Roasted Vegetables with Smashed-Walnut Vinaigrette
Roasted Vegetables with Smashed-Walnut Vinaigrette

Con Poulos

Nuts make the texture of a tart dressing pleasantly chunky so it's easy to dollop over grilled (or roasted) vegetables. Laura Rege makes a tangy, slightly sweet and deliciously nutty vinaigrette to match with everything from cauliflower and carrots to brussels sprouts and winter squash.

Fonduta

Italian Fontina Fonduta
Italian Fontina Fonduta

© Fredrika Stjärne

Essentially just a fancy word for cheese sauce, fonduta is a crowd-pleasing sauce that will make your friends love you and get your kids to eat their vegetables, raw or grilled.

Pesto

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Pesto Dressing
Grilled Vegetable Salad with Pesto Dressing

© James Baigrie

The best way to use up the basil in your garden before the first frost? Make huge batches of pesto. Serve some with grilled veggies right away and freeze the rest.

Aïoli

Aioli-Glazed Charred Broccoli
Aioli-Glazed Charred Broccoli

© Luis Garcia

Mayonnaise works its magic with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and generous seasoning. You can toss vegetables with this Provencal-style garlicky mayo before they go on the grill and/or serve it alongside after.

Yogurt Sauce

Spicy Jerk Vegetables with Yogurt-Scallion Sauce
Spicy Jerk Vegetables with Yogurt-Scallion Sauce

© John Kernick

Whether you whisk yogurt with scallions and lime or cilantro, lemon, and cumin, a creamy, tangy sauce is a cooling accompaniment to spice-rubbed vegetables.

Chile Butter

Alligator Pepper and Makrut Lime Butter
Alligator Pepper and Makrut Lime Butter

Caitlin Bensel

Melt dollops of butter infused with chile and lime over hot grilled veggies. For this version, a wildflower or even buckwheat honey will do. You want a honey that is more robust than sweet to match the earthy, caramelly taste of the calabash nutmeg, also known as ehuru.

Romesco

Romesco Sauce
Romesco Sauce

Christopher Testani

Another way to use those grilled chiles and peppers: Blend them with almonds and other seasonings for green or red versions of this Spanish sauce. Romesco is a Catalan treasure ⁠— its consistency, temperature and exact composition all get tailored to how the sauce will be used.

Nuoc Cham

Nuoc Cham
Nuoc Cham

Greg DuPree

This ever-versatile sweet-sour-salty-hot Vietnamese sauce is good on almost everything savory, including grilled vegetables. Each Viet cook has a take on this ubiquitous sauce. Pronounced "nook chum," nuoc cham literally means "dipping sauce." Its lightness enhances other ingredients instead of taking over the entire dish.