Planning a perfect Vegan BBQ, Plant Based and Delicious.
Summer is quickly approaching, officially starting on June 21st and barbeques are a great way to get outside with the friends and family for socializing. You don’t have to miss out during cottage season when your friends and family are grilling up meat on the BBQ. It is unquestionably possible for a Vegan BBQ to be just as tasty and satisfying!
Appetizers and Cocktails:
To start off your BBQ with drinks and snacks, try a white bean dip with dill, salsa, or guacamole paired with organic and non-gmo corn chips. We love Neil Brother’s Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips which contain clean ingredients and taste amazing. As a sugary cocktail alternative, create a refreshing Pink Ginger Lemonade to quench your thirst.
You can still have a burger:
Typically burgers and a BBQ go hand-in-hand, but it is definitely possible to make a plant-based alternative for your BBQ on a healthy sprouted bun. You can try Sunshine vegetarian burgers from your natural foods store, or you can make my Black Bean Cumin Burgers which are nutritious, filling and delicious. You can even place a grilled Portobello mushroom on a bun for a veggie burger alternative.
Flavourful sides:
Plant-based sides are a mouthwatering complement to your meal. You can combine a bunch of sides and eat them as your meal, and your meat-eating friends and family can enjoy them with their meals too!
- Grilled vegetables: A plant-based classic is grilling vegetables on the BBQ bringing out their natural flavors. Portobello mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant, pineapple, red onion, and zucchini are some fantastic options. Not a lot of chopping is involved as they can be grilled in thick slices or even whole. Toss together a quick marinade of organic olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and herbs and brush it on the veggies. Grill them for 5-10 minutes to perfection.
Vegetable kabobs are another easy option. Just place as many types of vegetables as you like on wooden skewers, marinate and grill. For added protein, you can add organic extra-firm tofu.
- Quinoa: Quinoa is a gluten-free and plant-based seed, known as a pseudo-grain. It’s a great source of protein, especially as a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine of the essential amino acids our body can’t produce on its own. It is also rich in fibre, iron, magnesium, and manganese. Make a quinoa salad with veggies, and butternut squash or stuffed peppers with quinoa, veggies and black beans.
- Pasta salad: Creamy pasta salads are another staple at BBQs that are full of unhealthy fats. Instead, make a Green Garden Veggie Pasta Salad made with kamut, spelt, brown rice or quinoa pasta that is simple and a great alternative.
The sweet ending:
Finish off the BBQ with a little sweet treat that is also nutrient-dense. For instance, raw cacao is a superfood filled with polyphenols, specifically flavonoids. Make a simple healthier dessert, such as a Date Almond Pudding, goji berry chocolate bark or even dip fruit in dark chocolate.
Eco-friendly products: To be more environment-conscious, use washable napkins, and recycled cups and plates. Don’t forget to also protect yourself from the sun and bugs with eco-friendly sunscreen and bug spray while you’re outside.
