Enjoy a vegan BBQ with tips and recipes from Madeleine Shaw

In a recent study carried out by digital magazine and newspaper subscription app Readly with the help of YouGov, the results showed that more of us than ever before are choosing to consume vegan and vegetarian food. In fact, 7.2 million Brits say they’re now eating vegetarian or vegan food every single day.

As promising as this sounds, the research showed that there’s still a lot of work to be done with the rest of the UK population though, with 44% of those surveyed never, or very rarely, eating a plant-based meal.

So to try to convert some of those sceptical meat eaters (and provide the rest of us with even more inspiration), Readly has asked Madeleine Shaw to share some of her top tips for hosting a vegan BBQ (or vegetarian BBQ) this summer.

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Madeleine Shaw’s top tips for hosting a vegan BBQ

• Veganise the Classics: Cooking up vegan versions of barbecue classics can be surprisingly simple: black bean patties can make for sensational meatless burgers, jackfruit is a great substitute for pulled pork, and delicious marinated tofu skewers can replace chicken skewers.
• Majestic Marinades: Get creative with your vegetables by adding lots of spices and flavour.
  Unseasoned meat wouldn’t go on the BBQ – and the same goes for your veggies if you want to impress guests.
  Mouth-watering marinades – easily made up of soy sauce, oil or juice – are a fantastic way to infuse your dishes with flavor that really packs a punch.
• Packed with Protein: Meat-free doesn’t need to be protein-free – so try plant-based burgers. There’s been lots of innovation in this field – and as a result there are now some gloriously juicy options to try that will leave your guests struggling to differentiate between the real thing.
• Find Inspiration: Magazines can be an amazing source of recipe inspiration. Explore the recipes across the thousands of magazines and newspapers on the Readly app, including vegetarian and vegan specific titles, such as Vegan Food & Living!
  There are some spectacular plant-based options to get you inspired for your vegan BBQ – including some of my own tastiest recipes – just search by my name on the app.
• Get Fruity: Grilling caramelizes the natural sugars in fruit and transforms it into something truly special – perfect for desserts or using in side dishes like salsa.
  Almost any fruit can go on the barbecue – as long as it’s fairly firm and not overripe. Grilled peaches are the epitome of summer for me – but you can also flip on the grill melon, pineapple, pears, figs and bananas.

Madeleine Shaw’s ultimate vegan BBQ Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burger

MAKES 4 BURGERS 

• 110g cooked rice
• 1/2 a can of black beans
• 1 large sweet potato, cooked
• 50g ground almonds
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 burger buns
• 1 avocado
• 50g rocket

1. Add all of the burger ingredients into a blender and blitz until combined but still chunky.
2. Heat the bbq to a medium heat.
3. Roll the burger mixtures into 4 burger patties and fry on the bbq for 3 minutes each side until golden.
4. Slice the burger buns in half and char them on the grill for 2 minutes.
5. Add half the mashed avocado, a handful of rocket and the patties to the buns and dig in.
6. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
7. You can double the recipe and have the patties in the fridge or freezer for future burger days.

What did the rest of the survey reveal?

Although 44% of those surveyed never, or very rarely, eat a plant-based meal, sadly it was the men letting the side down, with 27% saying they’d never opt for vegetarian or vegan food, compared to 18% of women.

All isn’t lost though – at least the future is looking a little brighter with 19% of 18-29 year olds said that they eat vegan or vegetarian food every day, compared to 13% of 50-59 year olds.

Going vegan for the environment

When it comes to the motivation for people eating more vegan or vegetarian food, 23% said it was down to health, 13% were motivated by environmental factors and 12% cited animal welfare reasons.

For eco-conscious 18-29 year olds, the environment was the biggest reason for choosing to go meat-free, whereas health was the biggest deciding factor for those over 60 (28%).

Out of all the age groups, ‘health’ was least important to 18-29 years old (only 16% felt it was the main reason they chose it – compared to 28% for the over 60s), with almost a quarter (24%) feeling that climate/environmental reasons was the biggest deciding factor for them.

Get more vegan recipe inspiration with a free Readly trial

If you want to get more vegan recipe inspiration, and encourage friends and family to cook more vegan and vegetarian food too, Readly is offering a free two month trial to its subscription service, which includes Vegan Food & Living – so you can read the mag free for two months!

That’s an offer you don’t want to miss.

Looking for more vegan or vegetarian BBQ inspiration right now? Try these 21 vegan BBQ recipes for a sizzling summer