There is a misconception that vegans cannot enjoy the grilling season because they are only limited by veggies, fruits, or burger bans. While it’s true that vegans only need to survive with vegan food, there’s no truth that they cannot host a healthy grill party.
From Tofu to fruit to cheese - there are many options for what you can grill. Hence, there’s no need to settle for only veggie burgers at your cookout.
Are you planning to host a vegan party or crave a vegetarian barbecue? Let’s find out how you can make your ideal vegan grill meal come to life.
How to Grill Vegan Protein
Grilling a vegan protein is the hardest one to do. After all, barbecue is usually animal-based. Even so, there are a lot of plant-based meat options for you to grill. Here are tasty grill vegan protein recipes you can try:
How to Grill Tofu
- To ensure that Tofu will stand up and maintain its texture, you should grill extra-firm Tofu. In this way, the Tofu will be chewy and crunchy.
- Press the Tofu for about 15 minutes to eliminate excess water. This is important so it will not stick to the grill.
- Cut the tofu slabs so that they will not fall as you put them on the grill. Ideally, you should cut 8-10 slabs of 14-ounce Tofu crosswise.
- Preheat the grill for around 10 minutes with high medium heat. Once the grill is hot, use the grill brush to scrape down the grates.
- Season the grill by dabbing the oil paper towel across the grates. Then, cover the grill for about 30-40 minutes. Repeat this method three times.
- To make the Tofu more flavorful, you must marinate it for around 15 to 1 hour.
- To marinate, you can use the sauce of your preference. You can have sweet and sour sauce, BBQ sauce, or peanut sauce. If you want to use another marinate or sauce, marinate one piece or block of Tofu in a 1/3 cup sauce—reserve 1/4 of sauce for brushing the Tofu at the end.
- When you’re about to place the Tofu on the grill, gradually reduce the heat. Grill the Tofu for about 8-10 minutes. Then, flip the Tofu to grill the other side for around 7-10 minutes.
- You’re done. You can now brush the reserved marinade to the Tofu to make it tastier.
How to Grill Veggie Burgers
You can grill some veggie burgers if you want an easy, plant-based protein to prepare. There are a lot of veggie burgers to grills, such as the traditional ones, soy protein-burger, black bean burgers, and the like. Also, there’s no need to defrost when grilling them, which makes the process even quicker.
- Preheat the grill at medium to high heat for about 10 minutes. Once hot, use the grill brush to scrape down the grates.
- Season the grill (similar to the process in grilling tofu).
- To prevent sticking to the grill, you need to brush some oil on the burger patties.
- Grill the burger patties for about 3 minutes on each side.
- Once done, you can now add them to your vegan burger bun!
How to Grill a Vegetable
Grilling vegetables is like roasting them. The natural sugars are released, and once caramelized, they are sweeter and tastier. Even those who don’t eat vegetables would love a grilled veggie.
Moreover, the aroma of the smoky char from the grill makes the grilled vegetable more flavorful and heartier. A grilled vegetable can be served as pizza toppings, a side dish, a layer in tacos, or an added flavor in pasta.
How to Grill Corn
Is it even a vegan grill party without grilled corn? Even non-vegans couldn’t miss grilled corn at barbecue parties. Here’s how you can prepare simple yet yummy corn.
- Preheat the grill for at least 10 with medium to high heat.
- Take out the ear of corn before putting them on the grill.
- Before you grill them, you can brush the oil with some organic oil, but you can also grill them naked.
- Put the corn on the grill and cook them for about 10-15 minutes. Make sure to turn the corn every 3 minutes or soon as you see some burned spots.
- Once done, you can rub some oil and lime pr chili seasoning into the corn.
How to Grill Romaine Lettuce
Lettuce is the primary ingredient in vegan salad. It’s one of the favorite food of vegan people. Sure, you can have it grilled if you want to try other ways to eat them.
- Cut the Romain lettuce in half lengthwise.
- Season the lettuce with salt and brush with some oil.
