Grilled Veggies with Pipián Dip
Vegetarians should never feel unwelcome at a cookout, says cookbook author and Los Angeles restaurateur Bricia Lopez—they are always welcome at hers. She usually offers at least a few veggie-forward options for them, and anyone else who loves vegetables. If she turns her grill on, she usually likes to throw any vegetables she has in the fridge on the grill because there is just something about grilling veggies that makes them taste better than any other way of cooking them.
Ingredients
For the dip:
- 1 habanero, stem removed
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 red bell peppers (5 1/4 oz./300 g each), stems and seeds removed
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine (14 oz./400 g)
- 1 slice sourdough bread
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) grapeseed oil
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
- 1 cup (140 g) raw almonds, lightly toasted in a skillet on the stovetop
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
- 1 cup (140 g) raw almonds, lightly toasted in a skillet on the stovetop
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. sea salt
For the vegetables:
- 8 oz. (225 g) heirloom carrots, trimmed and peeled
- 1/2 yellow squash, woody nub cut off
- 8 oz. (225 g) asparagus, woody nubs snapped off
- 8 oz. (225 g) calabacita (Mexican summer squash) or zucchini, quartered
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 Tbs. sea salt
- 1 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Start a charcoal or gas grill. The gas should be set to high. If using a pellet grill, preheat your grill to 425°F (220°C) for at least 15 minutes. If using charcoal, the coals should be red but entirely covered with gray ash.
To make the dip, wrap the habanero and garlic in a square sheet of aluminum foil. Place the bell peppers, tomatoes and bread directly on the grill along with the wrapped habanero and garlic. Grill the bread just until charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Grill the bell peppers and tomatoes, flipping constantly, until charred, about 10 minutes total. The habanero and garlic will be softened after about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill and set aside.
In a food processor, blend the habanero, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, bread, the grapeseed and olive oils, almonds, vinegar and salt until the texture is like a paste.
To prepare the vegetables, in a large bowl, toss the carrots, yellow squash, asparagus and calabacita with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Place the vegetables directly on the grill and grill them, flipping constantly, until they are charred, about 10 minutes total.
Serve the veggies warm with the dip on the side. Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral (Abrams Books, 2023)