Recipes
South African

Braai Veggie Skewers

Fire-kissed vegetable skewers with smoky paprika — a South African braai essential.

Braai Veggie Skewers

Ingredients

  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 2 baby marrows (zucchini), sliced
  • 1 red onion, quartered
  • 200g mushrooms, whole or halved
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt & pepper
  • Optional: fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs

Method

  1. 1

    Thread peppers, marrows, onions, and mushrooms onto skewers.

  2. 2

    Mix oil, lemon, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Brush onto skewers.

  3. 3

    Place over medium coals. Turn frequently until charred and tender (8–10 minutes).

  4. 4

    Garnish with herbs and extra lemon.

Swaps & variations

  • Add halloumi cubes
  • Marinade with peri-peri sauce
  • Add pineapple chunks
  • Use sweet potato chunks (parboil first)

Storing & freezing

Best cooked fresh. Prepped veggies keep 2 days refrigerated. Do not freeze raw peppers or marrows (texture becomes mushy).

Grow it yourself

  • Bell Peppers: Need warm temperatures; start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before planting out; use compost-rich soil and full sun
  • Baby Marrows: Sow in late spring; produce abundantly with weekly harvesting; pick small for best texture
  • Onions: Plant sets early spring; water steadily during bulb formation
  • Mushrooms: Grow using kits in cool, dark spaces; keep substrate moist but not wet
  • Spray garlic-chilli tea every two weeks to deter beetles
  • Basil repels flies and improves pepper health
  • Plant marigolds near marrows to reduce nematodes
  • Companion plant rosemary to repel moths
  • Peppers: Harvest green or leave until red/yellow for sweeter flavour
  • Baby Marrows: Pick when 10–15cm long; regular harvesting increases yield
  • Onions: Harvest when tops dry and fall over
  • Mushrooms: Twist gently when caps expand fully

Want meals like this matched to your goals and preferences?

Build my meal plan

More recipes to explore

South AfricanSweet Potato Mash with Chilli ButterCreamy mashed sweet potato topped with a punchy chilli-garlic butter.South AfricanLamb PotjiekosA slow-cooked South African outdoor stew — layered lamb, vegetables, and herbs over gentle coals.South AfricanVegetarian Bunny ChowDurban-inspired street food — a hollowed-out bread loaf filled with fragrant vegetable curry.South AfricanGrilled Snoek with Apricot GlazeA West Coast classic — butterflied snoek braai'd with a sweet-tangy apricot glaze.South AfricanSamp & Beans (Umngqusho)A hearty traditional Xhosa dish of cracked maize and sugar beans — comfort food at its finest.South AfricanButternut SoupA velvety South African favourite — roasted butternut blended with warming spices and cream.

Make this easier with Visionary

Scan any food in secondsPoint your camera at a meal or label and log it — no weighing, no database hunting.A MyFitnessPal alternativeHow Visionary compares on tracking, training and coaching — not just calorie counting.