With everything going on, Labor Day this year is especially monumental for our front-line workers. They have held strong during this national crisis.
Let’s enjoy a vegan Labor Day outside celebration with plant-powered recipes that’ll help keep us healthy and strong. 💪🏼 🥬 🍓 From pasta and beans to jackfruit kabobs, burgers, and salads, eating a whole food plant-based diet is the way to go.
Check out these 25 delicious recipes from some of my favorite bloggers.
Plant-based Labor Day Cookout Recipes
Cauliflower Quinoa Salad
This gluten-free crunchy salad with a bright oil-free vinaigrette is a tasty addition to your Labor Day cookout. This salad provides healthy cruciferous cauliflower and broccoli and is colorful to serve.
Grilled Eggplant Banh Mi Sliders
The classic Vietnamese sandwich made healthy, gluten-free, & vegan. Grilled Eggplant Banh Mi Sliders are a hearty, spicy, & veggie-packed recipe you can serve up for lunch, dinner, or a party!
Corn and Potato Boil
Inspired by the “boils” celebrated in the South and New England, this completely plant-based Corn and Potato Boil is based on the stars of the show, corn and potatoes, along with lots of dill and garlic.
BBQ Baked Beans
These BBQ Baked Beans are sweetened with crushed pineapple so you don’t have to worry about added sugar. You make your own BBQ sauce, simmered in a saucepan and blended for smoothness.
Herbed White Bean Picnic Salad
Perfect for picnics, cookouts, office parties, and potlucks, this herbed white bean picnic salad with lemon dill miso dressing is a full-flavored dish everyone will love.
Grilled Watermelon
This Grilled Watermelon is one of the tastiest and most healthiest desserts you can eat. It’s so simple to make and doesn’t take a lot of time and effort. It’s also Paleo and Whole30.
Black Bean Beet Burger
This Black Bean Beet Burger is rich in protein and heart-healthy. I’ve packed it full of black beans, rice, beets, and raisins. Grill these up at your next BBQ with a side of kale chips! You’ll love this healthy Labor Day recipe.
Spicy Bean Burgers
An easy one-bowl recipe for the quickest bean burgers that taste so good. No fancy ingredients either.
Vegan Quinoa Pasta Salad Mediterranean-Style
Colorful summer vegetables slathered in Mediterranean yogurt sauce make this vegan pasta salad with quinoa a true crowd-pleaser! Perfect for an easy portable lunch or to bring with you to any potluck and cookout, this gluten-free dish is bursting with flavor, nutrients and protein. It’s easily customizable, really satisfying and keeps in the fridge for days.
Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
Just the sight of a macaroni and cheese dish can start you drooling. And, it’s cheese that most people have trouble giving up on a plant-based diet, but this baked vegan macaroni and cheese will help you break the habit and not disappoint. Try this recipe as a Labor Day side dish!
Avocado Pasta Salad
This gluten-free, vegan avocado pasta salad features a creamy arugula-avocado dressing in place of mayonnaise for a flavor-packed side dish without any added oils! This nutritious and unique pasta salad is sure to please vegans and omnivores alike. Perfect for cookouts, potlucks, picnics and parties!
BBQ Soy Curls (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker)
Plug in the slow cooker and get ready for easy, meaty, delicious BBQ soy curls. Pair with coleslaw and grill-toasted buns for some epic vegan sandwiches.
Sauteed Greens
These sauteed greens are a breeze to make on your stovetop. A little chopping and a few ingredients like garlic and tamari or soy sauce are all it takes. It’s a great way to eat more greens! Want to know how beneficial leafy greens are when added to your diet? Be sure to read Get Your Leafy Greens On Part 1 and Part 2!
Looking for even more Plant-Based and Vegan recipes to celebrate Labor Day? Check them out here:
Southwest Lentil Pasta Salad
This Southwest Lentil Pasta Salad is the perfect side for your vegan barbecue, plant-based potluck or summer soiree. This flavor-packed side dish features gluten-free lentil pasta combined with an oil-free homemade vegan southwest ranch dressing tossed with black beans, veggies and cilantro
Vegan Pimento Macaroni Salad
Meet your new favorite (secretly healthy) pasta salad recipe for potlucks, parties, and backyard cookouts. Vegan Pimento Macaroni Salad takes the irresistible flavor of pimento cheese and marries it with macaroni salad, complete with crunchy celery, bell pepper, and red onion.
Plant-Based “Chicken” Nuggets
Don’t forget the kids! If you’re looking for a kid-friendly recipe for your Labor Day BBQ menu, these plant-based “chicken” nuggets are sure to hit the spot. Frankly, adults also love them. They’re fun finger-food and these nuggets are perfect for your next cookout!
Jalapeno Pinwheel
This hummus wrap jalapeno pinwheels is a bundle of natural flavors and tastes with crunchy vegetables and buttery chickpea
Tofu Kabobs
This recipe is so simple but all kinds of delicious. These veggie kebabs feature colorful bell peppers, juicy portobello mushrooms, sweet corn on the cob and tender tofu with a tangy bbq sauce perfect for the grill.
Ultimate Greek Nachos
A simple Mediterranean Style Salad with Pita chips and all the fix-ins all layered on top. Such a fun way of serving these flavors and perfect for sharing at cookouts and get-togethers.
Chili Lime Jackfruit Bowl
Chile lime jackfruit has enough kick to be the star of this bowl and the vegetables and fruit add nutrition and tangy flavor. Perfect for end of summer barbeque.
Pumpkin Seed Veggie Burgers
Pumpkin Seed Veggie Burgers bring delicious oil-free cookout flavors fast and easy. Whether you toss them on the grill or bake your plant-based burgers in the oven, these hearty, juicy, protein-packed, black bean, and pumpkin seed beauties are sure to please!
Pumpkin Hummus
This slightly sweet oil-free pumpkin hummus is ready in a flash by throwing everything into your food processor. It’s full of beta carotene and beans which are super nutritious. Bake up some oil-free chips or use sliced veggies like red peppers, cucumbers, or celery to dip into this pumpkin hummus.
Don’t forget dessert!!
You’ll want to add these easy desserts to your party table. They are the perfect addition to your healthy Labor Day party menu and sure to satisfy your guest’s sweet tooth!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Bars
A delightful no-oil dessert made with chickpeas and cacao powder that’s only lightly sweetened, looks fun and is delicious to eat.
Cornbread with Strawberries & Cream
Lemony cornbread sweetened with maple syrup pairs perfectly with strawberries and cream for a modern, whole grain take on strawberry shortcake. It’s fresh and savory, and also a great addition when considering some Labor Day cookout ideas.
Chocolate Rice Crispy Bars
A delicious chocolate treat for snack or dessert that’s sure to please your sweet tooth while being true to your plant-based diet. Add peanut butter instead of almond butter or other nuts or seeds for variety. Plant-based rice crispy treats are a great addition to your Labor Day menu.
I hope you enjoy these vegan labor day recipes!
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