Vegan barbecues - enjoy a meat-free barbecue party
It's summer. The sun is shining and barbecuing is on the agenda... But does it always have to be meat? We'll show you how you can enjoy your barbecue meat-free and why it's worth going vegan barbecuing.
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Vegan barbecuing: Tips for vegan barbecuing
Vegan food and barbecuing don't go together? Not at all! In addition to meat-free barbecue classics such as grilled vegetables, there is now a wide range of meat substitute products that also taste great on the barbecue.
Meat-free sausages and steaks
If you don't want to do without sausages or steaks, you can use vegan substitute products. The best-known substitute product is tofu. Tofu is made from soybeans and is rich in high-quality protein, B vitamins and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. It is very versatile when grilling: from tofu sausages and tofu patties to tofu slices. The neutral-tasting tofu can be used either untreated or marinated. A mixture of soy sauce, tomato puree and chilli or oil with various herbs is generally suitable as a marinade.
Seitan or Tempeh are also popular products that are used on the barbecue. Seitan consists of wheat protein (gluten) and is very popular due to its meat-like consistency . The granular tempeh is made from fermented soybeans. Both meat substitutes are nutritionally very valuable: they contain no cholesterol, less saturated fatty acids and more unsaturated fatty acids than meat.
It should be noted that vegan barbecued food reacts more sensitively to heat than meat due to its lower fat content. Therefore, the products should be marinated or coated with oil beforehand and only be grilled for around 10 minutes, preferably on the edge of the grill.
Grilled vegetables
Any vegetables are actually suitable for the grill; you just need to make sure you prepare them correctly so that even firmer vegetables are soft. Therefore, firm vegetables such as corn on the cob or carrots should be cooked beforehand. Softer vegetables such as mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplants, zucchinis or green asparagus can be grilled directly. It is best to cook the vegetables in a greased grill tray so that important nutrients are not lost. To do this, cut the vegetables into flat slices of equal thickness and drizzle with oil and season with spices beforehand. Barbecue skewers can also be placed in the grill tray. It is best to use highly heatable oils such as coconut oil or rapeseed oil.
Potatoes can be grilled raw whole or cut into slices. However, pre-cooking the potatoes reduces the time on the grill.
Tasty side dishes
Side dishes such as salads, bread and dips are of course also a must for vegan barbecues. Colorful salads with quinoa, couscous, bulgur, lentils or wholemeal pasta serve as delicious fillers and provide many valuable nutrients. Or how about a chickpea layered salad? Also perfect to take away if you're invited to a barbecue Here go to the layered salad.
Bread is of course also a must when barbecuing. Baking it yourself is the best option and, apart from the long baking time, doesn't require much effort. On our homepage you can find a protein bread to bake Here is the recipe. If you are looking for a gluten-free alternative, you will here find it. Of course, bread also needs a delicious dip: popular vegan dips include hummus and guacamole, which also go well with tofu, potatoes and grilled vegetables
.Do you already know our low-calorie garlic sauce? No barbecue party should be without it!
Dessert - sweets for the barbecue
And what's for dessert? Fruit from the grill, of course. It's best to choose low-water fruit such as apples, bananas and pears. Keep the cooking times short so that nothing burns. Bananas can go straight on the grill in their skin. Then top the fruit with a little liquid chocolate and/or nuts.
Why should you grill vegan more often?
Vegan barbecuing not only tastes good, but also has a number of other benefits. In terms of environmental protection, health and animal-friendliness vegan barbecuing is not so easy to beat.
Many consumers are paying more and more attention to the grilling method when barbecuing - no reusable barbecues and ecologically produced charcoal. But what many don't know: The decisive factor when barbecuing is not the method, but what ultimately ends up on the grill. Meat leads to a enormous amount of CO2 emissions. When vegan alternatives end up on the barbecue, the CO2 balance is much more favorable and the climate and water balance is improved. Animal suffering is also reduced. According to ProVeg Germany (formerly the Vegetarian Union VEBU), around 98% of all animal products currently come from factory farming.
A high consumption of plant-based foods also has a positive effect on health, as it has now been proven that meat promotes a number of diseases. Animal ingredients such as saturated fatty acids and cholesterol are reduced or avoided.
Sources:
- https://www.peta.de/vegangrillen
Photo by Daniela Domingues on Unsplash
