Grilling For Vegetarians: Chef Offers Memorial Day BBQ Tips

SEATTLE, WA - If you're hosting a barbecue this Memorial Day weekend, chances are there will be one or more vegetarians or vegans in the crowd. And while herbivores are accustomed to taking a backseat to meat-eaters (especially at barbecues), it's actually really easy to grill for vegetarians and vegans.

Patch.com talked to Heather McGrath, head chef at Seattle's Chaco Canyon restaurants, for tips on how meat-eaters can easily serve vegetarians (and maybe even find some new staples to use on any occasion). Here are McGrath's vegetarian and vegan-friendly grilling tips:

Add seasoning to vegetables. "One thing people often forget is to add seasoning to vegetables. You want to make sure to add salt and pepper and spice blends the same as you would for burgers."

Tofu is the ultimate flavor weapon. "Tofu is really easy; it's a flavor absorber. But I think people forget it requires some marinading. When you eat it, it's filled with flavor, as opposed to being this bland thing. You can also smother tofu with BBQ sauce."

Use gluten for better veggie burgers. "[Chaco Canyon] used gluten in veggie burgers. That allows you to have a binder, and that helps hold everything together. If you want to be gluten free, it's a little harder, you just want to watch how many moist things are in the burger compared to dry ingredients. If you use quinoa or beans, you'll want to bake the veggie burger ahead of time or grill on a piece of tinfoil [to prevent it from falling apart]."

There's always Field Roast. The Seattle-based wheat meat company sells its products in most supermarkets across the U.S., and all you have to do is put it on the grill. "They have links and seitan meats you can slice up and grill. They're packed with flavor and really easy."

Try grilling some uncommon veggies. "I like Romanesco, which is like dinosaur broccoli. It looks really cool and it tastes like a cross between cauliflower and broccoli. Its flavorful and holds up to heat. Also, any rabe: broccoli rabe, kale rabe - those are just tender and they grill up really quickly."

Don't forget the acid. "A little bit of lemon juice at the end goes a long way. After you take the food off the grill, squeeze some lemon juice; it livens the palette."

Chaco's secret spices. "We use a lot of tamari as a marinade option. You can use a little tamari and agave to make a teriyaki flavor. We also throw a lot of smoked paprika on to make it smokey. Mesquite powder also goes well with the whole smokey-umami flavor of the grill."

Really want to wow your vegetarian barbecue guests this weekend? Try out McGrath's recipe for grilled tofu skewers. She recommends baking these skewers a few days ahead of time, and then throwing them on the grill to heat and char.

Grilled Tofu Skewers

Ingredients: tamari, garlic powder, dried basil, tofu, crimini mushrooms, zucchini, red onion

Marinade

• 2 cups tamari
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon basil, dried

Tofu

1. Cut 1-2 pounds of extra firm tofu into 2-inch cubes
2. Marinate for 10-15 min (save marinade for veggies)
3. Bake tofu on lightly oiled sheet pan at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown

Vegetables

1. Cut a 1/2 pound of zucchini and 1 red onion into chunks
2. Marinate with 8 ounces of crimini mushrooms for 10 - 15 minutes
3. Roast on an oiled sheet tray for 15 - 20 minutes at 350 degrees
4. Assemble vegetables and tofu on skewers
5. Refrigerate until the grill is ready

The bottom line: grilling for vegetarians isn't all portobello mushrooms and frozen veggie burgers. You can make fresh, health, vegetarian food on the grill that's as good as any hot dog or hamburger.

Image via Pixabay