Description

Grilled Veggie Kabobs with your choice of protein (tempeh, tofu, chicken, or shrimp) loaded up with healthy summer veggies and a flavorful harissa yogurt sauce. Vegan adaptable!

Ingredients

Units Scale

16 ounces tempeh (or sub 16 ounces tofu, shrimp. or chicken)
3 cups water
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or chili powder)
1 teaspoon salt

Veggie Skewers

1 green zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
1 red bell pepper
8 ounces cremini mushrooms
1 red onion
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ras el hanout (or sub with 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon allspice)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Harissa Yogurt Sauce:

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sub vegan yogurt)
1/4 cup tahini paste
2–3 tablespoons harissa paste (start conservatively) see notes!
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4–1 teaspoon salt
1–2 garlic cloves- finely minced (optional)
optional: add a teaspoon of smoked paprika for extra smoky.

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Instructions

Soak 10 (10-inch) skewers in water for 30-60 minutes, if using wood skewers.
Prep the protein: If using tempeh, place in a large saucepan with 3 cups water (or just enough to cover the tempeh). Add salt and smoked paprika and bring to a simmer. Simmer the tempeh gently, 10 minutes, on medium-low, turning it over halfway through. This will remove the bitterness and impart a little flavor. Remove from heat, drain, and cut into 1-inch cubes. If using tofu: press the blocks gently with paper towels to blot some of the water. Cut into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes. Set aside. ( if using tofu, make doubly sure your grill grates are greased well.) If using chicken: cut into 1-inch cubes, set aside. If using breast, cut slightly bigger, if using thigh meat, cut slightly smaller.
Prep the veggies: Slice the zucchini and yellow summer squash into 1/4 inch thick disks (no bigger). Cut the bell pepper in half, remove seeds, cut into 1-inch wedges, then into bite-sized pieces. Remove mushroom stems. Cut onion in half, then in wedges, then into bite-sized pieces, separating into two layers, similar to bell pepper. Place the veggies into a big bowl.
Season: If using one protein, feel free to add this to the bowl of veggies too. (Or you can season the proteins separately) Drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (enough to lightly coat) sprinkle with the salt, pepper, ras el hanout (or sub the spices) and smoked paprika, gently mixing to coat all pieces well. Make sure the protein is well-oiled and seasoned as well.
Skewer the veggies and protein, dividing equally among 10 skewers. (See the photos.) Do not pack the veggies too tightly, but leave no spaces. They should be comfortably snug. 🙂 At this point, you could cover and refrigerate for grilling later (just make sure to let them come to room temperature beforehand).
Preheat grill to med-high heat and grease well.
Make the Harissa Yogurt, by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Tip If your harissa paste does not contain preserved lemon in the ingredients, add a little lemon juice or lemon zest to the yogurt.
Grill: Place kabobs on the well-greased grill, grilling each side 3-4 minutes, rotating 3-4 times with tongs, closing lid in between turns until grill marks appear on most sides and veggies begin to cook through. Lower heat to medium. Brush the kabobs with a little of the Harissa yogurt, saving most of it for serving. (The tempeh can dry out easily on the grill, and the yogurt sauce seems to helps to keep it moist.) Alternatively, if you would rather keep your grill tidy, drizzle with the yogurt sauce after removing it from the grill.

Notes

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator fridge. Leftover kabobs are great for midweek meals- and can be repurposed into pasta salad, bowls, grain salads, green salads, wraps, pita bread, tacos, etc.

Harissa Paste: you can make your own, either the full recipe or the “cheater” version, or purchase my favorite here Villa Jerada Harissa Sauce! Because Harissa Paste can really vary in flavor and spice level- just add a little at a time to taste. Get the yogurt sauce, how you like it. You may need to adjust salt and lemon.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 skewers
Calories: 345
Sugar: 6.2 g
Sodium: 456.2 mg
Fat: 20.7 g
Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
Carbohydrates: 21.4 g
Fiber: 9.6 g
Protein: 22.1 g
Cholesterol: 3.7 mg