Favourite vegan barbecue recipes

[RockingMyFiftiesNot]

Planning a barbecue foe a group of friends. Need to cater for one vegan and a couple of vegetarian guests, so will make all the non-meat options and all the sides vegan.

I often make vegan kebabs with courgette, mushrooms, onions and cherry tomatoes, corn on the cob and sweet potato rounds for us anyway. But feel these are probably a bit boring and 'oh no not again' for those who don't eat meat.
What are your favourite vegan barbecue main course dishes? I think I'm ok with sides (tho always happy to have new ideas )- but the main options are key.

I do have a small bucket BBQ which is kept purely for non-meat eaters you'll be happy to hear!

How about a vegan burger or some vegan sausages?

If you do grilled tofu remember to squeeze and marinade it hours (or the day) before, otherwise it tastes a bit bland. (A simple marinade might be soy, chilli and ginger.)

Spicey bean burgers are a good shout.

Heinz vegan mayonnaise is about £3 but honestly worth it for a BBQ because it's great.

That burger sounds lovely. Will it cook ok on a barbecue or will it stick? (Could always cook indoors and flash on the BBQ once it's firmer? Hadn't even thought of vegan sausages, great idea! Thank you

Thanks for try tofu tip. Happy to buy the vegan mayo, can make the same sides such as coleslaw and potato salad for everyone.

Not a vegan main as such but barbecued asparagus is delicious! Oh and aubergine. Mmmm

I know that not all vegans/vegetarians are ok with meat substitutes, but I find the Beyond Burgers are really tasty.

Ooh i've not tried those, thank you.

Good to have a vegan burger recommendation, i think i will buy something like that , thank you

A lot of vegetarians (and vegans) hate meat subs as they are too much like meat so make sure you don't rely on them totally. Bean burgers would be a great option.

As an ex veggie I HATE the trend to make all veggie food vegan - could you have some halloumi to grill for veggies? And cheese for the bean burgers? And a nice creamy coleslaw?

I really don't think it's fair being made to eat vegan food just because I don't eat meat.

This book is great generally (I love the roasting tin series!) and a couple of recipes are in this article: www.stylist.co.uk/food-drink/vegetarian-bbq-recipes-rukmini-iyer-green-barbecue/514280

I agree re all veggie food being vegan. Coleslaw, halloumi.... BRING IT ON!

A lot of vegetarians (and vegans) hate meat subs as they are too much like meat so make sure you don't rely on them totally. Bean burgers would be a great option.
Ok, probably safer to stick with bean burgers then. Do you have a recipe for bean burgers that won't stick to the barbecue please?

As an ex veggie I HATE the trend to make all veggie food vegan - could you have some halloumi to grill for veggies? And cheese for the bean burgers? And a nice creamy coleslaw?
It's not so much a trend, it's having to make 3 different lots of food. I only have 2 barbecues, one for meat, one small one I'll use for vegan. Good idea re hallloumi, I can pan fry that inside and yes I can provide cheese for burgers. I can make 2 bowls of coleslaw I guess, one with vegan mayo one with regulat and stick labels on the bowls.

I really don't think it's fair being made to eat vegan food just because I don't eat meat
Well i don't get meat at my vegetarian or vegan friends' houses, hut I wouldn't say it's 'unfair' Luckily I love cooking and am happy to cater to all requirements so I take your point on board. But it does significantly increase the workload to ensure you don't feel unfairly treated.

I do portobella mushroom burgers for my vegans. They are a big hit.

Get nice big portobellos, remove the stem, peel the 'skin' off the lid and score the lid in a criss cross. Then marinade in:
A little sundried tomato paste, soy, garlic, olive oil & thyme for a few hours. This gives them loads of umami.
I serves them in a toasted ciabatta bun with some grilled courgette ribbons, some slivers of jarred red peppers (they add a nice juiciness), vegan pesto or salsa verde and a nice handful of fresh rocket

I’m not vegan, but am married to a veggie so am well versed in a meat free bbq. Pretty much any vegetable is good on the bbq, but it’s trickier to find more substantial options (we add a lot of halloumi and other cheeses, but have never tried the vegan substitutes).

Some Vegan things I’ve tried which we’ve enjoyed:

Tofu and Tempeh are good on skewers in various different combos and marinades. I like Tofu, red pepper and pineapple in a teriyaki marinade. The brand ‘Tofoo’ is great because it doesn’t need pressing. Just cut it open, shove it in a marinade for a few hours and then stick on skewers. The Tofoo brand of tempeh is good too.

Charlotte potatoes, boil them, coat in harissa paste (or whatever you like), skewer and BBQ.

Stuffed vegetables. You can stuff vegetables with chickpeas, lentils, polenta, rice, beans or any other grain and herbs and spices etc. and bbq.

As a pp said, Beyond Meat products are great, but some Vegans I know hate things that seem too meaty. M&S did amazing chorizo style vegan ‘posh dogs’ in their bbq range last year, but I haven’t seen them yet this year.

Ooh theses sound amazing, thank you, and they are definitely going on my list. Think ill have to make enough for everyone though as they sound so yummy how long do they need on the barbecue? Thanks again

Great ideas and tips, thank you so much.

It really depends on how chunky they are and how much marinade they soak up.. but I'd say around 5/10mins?

I hope they're successful for you -
I want one now!

You can also melt some mozzarella on top for non vegans

You can also melt some mozzarella on top for non vegans
That's a good idea, although need to keep separated from the vegan mushrooms, maybe I can do that in the oven.

Grilled (on the bbq) pineapple is brilliant, especially with grilled halloumi.

Red peppers (the long thin type) stuffed with a spicy bean or lentil mix are FANTASTIC - just brush with a little oil and then bbq until lightly charred.

Agree with @Goatinthegarden - we do the new potato kebabs too, although I usually boil and bbq them, then serve drizzled with a herby garlicky olive oil "dressing"

Here (in Germany) there was a trend a few years ago for doing a particular type of filled fresh pasta pocket on the bbq - imagine large ravioli or tortellini type of thing. They were marinated (in either a herb dressing or tomato paste) and then grilled. Utterly divine, and unlike anything else!

Ooh yes I can imagine that thank you

These sound lovely, thank you

Thank you everyone, am feeling like I've lots to choose from now.

Does anyone have a tried and tested bean burger recipe that I can cook on the BBQ without sticking please?

@fishingpaintings, @FusionChefGeoff and other vegetarians who don't want vegan food: i can do a plate of grilled halloumi, provide cheese for burgers, add slices of Mozzarella to portobello mushrooms; and make non-vegan coleslaw. But that's a lot of cheese, what else could I do that would make you feel less hard done by? Genuine question, just need some help so that it's not only cheese and mayonnaise that makes the difference. Happy to use the oven too as one bbq will be for meat and another reserved for vegan. Maybe I could make something egg based like frittata that is specifically vegetarian ? Or ideas for ways to adapt the vegan food easily into vegetarian that don't only involve cheese. would also be appreciated.

Any other ideas welcome, Thanks.