The perfect recipe for Labor Day weekend, these shrimp and veggie kabobs with Wild Blueberry Barbecue Sauce are sure to be a hit at your last summer hurrah!This post is sponsored by the Wild Blueberries Association of North America. Thanks for supporting the brands and organizations that make TFD possible! As always, opinions are my own!
Hey guys!
It’s good to be back on the blog after taking a little hiatus while I was off in Europe for a work conference and then vacay. Europe was a blast and you know I’ll have some travel recaps up soon but in the meantime, when did it become almost September?! Is it just me or did summer FLY by? I can’t believe this weekend is our last summer hurrah. Don’t worry though, I’ve got a delicious end-of-summer recipe to share with ya’ll today that will be perfect for your Labor Day weekend parties.
Labor Day weekend was always a little bittersweet for me – it marks the end of the fun in the sun season and the beginning of the flannel, pumpkin and hot cider season. But last year, Labor Day weekend was forever changed for me. It was our wedding weekend! That’s right, this weekend, Steve and I will be celebrating our one year anniversary! It’s so crazy to think that it’s been an entire year since we tied the knot. It truly doesn’t feel that long ago. This Labor Day weekend, I’m not focusing on the end of one season, beginning of another; I’m just excited to celebrate one year of marriage down! Hopefully many more to go :).We’re heading to Nantucket for the weekend to celebrate, bringing a bottle of wine from our honeymoon in Greece, as well as our wedding videos (which believe it or not, we haven’t watched all the films yet!), photo guest book and vows so we can reminisce about the amazing day. We’ve only been to Nantucket twice, but both were day trips, so we’re excited to spend a solid weekend there with more time to explore the whole island (and a make a pit stop at Cisco Brewery!).
We rented an airbnb on Nantucket so hopefully we can do a little grilling this weekend while we’re there. There’s no better way IMO to have one final summer hurrah than to fire up the grill. And this kabob recipe is sure to be a hit. Shrimp, veggies and a homemade Wild Blueberry barbecue sauce. Doesn’t get much simpler than that. That’s why I love kabobs. Because all you have to do is skewer some protein and veggies, throw ’em on the grill and call it a day.Plus, this Wild Blueberry BBQ sauce is going to elevate any kabob you fire up on the grill. It’s got heat, acidity, smokiness, and a subtle sweetness from the Wild Blueberries. The Wild Blueberries also add a nutrition punch – DYK that Wild Blueberries have 2x the antioxidants of regular, cultivated blueberries, and contain 25% of your daily value for fiber?! Did I mention the BBQ sauce is super easy to make too? Just let the ingredients simmer on the stovetop for about 30 minutes, then let them cool to room temp, and throw them in the blender to puree and you’re ready to baste.
Serve these kabobs with some of my other summer cookout sides like my Caprese Hemp Pasta Salad, Easy 5 Ingredient Tomato Salad, No Mayo Coleslaw, or Grilled Eggplant with Pecan Pesto and you’ve got yourself a Labor Day party!
PrintShrimp and Veggie Kabobs with Wild Blueberry Barbecue Sauce
- Yield: Makes 8 skewers 1x
Ingredients
For the Wild Blueberry BBQ sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and stemmed, minced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 2 cups frozen Wild Blueberries
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Kabobs:
- 2 lbs. uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail-on
- Salt and pepper
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 small-medium red onion, cut into ½-inch slices
Instructions
For the Wild Blueberry Barbecue Sauce:
- In small saucepan, add olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and jalapeno, cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add apple cider vinegar, ketchup, Wild Blueberries, maple syrup, molasses, balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a blender and puree. Set aside.
For the Kabobs:
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
- Alternately thread shrimp and vegetables onto soaked wooden or metal skewers.
- Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, turning once. Baste with barbecue sauce. Grill 3-4 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink and vegetables are tender, turning and basting frequently.
Notes
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to grilling.
Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! xo
Yum! I’m pinning this for later
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Lacy.
Wow, these pack a serious vibrant punch! I bet that blueberry BBQ sauce really makes them special too!
Thanks, Rebecca! Yes – I want to put that BBQ sauce on all the things right now.
These are so perfect for a holiday weekend!
Thanks, Ginger!