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While the summertime most definitely evokes memories of backyard barbecues for many of us, if you’ve just started following a plant-based diet, you might feel like the only options you have are the side salad. But you actually have limitless options when it comes to cooking with plants. You just have to get creative — or you can check out all of our Grill/BBQ recipes to help you get inspired. But, what if you don’t cook at all, i.e., you’re trying more raw vegan foods? Or, you’re planning your next barbecue and you find out that one of your guests is raw vegan? There must be more to the raw vegan diet than just plain, raw fruits, nuts, and veggies. You wouldn’t automatically think that there would be a place for delicious, creative, and flavorful raw vegan foods at a barbecue, but the great news is, there is!
Well, at One Green Planet, we’ve got the solution! Try these 15 recipes that are raw, vegan, and perfect for a backyard barbecue.
1. Sun-Dried Tomato and Zucchini Tarts
These raw Sun-Dried Tomato and Zucchini Tarts capture all the best flavors of summer, yet require no roasting and also remain gluten-free and grain-free. The crust is made from blended pistachios, pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast, and sun-dried tomatoes, and the filling is generously filled with heirloom tomato, zucchini, and fresh herbs. Simple, but oh-so-good.
2. Healthier Muhammara: Red Pepper Dip
Muhammara is a boldly flavored Middle Eastern red pepper dip that’s good on absolutely everything. This Healthier Muhammara is just as flavorful and easy to make as the original, but raw walnuts and sprouted grain bread give it a boost of whole grains, fiber, and good fats
3. Piña Colada Sorbet
Don’t you think that tropical food will keep us in a summer state of mind? It will let us stretch out the last bit of the season and trick us into thinking that it will never end. A Piña Colada Sorbet is the perfect thing to do just that. It’s a creamy and refreshing combination of pineapple, banana, and coconut milk. There isn’t a bit of added sugar, because the sweetness of the fruit does all the sweetening naturally.
4. Raw Sprouted Hummus Veggie Burger with Sunflower Bread
This Raw Sprouted Hummus Veggie Burger has two different versions of a fantastic burger: raw and cooked. Chickpeas and sweet potatoes make it dense and flavorful and the sunflower seed bread is unlike anything you’ve ever tried. Top your burger with carrots, avocado, and plenty of greens.
5. Chipotle Vegetable Stuffed Avocado
What better way to eat your veggies than stuffed in an avocado? This Chipotle Vegetable Stuffed Avocado is made with celery, bell pepper, and cucumber are tossed with crunchy sunflower seeds, fresh parsley, and green onion, then mixed with a spicy mayonnaise made from cashews and stuffed in an avocado. The creaminess of the avocado and the crispness of the fresh vegetables and sunflower seeds provide an amazing contrast to the spicy chipotle mayonnaise.
6. Sweet and Spicy Mango Kebabs
Think you have to miss out on barbecues if you’re trying to eat more raw foods? Not with these Sweet and Spicy Mango Kebabs! Mango, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions are sliced and tossed in a blend of barbecue spices, then dehydrated. They’re raw, spicy, sweet, and chewy, and great when served as a side with burgers.
7. Raw Portobello Hemp Cheese Burgers
These Raw Portobello Hemp Cheese Burgers are not your typical mushroom burgers. The meaty mushroom caps are actually the buns and provide the bulk of the dish’s protein. Inside, the caps are smeared with creamy, savory hemp cheese and topped with fresh tomatoes, crunchy zucchini slices, and basil. Prepare these as the recipe dictates or set forth on your own burger path and add avocado, shredded carrot, or whatever your heart desires!
8. The Ultimate Summer Gazpacho
Light, fresh, and tangy, The Ultimate Summer Gazpacho hits every single taste bud and will make you dance with glee. The soup is made from tomatoes, orange juice, and lemon juice and blended until creamy, then it’s loaded with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and avocado — yes, avocado. It’s the perfect addition to your backyard cookout.
9. Key Lime Coconut Cheesecake Cups
These Key Lime Coconut Cheesecake Cups are super easy to make. All you need is a blender, and you don’t need to bake them at all. They’re mini, meaning when it comes to serving dessert, you won’t have to trouble yourself with slicing and plating cakes and pies, so it’s a win-win! You get a delicious dessert with minimal hassle.
10. Raw Zucchini Boats With Creamy Garlic Sauce
These Raw Zucchini Boats With Creamy Garlic Sauce are perfect for your party. They’re really simple to make and can be ready in about 30 minutes. You can start preparing the filling and sauce while the zucchini is in the oven, and then it only takes a few minutes to assemble them.
11. Chocolate-Covered Banana Pops
These Chocolate-Covered Banana Pops are just amazing. They are the perfect healthy treat for summer parties. Super delicious and refreshing, these bananas will indulge everybody’s sweet cravings. Kids will love them and so will their grown-ups!
12. Raw BBQ Mango Meat
This Raw BBQ Mango Meat is crisp on the outside, spicy, and sweet — you’ll want to snack on it all day long. Mango is mixed with bold spices and dehydrated until a meaty texture is achieved, making it perfect for kebabs with grilled vegetables. The trick to the perfect mango meat is to use somewhat unripened mangos, so they are slightly firm to touch, and not as sweet.
13. Raw Super Sprout Pad Thai With Spicy Peanut Sauce
This Raw Super Sprout Pad Thai is made from spiralized vegetables which are perfectly complemented by a delicious chili peanut sauce. Your guests will never be bored of this dish, as each vegetable contributes its own unique texture and flavor!
14. Raw Yam Burgers and Daikon Fries With Ketchup
All that’s in these Raw Yam Burgers and Daikon Fries is a whack load of vegetables and spices. It goes like this: throw stuff in the food processor, rub things with your hands, toss something in the dehydrator and you’ll get a gourmet raw food meal in no time! It’s pretty much that easy, and you’ll impress your guests with a seriously tasty, raw vegan burger.
15. Raw Coconut and Raspberry Bars
To make these Raw Coconut and Raspberry Bars, layers of raspberry and coconut come together with a dark chocolate drizzle to create a dessert that’s simply decadent. The bottom layer is a mix of creamed coconut, coconut oil, maple syrup, and desiccated coconut, which creates a nice solid texture once set. The top layer has raspberries mixed in to create a contrasting color and flavor. The raspberries also give it a nice, sharp, and zesty taste, that is not too overpowering. Finally, it’s all topped with dark chocolate and rose petals, but you can omit those for the summertime.
Make your next barbecue a RAW-becue!
Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home
Reducing your meat intake and incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet is known to Support various health benefits, including reducing chronic inflammation, improving heart health, enhancing mental well-being, achieving fitness goals, meeting nutritional needs, managing allergies, and promoting gut health, among others. Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer, and has many side effects.
For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend grabbing our favorite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes, it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.
Here are some great resources to get you started:
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