These Vegan Green Curry Veggie Kabobs are made with a green coconut curry marinade. They're great for summer grilling, but work well on indoor grills too.
What Happened on the 4th of July
Something terrible happened on the 4th of July. (And for once, it wasn't me burning myself with a sparkler. Sparklers! Why are you so hot and burny?!) Someone went into our yard and stole the rest of my blackberries.
Can you believe there are people in this world who steal blackberries?! Is this the world we live in? I had finally figured out when to pick them (it's not when they turn black, it's when they get plump and juicy) and I was planning on picking the last batch on the 4th of July to use in a crumble, but when I went outside to pick them, there were only two lonely ripe berries waiting for me on the vine. OH THE HORROR. I can't imagine an adult going into someone's backyard to steal berries, but would kids really steal fruit?! Is this 1920? Did they go play marbles afterwards? And dance the Charleston?
If there's a lesson that can be learned from this, it's that if you buy a house on a corner, put in a fence right away. Unfenced corner lot = people walking through your yard like it ain't no thing. And stealing blackberries.
So all my hopes and dreams for delicious blackberry crumbles were crushed, but I did make some tasty Green Curry Veggie Kabobs. I decided to take the lazy way out and use the pre-made kabobs they sell at the grocery store. I usually work under the assumption that pre-made = more expensive, but when I did the math, these were way cheaper than actually making my own. And look! They're so colorful and pretty! Like a rainbow of deliciousness. And look, I didn't have to cut any veggies!
About the Recipe
The green curry in these kabobs comes from a coconut milk marinade mixed with Thai curry paste. Green curry is fairly mild, so you can add a little heat with a few squirts of sriracha. After your veggie skewers soak up all that coconut curry goodness, don't throw out the marinade! Unlike meat marinades, it's perfectly safe to reuse ones that have been used for veggies or tofu. We made big bowls of brown rice and veggies with these kabobs and used the extra marinade as a sauce for those. Maybe it wasn't the most traditional 4th of July meal, but I'll take that over scary hot dogs and gloppy potato salad any day.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb assorted veggies bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, summer squash, etc.
- 1 13.66 oz can lite coconut milk
- 2 tbsp green curry paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- zest from 1 lime
- sriracha to taste (if desired)
- salt and pepper to taste (if desired)
Instructions
- Cut the veggies into uniformly sized chunks and thread them onto skewers. (Or cheat like I did and use pre-assembled skewers. Whatever!) If you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for about 30 minutes first.
- Whisk together remaining ingredients in a large baking dish. Place kabobs in the dish, cover and transfer the dish to the refrigerator, and allow the kabobs to marinate for at least two hours, up to a day. Turn the kabobs every 30 minutes or so and brush them with the coconut curry marinade to make sure as much flavor soaks in as possible!
- If you're using an indoor grill, heat it to high, spray the grates with oil or cooking spray, and cook the kabobs for about 10 minutes on each side, or until veggies are seared and tender, occasionally basting with extra marinade. For charcoal and gas grills, brush oil onto the grill rack and cook the kabobs until they're done, turning and basting occasionally. It shouldn't be more than 10 minutes, but grills vary so much in how they cook, it's hard to be precise. Just keep an eye on the kabobs!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 8 July 2013.
Jeanette says
I can't believe someone picked your blackberries - how terrible! Glad you were able to pull off these beautiful kebabs - love Thai curry pastes - so packed with flavor!
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
Those look just terrific a fine substitute for the traditional meal.
I'm appalled at the blackberry theft, just appalled!
Kathryn says
Ooh I have all these ingredients at home. Definitely making these soon. And I'm totally appalled about the blackberry theft. At what point does anyone think that's okay?!
Kiersten says
I don't know! I just hope they leave my veggies alone!
Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch says
I love kabobs and these look amazing!!!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love green curry, these look so tasty!
Rebecca says
It may not have been someone going into your backyard and stealing your blackberries... I had blackberry plants and also waited for the most plump, ripe moment... when one day, the birds descended and striped them bare in a matter of minutes.
Check out your birds... if they look guilty and full... you've found your culprits.
Kiersten says
I had that thought too, but I figured that they'd leave some kind of evidence? I definitely prefer to think it was birds because if it's people, that's just really creepy and mean!
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete} says
Oh my! I can't believe someone picked all your blackberries, how rude!
Those kabobs look amazing though, I love curry but never would have thought to add it to kabobs! Yummy. Your meal looks much better than hamburgers and hot dogs in my opinion!
Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend.
Kiersten says
I will add curry to just about anything! 😀 I hope you had a great 4th too--although I'm a little late, huh? I'm so behind on comments!
Christy@SweetandSavoring says
Oh no, that stinks about your blackberries! Who would do such a thing? Clearly your garden is part of your HOME, not an abandoned lot or something. Sheesh :\
You're so right about the colorful and pretty kabobs, though! Love these! I've never made green curry sauce, but I love it!
Kiersten says
Jerks! That's who! People treat our yard and the yards on our street as if it's a public space. I've seen random kids (older kids! kids who should know better!) go into the neighbor's yard and use their swingset too. It's creepy!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
These sound so good!! Do you think that red curry paste would work just as well?
