Ten Easy Vegan Recipes for the Grill

Dust off and fire up your grill. Eating vegan no longer means being left out of outdoor grilling events. Here are ten easy vegan recipes you can enjoy at your next barbecue. Even non-vegans will want some of what you're eating.

Grilled Corn

Peel the husk down to reveal the silk strands. Remove all the strands. Put vegan margarine on your hands and slather the cob. Salt it sparingly. Put husks back up and tie with kitchen string. Soak cob in cold water for at least an hour. Put on a medium hot grill wrapped in the husk for 20-30 minutes, turning as needed. To eat, peel husks off, and enjoy.

Banana Boats

Take a ripe banana and cut a slit down the center from end to end. Fill the slit with vegan chocolate chips and vegan marshmallows. Wrap the banana in aluminum foil, and place on the grill for at least 5 minutes or until the chocolate is melted.

Grilled Onions

Grilling caramelizes onions. Use a Walla Walla sweet onion and cut quarter-inch thick rings. Leave rings together and brush with marinade. Grill onions as a patty until onion layers appear to pull away. Use a non-stick grill topper to help hold onion pieces together and keep them from falling through the rack. It takes about 15 minutes total.

Basic Grilling Marinade

For a vegetable grilling marinade, you need a quarter cup of olive oil or flavored oil of choice, a whole lemon or quarter cup flavored vinegar of choice, 2 cloves minced garlic, a teaspoon of seasonings of choice, and salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Optional ingredients are a dash of hot sauce or liquid smoke.

Grilled Asparagus

Prepare a pound of asparagus and cut off ends. Dip asparagus in boiling water until it takes on a bright green color Drain and cool down in cold water. Place in a marinade bag of half a cup olive oil, a tablespoon each of soy sauce and seasoned vinegar, and a teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder. Grill on grill topper to keep them from falling through rack. Grill on medium heat and turn as needed.

Grilled Red Peppers

Red peppers will char on a grill and take on a great flavor. To prepare, cut red, yellow, or orange peppers into quarters. Clean out seeds and brush both sides of pepper with oil marinade. Grill pepper quarters on grill rack or on grill topper. For another pepper idea, cut peppers into large bite size pieces and place on skewers with chunks of zucchini, onions, and mushrooms. Brush with marinade and place on grill or topper. Carefully turn as needed. If you use wooden skewers, first soak the wood for 30 minutes in water to keep the wood from burning on the grill.

Grilled Mushroom Burgers

Slice Portabella mushrooms about a half-inch thick. On both sides, brush on oil marinade and then grill. Since mushrooms have the texture and feel of meat, you can use mushrooms as burger in your veggie burger. But if you make a veggie burger of mushrooms only, you will not be getting much protein.

Grilled Eggplant

Slice eggplant sections at least half an inch thick. Cut away the peel. Lightly salt the slices and drain in colander or rack for half an hour. Rinse and then drain. Brush marinade on both sides and grill until golden brown and tender, about 15 minutes total.

Veggie Dogs and Veggie Burgers

Veggie dogs and veggie burgers are a convenient and easy barbecue meal and a realistic substitute for hotdogs and hamburgers. The taste is close with fewer calories and no unhealthy saturated fat. Look for vegan on the package when you buy a meat alternative or you might get added cheese, milk, or egg proteins.

You will need to find a clean spot on the grill for grilling vegan foods or use a separate non-stick grill topper. You will also need to be sure to lightly oil the rack or your veggie burger will tend to stick.

Traditional Barbecue Sauce

Marinades are great for veggies, but for burgers you might want that traditional grilling sauce flavor. For this you need a cup of tomato sauce and a tablespoon each of agave nectar, maple syrup, olive oil, and soy sauce. You need a teaspoon each of chili powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika, and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and brush on your veggie burgers before you grill or during grilling.

Make the most of your vegan barbecue experience. Never sit out of the festivities again. Now you have ten great vegan grilling recipes you can try out this summer.