6 Staples For Any Vegan-Friendly Family Cookout

Are you a dedicated vegan or vegetarian? Perhaps you’re just someone who is looking to cut down on your meat consumption. Whatever the case, giving up meat doesn’t have to equate to giving up flavour. In fact, there are hundreds upon hundreds of mouthwatering vegan dishes that you can whip up on a BBQ grill to impress friends and family at your next vegan-friendly family cookout. If you’re ready to wow even the biggest of critics, here are 6 terrific crowd-pleasing vegan mains that are guaranteed to be an absolute hit. 

1. Vegan Cauliflower Wings 

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head of Cauliflower
• (all-purpose gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose flour)
• 3 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Soy or Almond Milk
• 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs 
• 1 1/2 cups Vegan BBQ Sauce 

Method:

1. Prepare a grill for medium direct heat. Meanwhile, remove florets from the cauliflower and chop them into smaller pieces to resemble the size of the wings.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, soy milk, sea salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder in a bowl to make the batter. If the batter is too thick, thin out with some more milk and vice versa. 
3. In a separate bowl, place the breadcrumbs. Line it up beside the batter bowl.
4. Toss the cauliflower in the batter mixture (you can add them all at once), using a spatula or spoon to coat them all. 
5. Transfer them to the breadcrumbs to coat completely, then place onto your preheated grill, giving each wing enough space. Repeat until all of the wings are coated.
6. Grill for 15 minutes, flipping each cauliflower wing over half way through the cooking process. 
7. While grilling, heat BBQ sauce up in a pot over the stove. Once wings are ready, toss in the sauce and place back on the grill. 
8. Grill for another 5 minutes for the sauce to soak into the wings.
9. Remove from oven and enjoy!

2. Falafel Burgers

Ingredients:

• 400g can of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small Red Onion, roughly chopped
• 1 Garlic clove, chopped
• handful of flat-leaf Parsley
• 1 tsp ground Cumin
• 1 tsp ground Coriander
• ½ tsp Harissa Paste 
• 2 tbsp Plain Flour
• 2 tbsp Oil
• Hummus or Vegan Mayonnaise, to serve
• Slider Buns, to serve
• Sliced Tomato, to serve
• Green Salad, to serve

Method:

1. Drain the chickpeas, rinse them thoroughly and then pat dry with a kitchen towel. 
2. Tip chickpeas into a food processor along with the onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, harissa paste, flour and a little salt. 
3. Blend until fairly smooth, then shape into four patties with your hands.
4. Preheat your grill and oil liberally with vegetable oil. 
5. Grill burgers for 3 mins on each side until lightly golden. 
6. Serve on a burger bun and garnish with hummus or vegan mayonnaise, sliced tomato and lettuce. 

3. Rainbow Veggie Skewers

Ingredients:

Rainbow Skewers:

• 4 Red Onion
• 4 Zucchini, sliced
• 2 Red Capsicum
• 2 Green Capsicum
• 2 Yellow Capsicum
• Olive Oil, for brushing
• Balsamic Vinegar, for serving

Garlic Herb Sauce:

• ⅓ cup Olive Oil
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoon fresh Parsley, minced
• 3 tablespoon fresh Coriander, minces 
• 1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary, minced
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Soak 8-12 wooden skewers in water for at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables for the skewers. 
2. Peel each red onion then slice in half. Chop each half into thirds, as if you were cutting a pizza (6 total pieces from one onion). 
3. Seed and chop each capcisum into approximately 1-inch by 1-inch pieces. Finally, chop the zucchini into rounds.
4. Prepare the Garlic Herb Sauce by whisking together the olive oil, minced garlic, parsley, coriander, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
5. Skewer the vegetables by alternating between red onion, zucchini, and the different colored capsicum pieces. Brush skewers with a light layer of olive oil.
6. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Once the grill is hot, add skewers and grill for approximately 5-8 minutes per side, or until vegetables are just softening and browning around the edges.
7. Remove from heat, brush with garlic herb sauce and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette, if desired. 

4. Grilled Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 KG Potatoes, washed 
• Oil, for grilling
• ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oi
• 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon Sugar
• 6 slices cooked Bacon, chopped
• 4 Spring Onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh Parsley

Method:

1. Preheat the grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
2. Place potatoes in a bowl; add 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Grill until tender, about 30 minutes. 
3. Cool potatoes for about 10 minutes and then cut into quarters and place in a large bowl.
4. Prepare dressing by whisking olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and sugar well. 
5. Toss potatoes, bacon, green onions, and parsley with dressing in a bowl until evenly coated.
6. Serve at room temperature. 

5. Vegan Roasted Garlic Bread

Ingredients: 

2 large heads of Garlic

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Olive Oil

¼ cup fresh Parsley

½ teaspoon Salt, plus more to taste

1 loaf of Italian or Turkish Bread

Method: 

1. Remove one garlic clove from one of the bulbs and set aside. Preheat BBQ to medium high.
2. Cut the tops off of your garlic bulbs, then arrange each on a sheet of foil. Drizzle each with a tablespoon of olive oil, then loosely enclose in the foil.
3. Roast the garlic on the grill (covered) until the cloves are soft and browned, about 30 to 40 minutes. 
4. Remove the garlic from the grill, loosen the foil, and allow the bulbs to cool for a few minutes. Leave the grill on.
5. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the bulbs to extract the roasted garlic
6. Place the roasted garlic into the bowl of a mini food processor along with the raw garlic clove, ½ cup of olive oil, and salt. Blend until smooth. 
7. Add the parsley and pulse the food processor until it is finely chopped. Taste test and season according to your taste. 
8. Slice the loaf of bread in half, lengthwise, then slather the cut side of each half with the roasted garlic mixture.
9. Place the loaves onto the grill, directly on the rack, cut side up. Grill for 5-10 minutes or until crispy. 

6. Cajun Grilled Tofu

Ingredients

• 400g packet Extra-Firm Tofu
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil,
• 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Agave Nectar 
• 1 tablespoon Cajun Spice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Method: 

1. Drain the package of tofu and wrap the tofu block around a layer of paper towels. Press the tofu by placing it between 2 large plates. Weigh down the top plate with something heavy and allow tofu to press for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Slice the tofu into 6 slices. In a medium bowl, mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, soy sauce, agave nectar, cajun spice powder, garlic powder and salt. 
3. Rub the tofu with the marinade and allow to sit for 15 minutes (or even overnight). 
4. Heat a grill to medium-high heat. 
5. Drizzle about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over the grill and arrange tofu slices diagonally, along the grill.
6. Cook the tofu until you see grill marks on the tofu, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the tofu over and repeat on the other side.
7. Serve the grilled tofu with grilled vegetables and other sides. 
8.  Heat up any remaining marinade in a saucepan and drizzle the sauce over the grilled tofu for more flavour.

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And there you have it – 6 incredible (and most importantly, delicious!) staples for your next vegan-friendly family cookout. Will you be trying any of these recipes? Be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think. Bon Appetit!