- Preheat the grill for around 3-6 minutes. Once hot, you can place the lettuce on the grill.
- Grill the lettuce until they are nicely charred.
How to Grill Fruits
Fruits are delicious and healthy enough, so you don’t need to do much to make them flavorful. They are very juicy, especially during the summer season. But if you want to take your favorite fruit to a new level, grilling is the best option.
How to Grill Pineapples
Pineapples are vegan favorites during the summer. Like plant-based protein and vegetables, they can be grilled too. Here’s how you can bring this delicious fruit to a unique dimension.
- To avoid the hassle of cutting a pineapple, use pre-cut pineapples. But if you want to grill a whole pineapple, peel and cut them into wedges and rings.
- For added flavor, brush some brown-sugar cinnamon.
- Preheat the grill for about 2-3 minutes. Once hot, place the pineapples to grill and grill
each side for 2-3 minutes.
How to Grill Mango
Grilling mango is the same as grilling pineapples. Also, it is best to grill pre-cut ones. In this way, you don’t need to consume much time in the kitchen to enjoy so much of your time outside with friends or family.
- Use ripe mangoes so they will not fall apart. Make sure never to use overly ripe mangoes.
- Preheat the grill for around 2-3 minutes. Season the grill and place the mangoes to grill for about 2-4 minutes.
- Once you see grill form or as soon as they are caramelized, flip the mangoes with a metal spatula and grill the other side.
- Once done, you can eat the mangoes with spicy salt because, surprisingly, they taste sweeter.
Tips for the Best Vegan Grilling
Are you now ready to fire up the grill? Well, if not, our best tip is to have a grilling mentor. It’s not difficult to find a grilling expert as they are typically heard talking about grilling, even in the unlikeliest things. But if the grilling enthusiast is still out of reach, follow these easy tips.
- Prepare in advance
Tofu is the best example of plat-based food that you can’t just cut then grill. It requires some prep before you grill them. As mentioned, only use extra-firm Tofu and cut it into slabs. Before starting the grilling process, make sure to study the recipe at least 24 hours before the actual grilling time.
This will help you make the grilling process easy as it allows you to prepare recipes that need time to grill. You also have time to shop for any ingredients you might have missed.
- Learn the part of the grill that is hotter
If you’re already fond of vegan grilling, you might have known which part of the grill is hotter. You will then know which types of foods are thick or thin, so they might need more or less time to cook.
Generally, thinner foods require quick time to grill at high heat. Thicker foods need more time to grill at a lower heat.
- Season the Grill
Typically “seasoning” means to add spices. But in grilling, it means to prep the grates by rubbing a cooking oil. If you’re grilling plant-based protein or vegetables, thick olive oil is recommended. On the other hand, fruits need minimal flavors like soybean or sunflower oil.
- Don’t rush
Sure, you want to get things right in a heartbeat. But vegan beginners would wish to ensure that all preparations will turn out fine. It is recommended that you cook one vegan food at a time.
Vegan Grill Must-Haves
The grill is not enough to make your vegan grill successful. Here are the items you need to get going.
- Cooking Oil: You can have as many oil varieties to achieve the flavor you want. Oil helps prep the grates.
- Grill brush: Use a heavy grill brush. They are helpful in cleaning or scrape down the char or gunk sticking in the grate.
- Stainless Spatula or Tongs: This item is a must for flipping the food, whether lettuce, Tofu, or fruits.
- Metal or Wooden Skewers: This item is for vegetables. You will need them to prevent the veggies from burning.
- Grill Basket: While this item is not necessarily a must-have, you might need smaller foods that might fall through the grates.
Final Tip
Whether you’re hosting a family cookout or a barbecue date for two, you don’t need to be a vegan griller expert to get going. The best way to learn is to start doing. By following these tips and tricks, you’ve now got the basics to becoming a veteran griller.
Take note that every expert was once a beginner. If this is the first time you get to grill, don’t hesitate to ask questions from fellow vegans. Sure they would be happy to help.
Have you started your vegan grilling? How was the experience so far? Let us know in the comments!