4th of July can be somewhat of an uncomfortable event if you’re vegan or plant-based and invited to or expected to host a barbeque, but not anymore! Here are 4 beautiful (and delicious!) whole food vegan recipes that you can either make at your 4th of July party or take to a party that are sure to please anyone, whether vegan or not!

 

Make 1 or make them all, these recipes are so good you’re going to want to make them again and again this summer. There’s a mouth-watering tofu sandwich (give this to anyone who says they don’t like tofu!), a super flavorful chipotle bean chili, a golden herbed corn salad, and a grilled lettuce salad with peaches, wakame seaweed, and a vegan “Caesar” dressing (no anchovies needed)!

 

Click to go to the recipe:

• Tofu Sandwich with Tomato Ginger Jam and Vegan Garlic Mayo

• Chipotle Bean Chili

• Herbed Corn Salad

• Grilled Lettuce Salad with Peaches and Wakame Seaweed

Tofu Sandwich with Tomato Ginger Jam and Vegan Garlic Mayo

Makes 3 sandwiches

Tofu

1 block firm tofu, sliced into 1/2″-inch slices, frozen overnight and thawed

42ml coconut aminos

45ml tamari

31ml white balsamic vinegar

Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Zest of 1 lime

120g non-GMO cornstarch, for breading

50-60ml avocado oil, for frying

 

Tomato Ginger Jam (makes 307g)

35ml olive oil

22g fresh ginger, minced

548g tomatoes, diced medium

Sea salt, to taste

30ml white balsamic vinegar

50ml maple syrup

 

Vegan Garlic Mayo (makes 330g)

80g garlic cloves, peeled and halved

125g almonds, soaked overnight and peeled

28ml freshly-squeezed lime juice

150ml water

Sea salt, to taste

25ml extra-virgin olive oil

 

Assembling

9 leaves Romaine lettuce

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

1 1/2 thinly sliced avocado

Maldon sea salt

3 4-inch pieces ciabatta bread, halved lengthwise and toasted

 

1. Squeeze all the water that you can out of the thawed slices of tofu, being careful to not break them. Place them in a shallow container or Ziploc bag and add coconut aminos, tamari, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and lime zest. Make sure all the marinade is covering the tofu, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. [Meanwhile, you can make the Tomato Ginger Jam and Vegan Garlic Mayo ↓]

2. When ready to fry, add cornstarch to a plate, take the tofu slices out of the marinade and cover them with a nice layer of cornstarch. Tap off any excess and set aside. Repeat with all slices.

3. Heat a medium pan on medium-high flame and add avocado oil. Carefully place tofu slices into the pan away from you (as the oil can burn you), leaving enough space in between each piece to be able to flip them later. Fry for 1 minute or until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and fry for another minute on the other side until crispy and golden. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

    

Tomato Ginger Jam

1. Heat a medium pot on medium flame and add olive oil and ginger. Cook for 1 minute, add a pinch of salt, then add tomatoes, white balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup. Cook for 30-45 minutes on medium flame, or until thickened. You want it to be thick but still spreadable.

2. Season to taste and remove from heat.

 

Vegan Garlic Mayo

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch garlic cloves for 1 minute. Remove the cloves from the pot, discard the water, fill the pot with new water and bring to a boil again. Blanch the garlic cloves one more time for another minute, take them out and remove pan from heat.

2. Place the blanched garlic cloves, almonds, lime juice, water, and a pinch of salt to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. Add olive oil and blend again to fully combine. Taste to adjust seasoning and set aside.

 

Assembling

1. To assemble the sandwiches, spread some garlic mayo on one half of the ciabatta bread. Brush 3 romaine lettuce leaves for reach sandwich with olive oil and lay on top of the mayo. Add 3-4 pieces of tofu on top of the lettuce, then 1/2 sliced avocado. Sprinkle some Maldon salt on the avocado. Finally, spread some tomato ginger jam on the other half of the bread and close the sandwich. Repeat 2 more times for the other 2 sandwiches.

 

Chipotle Bean Chili

serves 4-6

40ml olive oil

15g garlic, minced

180g red onion, diced small

16.5g fresh ginger

1g ground coriander

1g ground cumin

1g ground fennel

0.5g freshly-ground black pepper

81g tomato paste

30g canned chipotle chilis

Sea salt, to taste

520g cooked black beans

100ml concentrated mushroom broth or vegetable broth

100ml bean cooking broth or water

1 bay leaf

1. Heat a large pot on medium heat and add olive oil, garlic, onion, and ginger. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until everything is starting to golden.

2. Add ground coriander, cumin, fennel, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add tomato paste and chipotle chilis and stir to fully incorporate. Cook for 4-6 minutes on low flame to infuse the tomato and chili into the oil. If the mix looks a little dry, add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Add a pinch of salt and the beans. Mix to combine and cook for a few more minutes to let them absorb all the flavors. The tomato paste should start sticking to the beans.

4. Add mushroom or vegetable broth, bean broth or water, and bay leaf. Mix to combine, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes.

5. After 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning. Check the texture—if you want it thicker, cover and cook for a couple more minutes. If not, remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving.

 

Herbed Corn Salad

serves 4-6

80ml olive oil, divided

14g garlic

64g scallion tops, thinly sliced on a bias, divided

2g smoked paprika

520g fresh corn kernels

50ml vegetable broth or water

20g cilantro leaves, chopped

12g mint leaves, chopped

Zest of 2 limes

46ml fresh lime juice

Sea salt, to taste

80g thinly sliced radishes, for topping

1. Heat 40ml olive oil on medium heat in a medium pan and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds and add half of the scallion tops and paprika. Mix to combine and cook for 30 seconds.

2. Add corn kernels and a pinch of salt and stir. Lower the flame to medium-low and cook for 5-7 minutes.

3. Add vegetable broth to deglaze the pan. Cook for 3 more minutes or until the water has evaporated, then remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

4. Once completely cool, add chopped cilantro, mint, the rest of the scallion tops, and lime zest. Mix to combine and add lime juice and the other 40ml of olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.

5. Serve topped with sliced radishes.

 

Grilled Lettuce Salad with Peaches and Wakame Seaweed

serves 4-6

4 romaine lettuce hearts

10ml olive oil, for brushing

5g wakame seaweed, hydrated in 20ml water and drained

240g sliced ripe peaches, sliced into 1/8ths

10 fresh parsley leaves, chopped

 

Vegan “Caesar” Dressing

6g garlic

13g capers, drained

22ml dijon mustard

Zest of 2 lemons

70ml freshly-squeezed lemon juice

90ml extra-virgin olive oil

 

Vegan “Caesar” Dressing

1. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic cloves to form a paste.* Add capers and crush to a chunky paste. Add mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix to combine.

2. Slowly add olive oil in while mixing to incorporate it. It won’t fully emulsify, and that’s ok.

3. Store in a glass jar and make sure to shake before adding to the salad.

 

*Note: If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, you can make this dressing in a small blender or with an immersion blender.

 

Salad

1. Heat a grill pan or barbeque on high heat. Keep the romaine hearts whole and brush with olive oil. Place them on the grill and hold them down with your fingers or a cooking utensil to keep them in maximum contact with the heat. Grill for 30 seconds on one side, then flip and grill the other side (be careful not to use your fingers on the second side, as it’ll be hot!).

2. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. With each romaine heart, chop the bottom core off and chop the leaves up into bite-sized pieces.

3. Add grilled lettuce to a large mixing bowl along with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Mix to combine and add drained seaweed, sliced peaches, and chopped parsley. Mix to combine and taste to adjust seasoning. Add more dressing if necessary. Serve immediately.