Smoked vegetables and halloumifeeding vegetarians from the smoker (UK)

Picture the usual scene. Twelve people in the garden, a pork shoulder that's been on since dawn, and one vegetarian guest quietly eating coleslaw and crisps while everyone else goes back for seconds. It doesn't need to be like that. A smoker is very good at vegetables, and the smoky cauliflower or charred aubergine often ends up being the dish the meat-eaters pinch.

What smokes well

Vegetables with a firm texture or a bit of natural sweetness handle smoke best. Watery salad leaves and delicate greens don't. Here's what's worth the grate space.

These are rough guides only. Vegetables vary far more than meat, and nobody's going to pull out a probe for a pepper. Cook them until they look and feel right.

Halloumi

Halloumi is the easy win. It's salty, it holds its shape, and it soaks up smoke quickly. Pat it dry, cut it into thick slices (or leave the block whole for a sharing board) and give it 20–30 minutes in the smoker. It'll take on a golden, smoky colour but won't melt.

Then sear it over direct heat or in a hot pan for a minute each side to get it browned and give it a bit of squeak. Serve it straight away with a squeeze of lemon and some honey or chilli. Halloumi turns rubbery as it cools, so time it for when people are sitting down.

One thing to check: some halloumi is made with animal rennet, which means it isn't suitable for strict vegetarians. Look for the vegetarian symbol on the pack.

Whole cauliflower

A whole smoked cauliflower is a proper centrepiece. Trim off the outer leaves and enough of the stalk that it sits flat. Rub it all over with oil, salt and a spice rub (smoked paprika, garlic, cumin), and put it on a tray or straight on the grate.

It'll take somewhere around one and a half to two hours to go tender, with a knife sliding into the middle without resistance. Finish it with a glaze of butter and hot sauce, or a yoghurt and tahini dressing, and carve it at the table like a joint. Our rub ratios guide works just as well for veg as meat.

Aubergine, peppers and mushrooms

Aubergines are made for smoke. Prick them a few times and put them on whole. After an hour or more they'll collapse and the skin will wrinkle. Split them open, scoop out the soft, smoky flesh and mash it with tahini, garlic and lemon for a dip that tastes like it came from a restaurant.

Whole peppers go soft and sweet in around an hour. Put them in a bowl covered with a plate for ten minutes afterwards and the skins peel off easily. Slice and dress them with olive oil and a little vinegar.

Big flat mushrooms are the closest thing to a burger replacement. Brush them with garlicky oil, smoke them gill side up, and serve them in a bun with smoked halloumi on top.

Onions

Put whole onions in their skins straight on the grate and forget about them for a couple of hours. The outside turns black and papery, and the inside goes soft, sweet and smoky. Squeeze them out and stir them through mash, spread them on toast or chop them into a salsa.

Go easy on the wood

Vegetables pick up smoke faster than meat, and it's easy to overdo it. A dense brisket can take hours of oak smoke, but a mushroom will taste like an ashtray if you treat it the same way. Use a light fruitwood like apple or cherry, keep it to a chunk or two, and aim for thin, faint smoke. Our smoking wood guide covers which British woods are mildest. If you're running a long meat cook with more smoke, put the veg on later, once the wood has burnt down.

Put the veg on for the last couple of hours of a big meat cook, when the heaviest smoke is over and the fire is at its steadiest. It's a good use of the fuel and the space.

Sharing a smoker with meat

If you're cooking meat and veg in the same smoker, a bit of planning keeps everyone happy.

• Give the veg its own tray or grate. A foil tray or a dedicated rack keeps vegetables off surfaces that have had raw meat on them.
• Put the veg above, never below. On a smoker with several shelves, vegetables go on the top shelf. Meat juices drip down, not up.
• Use separate tongs. Keep one pair for raw meat, one for cooked food and one for veg. Different-coloured handles help, or tie a bit of string round one pair.
• Use a clean grate if you can. Grates that have had years of pork fat on them aren't ideal for a vegetarian's halloumi. A scrubbed spare grate or a tray solves it.

Even with all this, some vegetarians and most vegans won't want food cooked in the same smoke as meat, and that's their call. Ask them before the day, not when you're handing over a plate. If they'd rather avoid it, cook their food on a clean kettle or in the oven with smoked paprika, and nobody has to feel awkward.

For your next cook, add a whole cauliflower and a couple of aubergines to the shopping list, and plan to put them on for the last two hours. If you're new to the smoker, start with our guide on how to use a smoker, and for smoked cheese without melting it, see cold smoking at home.

FAQs

Can I smoke vegetables in an electric smoker?

Yes, and an electric smoker is very good for it because it holds a gentle, steady temperature. Use chips sparingly, as vegetables take on smoke quickly. Our guide to electric smokers covers how they work.

Do I need to oil vegetables before smoking?

A light coat of oil helps smoke stick and stops the surface drying out, especially on mushrooms and cauliflower. Whole aubergines, peppers and onions in their skins don't need it.

Can I smoke vegetables the day before?

Peppers, aubergine and onions all keep well in the fridge once smoked, and the dips and salads made from them often taste better the next day. Halloumi and cauliflower are better cooked on the day.

Why do my smoked vegetables taste bitter?

Too much smoke, or smoke that was thick and white rather than thin and blue. Use less wood, a milder fruitwood and put the veg on once the fire has settled.