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What can I Serve Vegetarians at a Barbeque?

Jessica Ellis
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Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,894
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Nothing says summer like an outdoor barbeque. Barbeques are a great way to enjoy seasonal food, good company and lovely whether. Commonly, barbecues revolve around grilled meats, which can be a problem for vegetarians or those with vegetarian friends. It’s quite easy to serve vegetarians meat-free foods at a barbeque, with a little care and some easy recipes.

If you have to serve vegetarians or vegans that do not eat any dairy or egg products, grilling up vegetables is a great way to adapt barbeque cuisine for them. Try grilling whole cobs of corn, or wrapping a potato in aluminum foil and placing it in the hot coals for about half an hour. Be sure to use a fork to cut vent holes in the potato, otherwise, it may explode. A medley of grilled vegetables makes an attractive dish; try bell peppers, mushrooms, summer squash or eggplant.

Grilled kebabs are a great food to serve vegetarians as a summer supper. Instead of chicken or pork, place tofu that has been marinated in spices on kebab skewers with vegetable pieces or even pineapple. You can even make dessert kebabs by grilling summer fruits, like peaches and apricots, on skewers and serving over ice cream.

If your vegetarian guests feel left out when it comes time to serve up the burgers or hot dogs, try throwing a few veggie burgers or dogs on the grill. There are many brands of meatless burgers available in the frozen foods section of most grocery stores, and vegetarian hot dogs are also quite easy to find. You may either want to cook these first, to avoid getting any traces of meat for them, or wrapping them in aluminum foil before grilling. If you serve vegetarians food that they know has been protected from exposure to meat products, they will be both grateful and more at ease about eating.

For an appetizer you can easily serve vegetarians, try grilling a skinned avocado and combining with a splash of lemon juice, onions, salt and garlic for a smoky guacamole. It’s easy to come up with starters and side dishes that vegetarians can enjoy along with meat-eating friends. Chips and salsa, pasta or potato salad and fruit salad are all great additions to a meal that everyone can enjoy.

It may seem irritating to go to all this trouble for someone’s chosen dietary restrictions, but keep in mind that not all vegetarianism is a choice. Those with high blood pressure or certain illnesses may have to stay away from meat in order to maintain their health. Remember to that if your friends are long-time vegetarians, their body may not be able to digest meat and accidental contamination could make them seriously ill. If it truly bothers you, ask them to bring a veggie burger or other entrée of their choice so they can oversee their own cooking. But in most cases, pleasing the vegetarians at your barbecue is not difficult, and many are eager to avoid being any kind of a bother to you.

Do your veggie friends a favor and check all barbecue sauce for meat ingredients before adding it to a common dish. If there are animal ingredients, consider serving the sauce on the side or reserving a portion that is completely vegetarian. Also be sure to check cheese for animal-based rennet, and warn vegetarians if it is present. Although their lifestyle choices may be different from yours, as your guests they deserve to have their dietary restrictions treated with respect. By following these guidelines or looking up meat-free recipes, you should have no problems creating a summer feast that everyone can enjoy.

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Jessica Ellis
By Jessica Ellis
With a B.A. in theater from UCLA and a graduate degree in screenwriting from the American Film Institute, Jessica Ellis brings a unique perspective to her work as a writer for WiseGeek. While passionate about drama and film, Jessica enjoys learning and writing about a wide range of topics, creating content that is both informative and engaging for readers.

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Discussion Comments
By burcidi — On Mar 17, 2011

I think vegetarian baked beans, potato salad, spring salad and a nice cake for dessert or some ice cream are always great additions to a barbecue. For worst case scenario like a surprise guest who is vegetarian, keep some veggie hot dogs in the freezer and some canned vegetarian baked beans. My other rule is that I always have lots of crackers, dips, hummus, bread and cheese at my meals. Guests can munch on these until the food is ready. This also gives me some time to add a couple of more dishes to the table if I need to.

I agree that vegetarians are very easy to please. My vegetarian friends usually bring a vegetarian dish with them to dinners or barbecues even though I insist that they don't need to. I'm usually unsure of what to cook if I have vegan guests or guests from different countries. If I know my guests closely, I actually give them a call and ask them which dishes they like or if there is something they won't eat. I think it's common hospitality regardless of having guests with dietary restrictions or not.

By discographer — On Mar 14, 2011

I think the easiest thing you can do is to buy vegetarian ground beef and make veggie hamburgers with it. These come in cans and can be difficult to find in grocery stores but are definitely available in online stores. Not just hamburgers, but you can make anything that is originally made with ground beef with the veggie beef or veggie burger as they are called.

I make veggie burgers with it by adding some spices and onions to it. I also use it for veggie tacos or veggie meatloaf. Even if I don't have any vegetarians coming over, I still have a vegetarian option because some people have religious dietary restrictions or just don't feel like having meet. This is the easiest way of creating some options.

By burcinc — On Mar 13, 2011

Everyone knows about vegetarian kebabs- different vegetables threaded on a skewer. You can also make vegetarian kebabs using lentils, onion, garlic and spices. I make these when vegetarian friends are coming over for barbecue, they like them and it's really simple too.

First, I lightly fry half a cup of yellow or red lentils and also saute half a cup onions with ginger and chilies. I then place the lentils along with onions, 2 cloves garlic, fresh ginger, green chilies, masala powder, cumin powder and salt and pepper all according to taste in the blender. I blend it until it is a thick mixture, thick enough to stick to metal skewers (bamboo ones don't work too well). After placing the mixture evenly on skewers, I brush them with some olive or vegetable oil. The last step is to cook them on the grill.

Jessica Ellis
Jessica Ellis
With a B.A. in theater from UCLA and a graduate degree in screenwriting from the American Film Institute, Jessica Ellis...
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