What’s on your grill? We’ve pulled together a list of delicious BBQ treats, full of flavour but minus the meat and dairy!
Every year I really look forward to the start of summer. It’s a chance to ditch those ankle boots for comfy sliders, get more done in the evenings after work and dine outdoors! BBQs are one of the many perks of the summer months. Admittedly I haven’t quite mastered the grill myself yet but BBQs are sociable. You can invent a delicious BBQ recipe, buy all the ingredients, pop over a friend’s house and pass the grilling duties over to someone else!
Planning a vegan BBQ
My only complaint about BBQs is that they can get repetitive. The ‘classic BBQ favourites’ are usually meat-based which leaves both vegans and vegetarians with limited choice. One of my long-time vegetarian friends recently admitted that she hasn’t had a BBQ since giving up meat. This is because most ‘BBQ classics’ don’t cater for veggie or indeed vegan diets.
A vegan BBQ gives you a chance to try something new. It’s a chance to pack more nutrients into your BBQ. To get you started and to help you plan your next meat-free BBQ, we’ve pulled together a list of recipes:
The main attraction: Jackfruit burgers with red onion
Ingredients:
- 1 tin of young jackfruit in water (2 tins if catering for a larger group)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 cube of organic vegetable stock (like these)
- 1 Red onion
- Vegan friendly BBQ sauce (like this one)
- 1 tsp paprika
- Part-baked bread rolls (double check ingredients to fit vegan diet)
- 1 cup of rice
- ½ small pack of Blueberries
- ½ Avocado
- ½ Pepper
- 2 sticks of celery
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- Dried garlic
- Fresh basil
- Tablespoon of Olive Oil
- 1 Watermelon
- Pinch of Sea Salt
Method:
Start by draining and rinsing the jackfruit. Remove the core and cut each piece of the jackfruit in half. To make sure the jackfruit is thoroughly drained try wrapping it into a muslin cloth and squeezing it over the sink.
Begin by sautéing garlic and then add the chopped jackfruit. Add a pinch of paprika for flavour. Add the vegetable stock and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
When the jackfruit has softened it will fall apart like pulled pork. Break up the jackfruit using a spatula. Stir in vegetarian-friendly BBQ sauce and coat all the jackfruit in the sauce.
Remove from the boil and drain off any excess liquid. Spread the jackfruit over a baking sheet and pop in the oven at 200 degrees for another 10/15 mins (until it has browned). Whilst the jackfruit is in the oven, chop the red onion into rings and prepare the brioche buns.
When the jackfruit is ready, add it to foil and wrap into a parcel. Add to the BBQ and grill for a further 10 minutes. The grill will give the jackfruit a slightly crisper texture.
When the jackfruit is ready, it will resemble pulled pork! Add to the brioche buns with the red onion and serve.
The side dish: ‘Blueberry rice’
Ingredients:
Method:
Bring the rice to the boil. Whilst this is cooking, dice the peppers, avocado and tomatoes then finely chop the celery.
In a bowl, add the blueberries, a sprinkle of dried garlic, squeeze of lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of fresh basil. Leave this to settle to allow the flavours to combine.
When the rice is thoroughly cooked, simply drain it and add to a large bowl. Add the chopped peppers, avocado, tomatoes and celery. Then stir in the blueberry mix. Serve as a side dish.
The snack: Grilled watermelon
Ingredients:
Method:
A simple, BBQ snack! Cut the watermelon into 1- 2inch wedges. Season with a light dusting and salt. Leave this to sit for 10 minutes whilst you prepare the grill. When the grill is ready, dab the watermelon slices with a paper towel to remove excess water. Brush on the olive oil and grill the watermelon lightly until it is slightly grilled and softened. Leave to cool and then serve as a tasty BBQ snack. Recommended to serve on skewers.
Ready for your next vegan BBQ?
Make the most of the sunny weather! Get outdoors, fire up the grill and try out these mouth-watering recipes. You might just discover something new!
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