This post was written by Delicious guide Tova Garr, who finds time to take Delicious guests on her amazing tours in between working for Good Deeds Day, running her own counselling business and taking care of one cute dog!

Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day) in Israel is all about the barbecue. Israelis go out in droves early in the morning to stake out their little piece of grass and heaven and set up their mangal (our name for a barbecue grill.) Preparation starts early and is taken very seriously. Since most Israelis do not have backyards, we go out to the national parks to celebrate, but really anywhere we can find a piece of grass to lay out our picnic blanket will work. Even though a mangal in Israel is often associated with meat and salatim (a spread of fresh salads – see this blog post for more) with an estimated 5-8% of the entire population being vegan (even more in Tel Aviv, and this is constantly growing!), many Israelis are looking for solution to make their meal vegan-friendly.

For some this might feel like a daunting task: how do you make a barbecue that is allll about the meat into something vegan? In Israel it is very simple. If you look an average table spread at any mangal, you will find some grilled meat, surrounded by many fresh salads to enjoy. All of the infrastructure is already there! Vegans can already load up on a full plate of salads and dips, and this means all you need to do is to create grilled vegan options for the main course.

Having the most fresh and seasonal vegetables on hand lends itself to heaven on the grill for vegans - there is nothing better than the taste of well-marinated veggies on the grill absorbing the smokey flavors. There are also plenty of totally vegan meat replacements out there, like tofu, seitan, Beyond Burgers and much more. This is the time to get creative!

Here are a few ideas to make your vegan friends happy to join you in the celebrations:

Marinade for Veggie Skewers or Portobello Mushrooms

Prepare vegetable skewers by cutting up vegetables in to equal, bite-size squares and placing them on your skewers. If you are using a portabello mushrooms, make sure to clean and trim them well. Suggested vegetables for skewering include cherry tomatoes ,red onions, bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms.

Ingredients

1 cup of olive oil
A few crushed garlic gloves
2 tbsp. silan* (date honey)
Fresh thyme leaves (if you can’t find fresh you can substitute with dry, just remember it is more potent)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sweet paprika

Instructions:

Create skewers with your favorite combination of vegetables,. If you want to add a combination of more firm vegetables like potato with something softer like tomatoes, make sure to soften the harder vegetables first in the oven or microwave so they cook evenly on the grill.
Mix marinade ingredients well in a bowl, and coat the vegetables with the marinade using a brush right before they go on the grill.
Set skewers on the grill and let them cook to your preferred degree of smokiness and softness.

*Silan (date honey), is a great way to sweeten things in a vegan dish. If you don’t have any, you can easily replace with agave or maple honey. These will give a slightly different taste but will still be good.

Marinade for Tofu Skewers

This marinade has a fantastic combination of Israeli and Asian flavors, which are often used to enhance vegan offerings. You can assemble skewers of just tofu, or of a mix of tofu and veggies.

For tofu skewers, I HIGHLY recommend making the skewers in advance and letting them sit in the marinade overnight so they can absorb the flavors.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. tahini paste
3 tbsp. peanut butter
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp.of soy sauce
1 crushed garlic clove
1 tsp. miso paste (optional)
1. tsp silan (date honey)
½ tsp. black pepper

Instructions

Make your skewers with your favorite combination of tofu and vegetables, or just tofu.
Mix ingredients in a bowl, lay skewers in a pan and cover the skewers with the sauce, making sure to coat the vegetables well.
Set skewers on the grill and let them cook to your preferred degree of smokiness and softness.

Bonus: Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tahini

I could leave you without sharing this simple, delicious grilled eggplant salad that you can make on the spot and enjoy. Eggplant has long been used in many types of Israeli cuisine, and often as a “meaty” vegan and vegetarian offering in Israeli dishes as well. The vegans (and even the carnivores) in your life will thank you for this dish. We highly recommend drizzling with olive oil at the end of this process just before serving!

Ingredients

2 eggplants
1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
¼ cup tahini paste
Salt
Chopped parsley {optional}
Olive oil {optional}

Instructions

Poke holes in the skin of the eggplant with a fork and roast it on the grill until completely soft.
Remove eggplant from the grill and open it up lengthwise, removing the soft insides with a fork.
Chop up the inside of the eggplant to small pieces.
Place the eggplant in a mesh strainer for a few minutes to remove excess liquids.
Place in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, adjusting seasonings to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley, if you like!