Opinion Need vegan BBQ ideas? Try these tasty vegan side dishes

Give your usual veggie skewers a little more bite with this tangy Dijon marinade and creamy jalapeño dipping sauce. Load them up with potato, capsicum, zucchini, and onion, then let the BBQ work its magic.

A BBQ side with a bit more substance, this colourful salad combines smoky roasted sweet potato and chickpeas with quinoa, cucumber, fresh basil, and a zingy tahini-lime dressing. It’s filling enough to hold its own on the table without stealing all the grill space.

Featuring fresh slices of cucumber, edible flowers, and vivid pops of chilli, this aromatic black garlic and grilled fennel dish is ‘summertime’ on a plate. 

The secret to how addictive these corn ribs are is all in the vegan BBQ spice rub. They’re sweet and smoky — and exactly the right amount of spicy when dunked in the coconut-based chipotle dipping sauce.

Picture a soft-on-the-inside, charred-on-the-outside cabbage wedge basted in garlic-infused sauce and served over a rich paste of olives and hazelnuts: simple ingredients, bold flavours, and an absolute showstopper of a vegan side dish.

Crispy-edged grilled potato slices are already delicious in their own right, but dip them in this tangy, cashew-based sour cream, and they become genuinely next-level.

With its spicy chimichurri sauce and crunchy purple cabbage backdrop, this bright and punchy tofu side dish is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the tastebuds! 

This fresh Mexican-inspired salad brings black beans, kale, and plenty of punchy flavour to the BBQ spread. A great one for balancing out all those smoky, chargrilled dishes, especially when you’re after something with a bit of freshness on the side.

This caramelised miso eggplant comes out of the oven perfectly tender and tastes utterly divine. Serve it up at your next vegan BBQ, then add it to your regular dinner rotation.

Forget the standard creamy potato salad. These crispy smashed potatoes are tossed through a tangy, spicy gochujang sauce, then finished with cucumber, spring onion, coriander, and crunchy toppings. This is definitely the kind of side dish that’s likely to disappear before the mains are even ready!

Tender, flame-kissed veggie kebabs — in this case, served on a bed of burghul studded with sultanas and slivered almonds — are one of our fave vegan BBQ ideas and is a classic side dish for a reason. You can’t go wrong!

Charred seasonal veggies get a flavour boost from crunchy almonds and briny olives, proving that even the simplest ingredients can create a moreish vegan side dish.

No BBQ spread is complete without something to dunk a cracker, chip, or veggie stick into. This homemade onion dip gets its rich flavour from caramelised onions, folded through a creamy cashew base with plenty of lemon, garlic, and savoury goodness.

Pop these bad boys in the oven to save space on the grill. They’re super filling and easy to prepare, ideal for rounding out a vegan BBQ feast.

These gorgeous cabbage skewers — brushed with thyme-infused butter — are irresistibly tender and complemented by a fresh, country-style slaw.

No list of vegan BBQ food ideas would be complete without grilled corn on the cob. Choose your favourite vibe: Seasoned with smoky spices, lime, and coriander, or made elote-style with vegan butter, mayo, and cheese.

There’s nothing quite like an open flame to bring out the drool-worthy flavour potential of skewered mushrooms. Add some melty cubes of vegan cheese into the mix, and you’re onto an umami-packed winner.