Begin by preparing your ingredients. The key to great skewers is ensuring that all your vegetables are cut to a similar size. Look closely at your cherry tomatoes, radishes, and baby Yukon gold potatoes. Aim for a uniform size that will ensure even cooking. If you want the potatoes to grill nicely, consider parboiling them first.
To parboil the potatoes, place them in a pot of cold water and bring it to a boil. Allow them to cook for about 5 to 8 minutes until they soften slightly. This step can be crucial for achieving the perfect texture after grilling.
Next, it’s time to skewer! Grab your skewers and start layering the vegetables. Aim for a colorful combination of zucchini, red onion, red bell pepper, and mushrooms. I typically like to include 1 or 2 halves of potatoes and radishes on each skewer along with a bunch of the other delicious vegetables.
Each skewer should have about 12 to 15 pieces of vegetables. Feel free to stack the bell peppers and onions together as they can be more sizable. Keep in mind that you might want to avoid using radicchio as it can burn quickly.
Now, let’s prepare the halloumi. Skewer about 4 to 5 pieces of halloumi cheese on each skewer. I find one halloumi skewer pairs perfectly with two veggie skewers!
Preheat your grill to medium heat, allowing it to heat up for at least 15 minutes. Ideally, you want the grill temperature between 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal grilling.
Before grilling, brush or spray your vegetable skewers with a bit of olive oil or coconut oil. Don’t be shy with the seasoning—liberally sprinkle salt and pepper over them. You can also brush some oil on the halloumi, but it doesn’t necessarily need extra salt.
Place your vegetable skewers directly on the grill. Grill them for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning them every 3 to 4 minutes so each side gets that beautiful char.
Afterward, place the halloumi skewers on the grill. Grill them for just 1 to 2 minutes per side, until you see those lovely grill marks. The halloumi should be golden and slightly crisp when done.
Finally, serve the grilled vegetable and halloumi skewers alongside your homemade pistachio pesto for dipping. Enjoy every delicious bite!
Note that you can prepare the vegetable skewers a few hours ahead, but make sure to add the potatoes right before grilling. The pesto can also be made a day or two in advance!
For the pesto, combine the pistachios, basil, arugula, oregano, garlic, and pecorino romano cheese in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped, then stream in about 1/3 cup of olive oil while the processor runs. You can adjust the amount of olive oil based on your desired consistency. Finally, add salt to taste and blend again.
