Want to be healthy – even on a picnic then enjoy our best vegan picnic food ideas.
Vegan picnic food doesn’t need to be boring! And even if you’re not vegan yourself, you’ll be surprised at how flavoursome vegan and vegetarian picnic food can be. All you need is a little know how and inspiration!
I tend to always prepare vegan dishes for taking to group picnics and gatherings. It means I can be sure I’m not unintentionally leaving people’s dietary preferences out. So I’m sharing my go-to vegan picnic dishes, which will hopefully give you some great vegan picnic ideas!
Best Vegan Picnic Food Starters
First up, one of my picnic staples (and something that’s also great for a lunch bag or box!) are lemon and parsley butter beans. I found the original recipe for these here on the BBC Good Food website. These are super easy to prepare. All you need to do is fry up some garlic and onion, and add the beans to heat through. Then add lemon juice, parsley and season to taste!
I don’t know about you, but to me a picnic just isn’t a picnic without potato salad! I found this great recipe on the Minimalist Baker site. It’s made with red potatoes, bell pepper, celery, and onion with a creamy garlic-cashew dressing. Yum!
These scrumptious vegan sausage rolls from The Lazy Cat Kitchen take a little time to prep, but they’re well worth it! With a smoky, chorizo like vegan filling they’re perfect for snacking on at any time of year. They also freeze very well, so you can make up a huge batch and save some for another day.
Best Vegan Picnic Food Main Courses
I have two go-to vegan mains – a ‘Picnic Loaf’ (A hollowed out loaf of bread stuffed with the filling of your choice, be it vegan, vegetarian or otherwise!) and good old pasta salad!
I love this roasted vegetable vegan picnic loaf from Meghan’s Vegan Kitchen. It’s stuffed with stuffed with layers of roasted vegetables, hummus and vegan cheese. You can pre-cut it or cut it at the picnic. I wrap mine in one of my beeswax wraps to stay fresh! I also make a veggie version with tomato, mozzarella and mixed salad, and a coronation chicken and salad version for Gary.
My favourite pasta salad is a simple mix of (gluten-free) pasta, with wilted spinach, pine-nuts, vegan green pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. I also came across this Food with Feeling pasta salad which is just as good (in my opinion) hot as cold. It includes bell pepper black olives, red onion and cherry tomato.
Best Vegan Picnic Food Desserts
There’s one vegan dessert recipe I adore and that’s the BOSH! vegan brownies. And not just any brownies – these are gooey peanut butter and jelly brownies! They’re loaded with peanut butter and jam and are simply heaven!
I also love the BOSH! cookbook. It’s actually inspired us to change the way we eat quite a bit. We’ve gone from having one veggie night a week to a veggie night and two or more vegan nights a week!
Sustainable Picnic Tips!
Please, please do make sure your picnic doesn’t end up leaving a mess behind. It’s surprisingly easy to minimise on your waste.
- Use Mason Jars for storage. They can be used for drinks, sauces, salads and more. Recycled jars can work just as well!
- Use waxed paper or beeswax wraps to wrap food like sandwiches instead of plastic or aluminium foil.
- Take reusable cutlery with you – disposable is so wasteful! Or just take cutlery from home! Ditto straws – reusable straws (silicone is a good option for kids) are a worthwhile investment.
- Recycle all bottles, cans and paper you use, and ensure you clean everything up after your picnic!
If you’re looking to replace your picnic blanket why not go for an eco-friendly recycled option? This gorgeous blanket from the Tartan Blanket Co. is made from 70% recycled wool and 30% mixed fibres from material that would have otherwise went to landfill. You don’t have to sacrifice style or quality for sustainability!
I hope you enjoyed our best vegan picnic food ideas and recipes. Check back to our blog for future ideas on picnicing in the perfect eco ways.
