When it comes to food smoking chicken, beef, pork, and even fish get all of the attention. You probably already know that the Bradley Smoker and Bradley Bisquettes give you delicious smoke meat every time. Did you know that smoking adds a delightful taste to your veggies too?
Smoking vegetables gives them an amazingly rich flavor and aroma. If you have never tried it before it is definitely worth the effort. Smoking your vegetables will have even the vegetarian in your house running for the dinner table when you are smoking your food.
Many people think that by smoking vegetables, you will make them mushy and also ruin their structural integrity. This can be true with other brands of food smokers, if you’re smoking them for too long, making basic food smoking mistakes.
To give you great smoked vegetables every time we’ll show you the basics along with the Bradley tips and tricks.
The Basics of Smoking Vegetables
There are two primary ways to smoke vegetables. You can either hot smoke them or cold smoke there. Here we will walk you through the details of both processes.
Smoking Vegetables in a Hot Smoker
While your Bradley Smoker is still hot, you can prep your veggies for smoking. Just like when your smoking meat, the key is the timing and temperature; your veggies are in the smoker. Do not go over 250 degrees––cook slowly at low temperature.
The objective here to add smoke flavor to vegetables and cook them low and slow. However, if you go too high, especially with soft veggies, be ready to clean the mess that happens after you are done smoking because they will fall apart.
Smoking Vegetables in a Cold Smoker
The process of smoking vegetables in a cold smoker is shorter and a little different. The objective here is to just add smoke flavor to them. This technique will help you to keep the vegetable nutrients intact and retain their crunch as well.
This cold smoke technique works very well with juicy and soft vegetables as they smoked out fast and won’t turn to mush (you can do this with a Bradley cold smoke adaptor kit). It’s better to keep the smoker below 100 degrees so that Bradley Bisquettes can smolder nicely.
Bradley Tips and Tricks
Now that you have the basics of hot smoking and cold smoking vegetables, we’re going to share eight of our tips and tricks to make sure they turn out perfect for you every time.
- Whatever the vegetables you plan to smoke and what smoking technique you choose; hot or cold smoke, always make sure the veggies are fully ripe, fresh, and full in color. Seasonal vegetables will always taste better.
- Always wash your vegetables with warm water to clean out any wax or pesticides on the skin’s upper layer.
- Before you put your veggies in the smoker, place them on a sheet tray, so it catches any extra liquid.
- Just like you grill vegetables, you should also brush them with a little bit of vegetable oil before starting the smoking process. For more flavors, season them with kosher salt, pepper, herbs, and fresh spices of your liking.
- If you are cold smoking, cut your vegetables into 3/4″ to 1″ pieces so they can cook fast and even.
- When placing vegetables in a hot smoker, you’ll need to poke some small holes in their center with a fork to speed up the cooking process. This technique will cook your veggies perfectly.
- Another option is you can also wrap the veggies in foil to reduce its smokiness.
- Keep a close eye when you are smoking veggies as you’ll need to remove them from the smoker on time. Fortunately, the Bradley Smoker has automatic temperature controls and timer to make this process incredibly easy.
We’ve prepared a separate smoked vegetable guide that will surely create the best smoked flavors in any cookout.
How Long Should You Smoke Vegetables?
Each veggie has its own smoking method. For your guidance, we’ve specified an average smoking time and temperature for the following veggies.
| Vegetable | Smoking Time | Smoking Temperature | |
| Artichokes | 2 hours | 100°C (225°F) or until soft | |
| Asparagus | 90 minutes | 100°C (225°F) or until soft | |
| Bell Peppers | 90 minutes | 100°C (225°F) or until soft | |
| Cabbage | 4 hours | 100°C (225°F) or until soft | |
| Chili Peppers | 3 hours | 95°C (200°F) | |
| Corn on the Cob | 90 minutes | 100°C (225°F) | |
| Eggplant | 60 minutes | 95°C (200°F) or until soft | |
| Garlic | 2 hours | 100°C (225°F) | |
| Mushrooms | 90 minutes | 100°C (225°F) or until soft | |
| Onions | 2 hours | 100°C (225°F) or until soft | |
| Potatoes | 2 hours | 100°C (225°F) or until soft | |
| Tomatoes | 45 minutes | 95°C (200°F) or until the skin starts peeling | |
| Zucchini | 60 minutes | 100°C (225°F) or until soft | |
| Squash | 60 minutes | 100°C (225°F) or until soft |
You will only need to smoke veggies for the required time duration. Keeping them longer in the smoker will make them overly smoky, and you’ll not get that robust smoky flavor and aroma.
Vegetable Recipes
Serve as a healthy side dish or as a main dish for your vegetarian friends. Anyway, Smoked Corn on the Cob is delicious. Use Pecan wood for a better taste.
Smoked Mushrooms Caps is an easy recipe and it will add elegance to any meal.
Final Thoughts
Smoked vegetables taste delicious, whether you eat them alone or alongside smoked meat. The Bradley Smoker and Bradley Bisquettes will make this process incredibly easy for any type of food smoking to include vegetables, meat, cheese, nuts, and more. You’ll get delicious results every time. Make sure to check out the Bradley Smoker Food Tips & Tricks Blog!
Happy smoking!
