A meatless barbecue?

It only takes a hint of sunshine on a warm afternoon to get the coals fired up on our barbecue but it’s a great way to eat in the summer: it gets you outdoors and can be a really sociable occasion, not to mention the fact that the food just tastes that little bit nicer.
When we think of barbecues most of us automatically turn to a few staple ingredients – sausages, burgers, chicken; maybe a lamb kebab. But there can be more to a barbecue than just meat – have you ever considered a vegetarian barbecue?

According to reports, the average Briton consumed 56 sausages and 54 burgers during the barbecue 'season', and with all this meat, usually stuffed into bread rolls, it can be easy to fill up without even looking at a vegetable. Barbecues can end up being quite unhealthy as a result – not to mention always the same - which is where some vegetarian options could help revitalise your barbecue habits. And despite what some people might think, a vegetarian barbecue needn’t be boring. In fact, with a few inspired vegetarian barbeque ideas, they can be just as tasty – if not tastier – than a traditional meaty barbecue.

21 - 27th May is National Vegetarian Week 2012, so why not swap the meat for a vegetarian barbecue?

From skewers of vegetables to homemade patties and salads, there’s a whole range of meat-free barbecue ideas you can try, and with that unbeatable smoky barbecue flavour and a relaxing afternoon in the sunshine, you won’t even notice there’s no meat!

If you do have a diehard carnivore in attendance, however, a bit of moderation works wonders. You don’t have to have an all-vegetarian barbecue, or all meat. A mixture of the two will give you the best of both worlds and with our recipes ideas for vegetarian barbecue food you can be sure everyone will be satisfied.

So the next time the sun’s out and you’re lighting up the barbecue, why not give some vegetarian options a go?

Date: 10/05/2012