Kiersten says
Red curry paste would definitely work too! 🙂
Courtney @ The Fig Tree says
Oh yum! I adore green curry. Great idea to use it as a marinade for veggies! I'll have to make these this week. We got new BBQs for our condo block and I need to test them out! 🙂
Kiersten says
I love green curry too--I don't use it often enough!
Caitlin says
what the heck?! i'd be so pissed. people are jerks. anyway.. i often agree that homemade is cheaper, but sometimes that just isn't true. just like here! and what a beautiful meal you've made. it looks delicious!
Kiersten says
I'm still angry about it over a week later. Blackberries are so expensive!
Christine @ Gotta Eat Green says
I've been looking for a new recipe for kabobs. Most of the ones I have been finding are too sweet or they are barbecue flavoured. I looove curry so I know these will be awesome.
Kiersten says
I love me some BBQ sauce, but I'm not crazy about it on veggies either. Another option would be to make a marinade out of olive oil, fresh herbs, and minced garlic. You can whisk in a little balsamic vinegar too if you want. I used to do that all the time and it's really tasty, especially with mushrooms!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says
People do a lot of crazy stuff but stealing blackberries would have to be a new low. Are you sure it wasn't an animal? I mean, someone would have to be spying on you to know about those berries. Weird.
Anywho, I love veggie kabobs and these look perfect! The green curry marinade is so unique!
Kiersten says
Well, we're on a corner lot and the berries were on the side of the house, so people can see them from the street. AND people walk through our yard all the time as a shortcut. :/
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says
Oh, I see. That sucks that people cut through your yard! And steal your berries...bastards.
Laura @ Kneadwhine says
Wha-? I can understand people picking in parks but from your own back garden? Craziness.
These kebabs look really tasty - we've just bought a barbecue recently so really looking forward to giving these a try.
Kiersten says
I know! 🙁 There are several unfenced yards on our block and people walk right through them as if they're a public space, so I'm sure someone was walking through and saw the berries...
Todd you know your uncle says
Those shits!!! Gotta look out for those interlopers. Looking forward to trying this one.
Kiersten says
Now I'm paranoid someone is going to start stealing my veggies too. Jerks!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
Such a pretty, colorful batch of kabobs! Love the coconut-curry marinade, too!
Alecia says
I'm an eternal optimist and refuse to think someone would be so evil as to steal another's blackberries! I think it was an animal, maybe a raccoon... they are pretty clever. I'm picturing a very happy raccoon waddling away from your yard with a fat belly and blackberry-stained face. HAHA!
Kiersten says
If it was animals, they did a really good job cleaning up after themselves! 🙂
Cassie | Bake Your Day says
That's unbelievable! I can't believe someone would steal blackberries. Crazy!!
Love these kabobs, Kiersten. We love grilled veggies and the green curry on these is a must-try!
Martina says
I honestly can't believe that in this day and age you need to fence the yard to protect blackberries - who steals someones blackberries!!! I'll refrain from sharing exactly what I think of people like that, since it wouldn't be considered polite!
Nice looking kabobs though (feels so strange to write that, we call them kebabs in Ireland so this kabob name is new and different for me and I've seen it everywhere recently!)
Martina
Kiersten says
I know! Only a complete degenerate would steal blackberries! Hooliganism!!!!
I think here, kebab refers to the Middle Eastern meat-on-a-stick and kabob is our bastardized American version. 🙂
Colleen @ Culinary Colleen says
I can't believe someone would do that! The kabobs look wonderful though. I'm always looking for new vegetarian-friendly food for the grill!
Robin Gagnon {Mom Foodie} says
I can just see you around town looking for signs of blackberry stains on potential culprits...lol
Kiersten says
I've been giving my neighbors the side-eye when I see them. 🙂
Lisa @ Greek Vegetarian says
Nice easy recipe Kiersten. Love the idea of green curry on kabobs. But how DARE someone steal your blackberries!!!! Could a bird have eaten them?
Kiersten says
Well, it COULD be a bird, but I don't know how they could get all those berries clean off the vine without a trace...
Kare @ Kitchen Treaty says
Maybe, just maybe, it was birds who took the blackberries! My guy and I have an ongoing related argument. Every year when blackberries ripen, there are a couple of spots on the highway where birds sit on poles and, well, below them they create a giant line of magenta on the freeway. I uphold that the birds carry the berries to the pole to eat them and the juices spill over. My guy insists it's the berry color, um, coming out the other end. He's probably right, but I like my version better. Anyway ... think of happy, stuffed cheek birds with juices spilling over. 😉 Though if this is the first year it's happened ... yeah. People can be jerks.
Your kabobs are marvelous and you arranged the veggies on them flawlessly. Totally a rainbow. Love!
Kiersten says
Ha! That is funny. Also gross. 🙂 But could birds pick them clean off the vine though?! We had a few berries with bites taken out of them as soon as the berries started to ripen and I figured that was birds, but it seemed really weird that overnight, all of the rest were removed from the vine completely...
JulieD says
These look fantastic! Whenever we do kabobs I always add mushrooms!
Sommer @ ASpicyPerspective says
Love this recipe! Gorgeous food shots!