Vegetarian Barbecue Ideas

When the weather is kind enough to allow people to enjoy the outdoors, what better way to relax with family and friends than a barbecue?!

Food always tastes better al fresco, and those who don’t eat meat needn’t miss out. These vegetarian barbecue ideas are great substitutes for the traditional meat burgers, sausages and kebabs

Easy Veggie Burger

1 can black, pinto or red kidney beans
3 tbs ketchup or tomato paste
1/2 cup diced veg (onion, mushrooms, sweetcorn,)
2 tbs flour or finely ground oats
1/2tsp garlic salt/powder
1/2 tsp salt

Rinse, drain and mash the beans. Mix all the ingredients together. Form burger shaped patties and grill to your liking

Carrot Hot Dogs (These must be made the day before!)

4 large carrots
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tbs maple syrup
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

Peel and parboil the carrots until you can just insert a fork. Drain and set aside. Mix together all the other ingredients. Pour the mixture over the carrots making sure they are fully immersed. Cover and chill for 24 hours. Drain the carrots, brush with olive oil and grill until hot. Serve in a bun with ketchup or mustard as you would a normal meat hot dog

Tropical Fruit Teriyaki

1/4 cl Soy sauce
1/4 cl Water
1 tbs Cornflour
1 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp Minced garlic
5 tbs Clear honey

Cubed or thickly sliced fresh pineapple, mango, passionfruit and banana on skewers.
Mix together the soy sauce, water, cornflour, ginger and garlic. Heat in a saucepan until the sauce thickens, remove from the heat and add the honey.
Grill the fruit turning occasionally until golden brown. Brush with the teriyaki sauce before serving

Tangy Cauliflower Skewers

1 large cauliflower
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp crushed red chilli flakes
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs clear honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 lemon

Remove leaves, trim the stem, and separate the cauliflower into florets. Mix together the oil and honey and brush over the cauliflower. Mix the turmeric, salt and chilli flakes and sprinkle over the cauliflower while turning. Grill over medium heat coals for approx 10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and golden brown. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the cauliflower before serving

Grilled Halloumi With Basil & Mint

In a blender puree 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint, 1 sliced garlic clove, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt & black pepper

Slice 250g halloumi and dip liberally into the mixture. Grill both sides until golden brown. Drizzle a little of the remaining mixture over the slices to serve

Tequila Mushrooms

1/2 cup Tequila
!/4 cup Melted butter
2 tbs minced garlic
Juice of 1 lime
Large flat or Portobella mushrooms

Mix together the tequila, butter, garlic and lime juice. Dip the mushrooms in the mixture and place on the barbecue rack with the underside facing down. Grill for 2 mins then turn over. Pour the mixture onto each mushroom and grill until the mushrooms are cooked to your liking. Sprinkle with a little salt

Grilled Lettuce

Use firm lettuces such as Romaine or Little Gem as you don’t want them to fall apart or wilt. Simply remove any tatty outer leaves, cut lengthwise into halves or quarters depending on the size, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, then grill laying the inside leaves downwards first and occasionally turning over for approx 3 mins until lightly charred. Serve with a salad dressing or sour cream

(Slices of cabbage or cauliflower can be grilled in the same way, and served as a steak accompanied with seasonings or sauces)

BBQ Tofu

While Tofu can be chewy and tasteless on its own, it’s great for soaking up other flavours and is a fantastic alternative to meat on a barbecue

Tips: Use ‘Extra Firm’ Tofu. Freeze and then thaw the tofu before using, as freezing it makes it less chewy. Squeeze as much water out of the Tofu before cooking as possible. Wrap it in several layers of kitchen paper, place a board on top and something as heavy as possible (a large pan full of water is ideal), and leave for a minimum of half an hour

Cut the Tofu into 1″ cubes and thread onto skewers, cover in BBQ sauce and leave to marinade for 15 minutes. Grill for 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally

Mediterranean Vegetables With Feta

1 red pepper
2 large aubergines (or 4 small)
2 courgettes
2 red onions
250g cherry tomatoes
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tbs lemon juice
4 tbs olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
8 black olives (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
200g feta cheese

Cube or slice the red pepper, aubergines, courgettes and onion. Halve the cherry tomatoes and olives. Mix all the ingredients together, except the feta. Divide the mixture onto double square sheets of foil. Cube the feta and place on the top of each. Take up the sides of the foil and fold or gather to create a parcel to trap the mix. Place on the barbecue over medium hot coals until the vegetables are tender and hot. Be careful when opening the foil due to steam escaping!

Let us know if you try these vegetarian barbecue ideas, and share your own recipes on our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cookingonabudgetofficial