Break out the barbecue! These vegan grilling recipes will last you all summer long. They’re perfect for the Memorial Day grilling parties, 4th of July bbqs, Labor Day cookouts, or any random Saturday! Here you’ll find vegan bbq recipes for sandwiches, veggies, salads, pizzas, and even desserts!
Grilled Food
I’ve always loved grilled food. If I had to guess as to why, I’d say that it’s because it takes me back to my childhood. I have fond memories of having neighborhood cookouts in the big communal courtyard behind our house when I was little. My dad’s office’s always had annual company barbecues in the park, too, and I remember having a lot of fun with them.
The World’s Smallest Grill
When I decided to go vegetarian in the early 90s, I bought myself the world’s tiniest outdoor grill. I bought it at CVS and it was ridiculously cheap. I think it cost around $5.99, and I worked there, so I got an employee discount. It was about the size of a frying pan, and it consisted of a small, shallow base and a grated grill top. I bought a small bag of charcoal briquettes, which lasted me an entire summer. Sitting out on the porch of the home I shared with my mother, I’d cook up portobello mushrooms and corn on the cob.
When I got my own apartment, I didn’t have outdoor space, so my mom bought me an indoor electric grill. It wasn’t quite the same thing as my outdoor barbecue, but I still used it often. I later upgraded to a George Foreman-type grill, vegetables took too long to cook on it and it was a pain to clean, so I didn’t use it as frequently.
Vegan Grilling
When Dennis and I bought out our house a few years ago, we were happy to find a small propane grill in the shed. It was pretty old, but it looked like it had only been used once. We scrubbed it down and then loaded it up with our favorite veggies.
I’ve had people ask me what kinds of foods vegans grill, which I find a little strange, because we often grilled potatoes and corn on the cob when I was little. But I guess most people think the grill is just for meat.
Of course, veggie burgers and tofu pups cook up really nicely on the grill, but I love to barbecue all manner of plant-based foods. I love to grill summer squash, eggplant, peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, tofu, and even lettuce. Yes, lettuce tastes great when cooked for a few minutes on the barbecue. Fruit caramelizes nicely when grilled, and it makes a great summertime dessert.
Summer is the perfect time to grill, because no one wants to stand in a hot kitchen too cook dinner, but I often break out the grill in spring and use it all the way through fall. It came in really handy last autumn when a thunderstorm knocked out electricity for the better part of a day and I couldn’t use my oven.
I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite vegan grilling recipes. Some are mine, some are from my favorite cookbooks, and some were created by my blogger friends. These dishes are great for the 4thof July, Labor Day, or any random summertime Saturday!
20+ Vegan Grilling Recipes
Sandwiches
Lemon-Rosemary Grilled Tofu Sandwich
BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches from VBQ: The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook by Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer
Eggplant Wraps with Spicy Tahini Slaw
Pizzas
Pesto Tart (with assorted tomatoes) from VBQ: The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook by Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer
Grilled Pizza with Aquafaba from Fried Dandelions
Vegetables
Grilled Summer Vegetables with Easy Romesco Sauce
Foil Wrapped Grilled Vegetables from Vegan in the Freezer
Salads
Grilled Kale Salad with Spicy Lentils from Salad Samurai by Terry Hope Romero.
Tempeh Salad with Peaches and Pistachios
Corn on the Cob
Buffalo Corn on the Cob with Vegan Blue Cheese from Cadry’s Kitchen
Street Fair Corn from NYC Vegan by Michael Suchman and Ethan Ciment
Desserts
Grilled Banana Split with Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce from Cadry’s Kitchen
Grilled Nectarines with Balsamic Basil Reduction from Fried Dandelions
If you’d like even more vegan grilling recipes, check out Grills Gone Vegan by Tamasin Noyes, VBQ: The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue by Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer, and Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm. Don’t have a grill but still love good vegan barbecue? Take a look at Great Vegan BBQ without a Grill by Linda and Alex Meyer.
What are your favorite vegan grilled dishes?
Grilling makes food taste so much better! Like you, I’ve been a huge fan since childhood. You’re right that people are often confused about what vegans grill, but the variety of things I grill now is so much larger than before I went vegan. I’m excited to try some of the things on this list. Thanks for including my grilled corn on the cob & banana split!
Thank you for sharing your recipes with me! I have your buffalo corn on the cob on my list of things to make this week!
There are so many delicious vegan plates.
Thank you, Haley!