For all their summery, picnic-plaid glory, barbecues really do favor meat eaters. Is there anything more classic than a grilled burger? Or a hot dog loaded with toppings? Or bacon-topped potato salad? Maybe not, but that doesn't mean vegetarians have to be relegated to a corner, droopy veggie dogs in hand. With the right recipe, you can convince meat eaters to put their dreams of bacon away long enough to actually enjoy the delicious, meat-free barbecue foods
It's getting the right recipe that's the trick. It has to be something different enough to keep you hooked, but tasty enough to tempt the burger-laden carnivores. Plus, it has to be portable and, in some cases, grillable.
We've picked the best recipes out of our most barbecue-y, vegetarian dreams. Get grilling, veggies.
Image via foodfaithfitness.com
Grilled Portobella Mushrooms With Spinach & Cheese
Finding a vegetarian replacement for the look and density of a burger can be hard, but Rachel Cooks's Grilled Portobella Mushrooms With Spinach & Cheese just about does the job — since it's packed with protein and tons of cheese, it'll fill you up just enough.
BBQ Pulled Sweet Potato Sandwiches
New Golden Rule, courtesy of Yup It's Vegan: If you can't pull pork, pull sweet potato. Then pull it all together with the rest of her BBQ Pulled Sweet Potato Sandwiches recipe. Cooked in a sriracha and roasted garlic BBQ sauce, this sloppy sandwich has all the hints of a spicy summer recipe, and it's infinitely healthier than pork.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
As delicious as it is, the issue we usually run into with cucumber salad is that you'll eat a full bowl and feel like you've consumed nothing. But this Creamy Cucumber Salad from Spend With Pennies solves that issue by adding creamy mayo and protein-packed Greek yogurt so you get more of a meal out of your cukes.
Healthy Baked Broccoli Tots
Gimme Delicious's Healthy Baked Broccoli Tots are basically like Tater Tots, but better and better for you. Broccoli smushed together with onion, cilantro, and Italian bread crumbs mean each teeny tot is packed with flavor.
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Cheesy Mushroom Puff Pastry Bites
If you're going gourmet, Well Plated's Cheesy Mushroom Puff Pastry Bites are a major must. Since the mushroom/caramelized onion/garlic/thyme/Gruyere (OMG, yum) topping goes on and not in, these puffs are surprisingly easy to prep.
Watermelon Feta Salad
There isn't much that screams "summer" louder than fresh watermelon, but it also screams it in a boring, been-there-done-that kind of way. But Garnish With Lemon's Watermelon Feta Salad uses a dreamy combination of salt, vinegar, feta, and mint to make watermelon exciting again.
Green Bean Casserole Cups
The first reason we love these Green Bean Casserole Cups from Let's Dish Recipes so much is because they're sog-proof. The second reason is that they're just as portable as they are adorable. The third is that the cheesy, creamy inside makes them extremely delicious, and we're all about that.
Vegan Beer Brats
Sausage might be the un-friendliest food for vegetarians, but that doesn't erase how delicious it is. That's why we're all in for Brand New Vegan's Vegan Beer Brats — though they're basically just a steamed and grilled dough, they have all the spicy flavors (including beer!) we used to love about sausage.
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Veggie Sliders With Blackberry BBQ Sauce
If you have an unadventurous griller on your hands, these Veggie Sliders With Blackberry BBQ Sauce from Foodness Gracious are probably your answer. It's just a basic quinoa patty under all that deliciousness, but the caramelized beer onions and sweet BBQ blackberry sauce make that patty nothing less than thrilling.
Grilled Pineapple With Cinnamon Honey Drizzle
Grills and pineapples are both barbecue staples, so Wine & Glue's Grilled Pineapple with Cinnamon Honey Drizzle are basically a no-brainer. This easy-peasy treat is perfect for a side, a dessert, or just for gazing at longingly. Whichever! Dealer's choice.
Grilled Artichokes With Garlic Parmesan
There's something so satisfying about grabbing an entire artichoke in your hands and smothering your face in it, and Foodness Gracious's Grilled Artichokes With Garlic Parmesan lets you do just that. Plus, the buttery rosemary drizzle ain't so bad, either.
Mexican Pasta Salad
Eat Cake For Dinner's Mexican Pasta Salad caught our eye because of its updated take on the BBQ staple. But this recipe adds beans and feta cheese (plus a bunch of other goodies), making it packed with more protein than usual.
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Mediterranean Grilled Avocado
Food Faith Fitness's Mediterranean Grilled Avocados are a delicious texture medley: Crunchy chickpeas + creamy avocados + juicy tomatoes + light cucumber = our best and most happiest (vegan!) dreams.
Cilantro Lime Black Bean Burgers
You truly can taste the difference between a frozen veggie burger and one homemade, but that doesn't mean we all have the time to carefully craft patties every time we want a burger. Thankfully, Be Whole Be You's Cilantro Lime Black Bean Burgers are a cinch to whip up, AND they freeze so well, you'll have burger patties for days.
Garlic Mushroom Quinoa
When we're talking about portable health benefits, the best and easiest answer is quinoa. But we're not impressing anyone with a bowl of plain quinoa, so we're turning to Damn Delicious's Garlic Mushroom Quinoa instead. Garlic-y and thyme-y, this nutrient-rich side dish is the perfect BBQ add-on.
Bourbon Peach BBQ Baked Beans
We are already tearing up at the sight of these Bourbon Peach BBQ Baked Beans from Half Baked Harvest. She assures us the peaches and beans combo isn't weird, and we're inclined to believe her. After all, sharp bourbon + sweet peaches – the bacon = all of our bean dreams come true.
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Rainbow Veggie Skewers
If you're looking for the healthiest rainbow on the planet, look toward Gimme Some Oven's Rainbow Veggie Skewers. Loaded down with some of our favorite summer veggies and marinated in a perfectly sharp vinaigrette, these babies are a BBQ must-have.
Hummus Deviled Eggs
Though it's hard to mess up a deviled egg, it's equally as hard to come up with one that wows. But Eating Bird Food knew what she was doing with this Hummus Deviled Eggs recipe — it's a fresh take on a classic deviled egg, and she lets the hummus do most of the hard flavoring work for her. Genius.
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