Ah, the cool breeze blows while the smoke rises from the barbeque in front of you. You flip open the cookbook beside you, but all you can find are pages detailing how to grill steaks, pork chops, or chicken wings. You try searching for plant-based alternatives to no avail.
Despite the lack of vegan inclusion within many modern recipes, your choices are not limited. Rather, they are far from! Choosing to cook vegan opens up a whole realm of possibilities that most meat consumers do not even glance twice at. You can cook many delicious meals on gas grills.
Many traditional barbecue sides are often vegan. It is simply a matter of adjusting the recipes to create the perfect meal. Our vegan BBQ ideas will impress your guests with your spectacular use of plant-based foods. These ideas may perhaps even convince them to cook vegan a time or two.
Here are the seven best vegan barbeque ideas for business parties:
Vegan Barbecue Idea #1: Skewers
Skewers are a great way to incorporate fruits and vegetables as they add colour and variety to your meals. The versatility of skewers allows you to add whatever your heart desires: red onions, cucumbers, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, roasted carrots, and anything you can poke a stick through essentially.
Drizzle the skewers with tangy balsamic vinegar or some garlic herbs before roasting, and you have everyone’s next favourite dish. Our favourite tip: add some roasted pineapple for a dash of sweetness.
Vegan Barbecue Idea #2: Pulled jackfruit
If you cook vegan recipes often, you have probably heard of using jackfruit as a “pulled” meat substitute. Anything you could ever want to stuff with meat, you can stuff with jackfruit. Everything from tacos, sliders, regular burgers, burritos, bread rolls, and a hundred more can be topped off with pulled jackfruit.
Another bonus? It is extremely easy to make! All you have to do is clean your jackfruit, toss it with BBQ spices, saute it, add BBQ sauce, and voila! You get BBQ jackfruit in just 30 minutes that is convincing enough to fool anybody into thinking they are eating real pulled pork.
Vegan Barbecue Idea #3: Grilled baby potatoes
Another fan favourite at vegan barbeques is baby potatoes: They are versatile and extremely easy to customize, but they also fill and leave your guests feeling full and fantastic. There are hundreds of recipes out there that you can use to cater to your and your guests’ tastes of choice.
We recommend cutting them in half or quarters, sprinkling them with (or dousing them in) your seasoning of choice, and then grilling them until they are soft on the inside but crispy on the outside. Our favourite seasoning blend consists of garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and fresh rosemary!
Vegan Barbecue Idea #4: Stuffed avocados
Did you know that if you grill avocados, they supposedly maintain their structural integrity while tasting like melted, creamy butter!? The shape of the avocado also makes it perfect for adding other ingredients and customizing it to your liking!
Try adding quinoa for a health-conscious yet filling dinner idea. If you would like a more savoury option, you could dice up some veggies, throw them in the oven, and then add them to your grilled avocado.
Vegan Barbecue Idea #5: Cauliflower steaks
Steaks are just large slabs of meat, seasoned a particular way and then cooked to perfection. Who says we can not replace meat with another slab of vegetables, just as tasty but far more health conscious? To make this delicious meal, cut your cauliflower head down the middle from the top through the stem, ensuring that the florets remain intact.
Cut the cauliflower pieces into one-inch slabs and season with freshly ground black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, ginger powder, and smoked paprika. And, there you have it! A steak of your dreams.
Vegan Barbecue Idea #6: BBQ mushroom ribs
Following a similar idea, BBQ mushroom ribs offer a delectable alternative to a traditional BBQ dish. People who have tried it said they had to do a double take to ensure they were not made of meat! When prepared a certain way, mushrooms have a texture that looks and feels exactly like real meat.
Seitan mushrooms and mushroom caps are typically the best way to form the meat texture. Combine that with a mashup of BBQ spices and seasoning, as well as the smoke on your grill, and you have some ribs!
Vegan Barbecue Idea #7: Summer punch
Is it a summer barbeque without a refreshing drink by your side? Many recipes create the perfect juice to pair with your meal. Our favourite, though, is a refreshing twist on classic lemonade. Adding lemon juice, sugar, fresh fruit, and our secret weapon: citrus-flavoured sparkling water, is a combination that is sure to encourage guests to ask for seconds (or fifths).
