The Ultimate Plant-Based Summer Cookout: 20 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes

Published by COMPLEMENT | Everything you need for a delicious, plant-forward cookout

 

Cookout season is here, and plant-based eating has never been better suited for it.

Beyond the plant-based meat alternatives that have made things easier for hosts and guests alike, there's a whole world of whole-food cookout dishes that are simpler, fresher, and more crowd-pleasing than anything from a package. Cookout food is built for this: easy to prep, easy to share, and best eaten outside.

Whether you're hosting or bringing a dish to someone else's party, here's a full menu of plant-based options across every course, including a few featuring COMPLEMENT products.

Summertime Salads and Side Dishes

1. Long Weekend Grilled Salad A vibrant celebration of the season's freshest vegetables, straight off the grill. (Oh She Glows)

2. Red Chile Corn Salad with Limas & Cherry Tomatoes Bright, bold, and refreshing. One of the best summer salads in the rotation. (No Meat Athlete / Terry Hope Romero)

3. Mexican Style Grilled Corn A summertime party staple. Charred, sauced, and impossible to resist. (Bad Manners)

4. Maple Baked Beans What's a cookout without baked beans? Skip the can and make these instead. They're worth it. (Oh She Glows)

5. Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Mint and Lime Simple, seasonal, and always the first bowl to disappear. No cooking required. (Minimalist Baker)

Plant-Based Dips and Sauces

6. Guacamole Fresh guacamole. You just can't go wrong. (101 Cookbooks)

7. 5-Minute Protein Hummus Our go-to hummus, made with a scoop of COMPLEMENT Protein blended in for a clean protein boost. Serve with cut vegetables, pita, or straight off a spoon. It takes five minutes and disappears fast. (COMPLEMENT)

8. Tofu Sour Cream Creamy, tangy, and dairy-free. The perfect topping for tacos, baked potatoes, or grilled corn, made with just a handful of whole-food ingredients. (COMPLEMENT)

9. Radish and Nectarine Salsa Skip the standard jarred salsa. This unexpected combination is seasonal, bright, and genuinely impressive. (Fit Bottomed Girls)

10. Del's Basic Barbecue Sauce Simple is better when it comes to BBQ sauce. This one proves it. (Forks Over Knives)

11. Cilantro Lime Garlic Cashew Cream One of the best ways to dress up a burger, veggie dog, or grilled flatbread. Make a batch. It goes on everything. (Oh She Glows)

Grillable Mains Everyone Will Love

12. Veggie Burger Blueprint Not a single recipe but a flexible framework for building a great veggie burger from whatever you have. It works. (No Meat Athlete)

13. Creamy Red Pepper Scallion Spread Grilled Flatbreads An impressive, easy-to-share cookout dish that comes together quickly on the grill. (Post Punk Kitchen)

14. Hawaiian BBQ Jackfruit Tacos Sweet pineapple meets smoky BBQ sauce, a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Grill the tortillas for a little extra char. (Minimalist Baker)

15. Carrot Dogs Sounds unconventional (gross, even?). Tastes surprisingly good. A guaranteed conversation starter and better than a processed veggie dog. (Clean Eating Veggie Girl)

16. Perfect Grilled Portobellos Meaty, savory, and effortless. The most reliable plant-based thing you can throw on a grill. (Post Punk Kitchen)

17. Smoked Eggplant Dip with Grilled Pita Char the eggplant directly on the grill for a smoky depth you can't get any other way. Serve with warm pita or as a spread on flatbreads. (Serious Eats)

Desserts

18. Peanut Butter Bliss Balls No-bake, portable, and perfect for a party. Make a double batch. (Chocolate Covered Katie)

19. Spicy Grilled Watermelon Simple, sweet, smoky, and the most summery dessert there is. (Serious Eats)

20. Morning Glory Protein Muffins Made with COMPLEMENT Protein, these pack whole-food ingredients (oats, carrots, apple, coconut) into a muffin that tastes like a treat and fuels like a meal. Make them ahead and bring them to share. (COMPLEMENT)

A Note on Plant-Based Nutrition This Summer

Cookouts are a great reminder of how satisfying and varied plant-based eating can be. If you're active this summer and want to make sure your nutrition is covering all the bases, including B12, D3, omega-3s, and protein, COMPLEMENT Essential and COMPLEMENT Organic Protein are built for exactly that.

Have a recipe you'd add to the list? We're always looking for great plant-based cookout dishes. Reach out and let us know.