10 Vegan Recipes Worthy of a Cookout

For the non-animal product eating, summer cookouts can occasionally feel, how shall we say, limiting: ribs! Burgers! Cheeseburgers! Ice cream! Potato salad swimming in mayonnaise! This — despite an otherwise excellent selection of picnic sides — can be a little discouraging. But! Cookouts need not be so — and vegan folks need not just linger by the spread of side dishes hoping for an ear of corn or a frozen veggie burger, either.

Here are 10 delicious vegan recipes from Food 52's Gena Hamshaw worthy of a summer afternoon barbecue:

Creamy Vegan Avocado Potato Salad

Tempeh Kebabs with Homemade BBQ Sauce

Sweet, tangy homemade barbecue sauce is a perfect complement to the nutty, earthy taste of tempeh. 
 

Grilled Avocado Halves with Cumin-Spiced Quinoa and Black Bean Salad 

Creamy, satisfying avocado meets a hassle-free, versatile quinoa salad that works on its own as an anytime summer side dish.

Black Bean and Corn Burgers

These veggie burgers are a little bit spicy, thanks to a mixture of paprika, cumin, and chili, and a little bit sweet, thanks to fresh summer corn. 

Penne with Sweet Summer Vegetables, Pine Nuts, and Herbs

Think of this recipe as summer in a bowl. The sweet corn, bursting cherry tomatoes, and tender zucchini lighten up a savory, satisfying bowl of pasta. 

Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

A sweet or savory spin on biscuits that feature sweet potato for a tender, moist interior and a very pretty golden color.

Vegan Summer Succotash

The combination of sweet vegetables and buttery coconut oil makes this easy dinner an irresistible delight.

 Perfect Vegan Pie Crust

This pie crust is totally authentic and yet totally dairy free -- all thanks to the magic of coconut oil. 

Strawberry Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream

This rich, dreamy ice cream -- which no one would ever guess is vegan -- benefits from fresh ingredients: seasonal, freshly picked strawberries and fresh vanilla bean. 

No-Fuss Vegan Cornbread 

This cornbread is a perfect balance of savory and sweet, rich and light.

[via Food 52]

10 Epic Veggie Burgers to Throw on the Grill Now

Veggie burgers are a fun dish to cook and serve in vegan cuisine because there is so much creativity one can put into constructing the perfect burger. Making veggie burger mixes is an easy, try-as-you-go way to add a bunch of good-for-you ingredients, like beans, whole grains and vegetables, in a patty and make it taste like whatever you want. Grilling the patties marries all the flavors and makes an amazing summer lunch. Throw these 10 epic veggie burgers on the grill now.

1. Quinoa Veggie Burger

Quinoa and mushroom lovers must try this patty. Use this recipe as a base and jazz it up with whatever herbs, spices, veggies or toppings you like.

2. The Vegan Eggplant Crunchburger

This vegan, gluten-free burger is decadence on a bun. The recipe author recommends topping them with caramelized onions and a simple spread made with mayo, mustard, and vegan, gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.

3. Quinoa and White Bean Burger

These filling patties are packed with protein and fiber as well as other beneficial nutrients. They’re also packed with flavor; the recipe calls for thyme, garlic, shallots, lemon, red bell pepper, paprika and chipotle chili pepper.

4. Red Lentil Burgers With Kale Pesto

In this recipe, start with red lentils, potatoes, almonds and different seeds. You combine these with a nice blend of spices that includes cumin, paprika, coriander and black pepper. After you grill these patties, add the kale pesto sauce, then it place over some brown rice and you have a fantastic meal.

5. Spicy Cauliflower Potato Burger

Serve these spicy patties with roasted peppers, sliced tomatoes and an either guacamole or a chipotle habanero cashew cream sauce. For the Spicy Chipotle Cream sauce, blend 1/4 cup powdered raw cashews, 1/2+ cup water, 5 to 6 garlic cloves, 1/3 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 2+ teaspoons Chipotle Habanero Hot sauce or to taste.

6. Hearty Lentil and Brown Rice Burger

These hearty, flavorful veggie burgers pair well with BBQ sauce and are made with delicious ingredients like green lentils, brown rice, yellow onion and garlic.

7. White Bean and Sweet Potato Burgers

White bean, sweet potato, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, chili powder, breadcrumbs and a few other spices blend harmoniously together for these delicious white bean and sweet potato burgers.

8. Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Portobello mushroom burgers are a classic vegan veggie burger choice. These patties have a delicious glaze over top. Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic,  basil, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, then pour over caps and let marinade for 20 to 30 minutes on the grill.

9. Cajun Burgers

The base of these burgers are made from kasha, or buckwheat, which has a deep, nutty taste. It also has a delicious taste from the spices, like thyme, basil, oregano, paprika, mustard powder and cayenne pepper.

10. Reuben Burger

This delicious veggie burger has a spice rub of several spices like coriander, garlic, onion, caraway, fennel and black pepper.

[via One Green Planet]