Celebrate Juneteenth with Plant-Based Cookout Recipes

Juneteenth honors the day—June 19, 1865—that enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learned that they were free—two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Many Black American families celebrate and reflect on Juneteenth by having a cookout. We asked Food for Life instructors throughout the United States to share their favorite plant-based summer recipes and traditions! Check out their recipes down below, for a delicious plant-based cookout menu packed with barbecue veggie burgers, salads, sides, and more!

Smoky Black-Eyed Peas Salad

Recipe courtesy of Shauné Hayes

Ingredients For the Salad

1/2 bunch kale, chopped, with stems removed
Salt and black pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans of no- or low-sodium black-eyed peas, rinsed
2 cups brown rice, cooked and cooled
4-6 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded & minced
3 scallions, sliced on the bias (green part only)

Ingredients For the Dressing

6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 cloves of garlic, minced
10 kalamata olives, chopped
1 tablespoon fruit paste or fruit preserves (any flavor works)
1 tablespoon agave
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Dressing will have a slightly thick consistency. Add the kale to a bowl, massage and season with salt and pepper. Combine the remaining salad ingredients (up to the jalapeños) and gently mix in the dressing. Garnish with scallions (green parts only). Refrigerate to chill.

BBQ Tofu

Recipe courtesy of Sahrah Yashaahla

Summers in Virginia meant family gatherings filled with the irresistible aroma of my grandmother's BBQ chicken sizzling on the grill. After more than 20 years of plant-based eating, my go-to now is BBQ tofu. This plant-based twist on a classic favorite delivers all the smoky, tangy flavors of barbecue chicken with none of the cholesterol and significantly less fat. Packed with protein, calcium, and iron, tofu is a nutritious choice that’s as satisfying as it is wholesome. Perfect for Juneteenth celebrations, this dish can be prepared in advance and warmed on the grill. It’s a versatile addition that complements any cookout or makes a quick and delicious weeknight meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Block Extra Firm Organic Tofu (14 oz)
1/2 cup prepared oil-free barbecue sauce (I used Stubbs Original)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon liquid aminos
1 tablespoon peanut powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

Drain the tofu and cut it into ½-inch x 1-inch rectangular pieces.

Place the tofu pieces in a large container with a lid.

Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the tofu, cover the container, and shake gently to coat the tofu evenly.

Air Fryer Method: Air fry at 400°F for 20 minutes, turning the tofu halfway through.
Oven Method: Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes then turn and bake another 10 minutes or until slightly crispy and golden brown.

Coat the cooked tofu with BBQ sauce.

Return to the air fryer or oven for about 5 minutes or lightly grill until warmed through.

Dirty Rice with Red Beans

Recipe courtesy of Granetta Coleman

An African-American inspired rice dish with deep savory flavors, earthy spices, and hearty plant-based “meatiness.”

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

Base

1½ cups long grain brown (uncooked)
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

“Dirty” Flavor Base

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups mushrooms (baby bella or crimini), finely chopped
1 15 ounce can of cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to heat preference)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dash of liquid smoke

Optional garnish

Fresh parsley
Sliced green onion
Hot sauce

Instructions

In a medium pot, cook the rice with broth and soy sauce according to package instructions (about 35–40 minutes depending on variety). Let it rest covered once cooked.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, sauté onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in a splash of broth or water over medium heat until soft (about 6–8 minutes).

Stir in chopped mushrooms. Cook until they release liquid and become browned—this adds that “dirty,” meaty flavor.

Stir in kidney beans, all spices, and optional Worcestershire and liquid smoke. Let everything simmer together for 5–7 minutes to deepen the flavor. Add a splash of broth if it sticks.

Add the cooked rice into the pan and stir well to coat every grain in the spice and veggie mixture. Let it sit a few minutes to absorb the flavors.

Served topped with parsley, green onion, or a splash of hot sauce for extra kick.

Note:   Black-eyed peas can be substituted for kidney beans.

BBQ Jackfruit Burgers with Roasted Potatoes

Recipe courtesy of Ludmilla Wikkeling-Scott, DrPH, MPH

Juneteenth is all about joy, freedom, and coming together, and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious, plant-based feast? BBQ jackfruit burgers topped with crisp coleslaw and a side of baked garlic potatoes are a fantastic treat for your Juneteenth table. Jackfruit is a superstar substitute for pulled pork: its hearty texture and ability to soak up smoky BBQ flavors make it one of my favorites to serve at my community events, and it has truly been a hit! No oil, packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, you can indulge and feel good about this treat!

Don’t forget the coleslaw and roasted garlic potatoes! Crunchy cabbage in the slaw delivers vitamin C, vitamin K, and gut-friendly fiber, adding a refreshing, tangy contrast to the rich BBQ. One of my favorite substitutes for french fries are these baked garlic potatoes bringing comfort and flavor, with garlic’s immune-boosting properties and potatoes’ potassium and energy-boosting carbs, perfect for honoring Juneteenth’s spirit of resilience and joy.

Ingredients

For the BBQ Jackfruit

1lb young green Jackfruit in water (no syrup or brine)
3-4 tablespoons Spiceology Black Magic Cajun Rub
2 cups Stubb’s Original Legendary BBQ Sauce
3 Bell Peppers (Red, Green and Orange, or Yellow)
3 Stalks of Green Onions (1 for your coleslaw)
1 cup of Chopped Celery
1 cup of Chopped Cilantro
4-6 Your choice of Vegan Hamburger Buns
4-6 leaves of Romain Lettuce (or your preferred greens/microgreens)

For the Coleslaw (Skip the coleslaw for low-fat)

2 cups shredded red and white Cabbage and Carrots (for coleslaw)
1/2 cup of cubed Pineapple pieces
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup Vegan Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
1/2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard 

For the Garlic Potatoes

1/2 bag of fresh Baby Potatoes (I like a combination of red and white, just for fun and color)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of Garlic powder
1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
1 teaspoon Sea Salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon fresh Garlic (finely chopped) - Optional
1 teaspoon Rosemary - Optional
1 teaspoon Oregano - Optional

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 375F and get a medium to large size baking pan ready. I always start by rinsing the jackfruit. Some people remove the core, but I use all the parts. While draining the jackfruit, start chopping up all the vegetables (keep cabbage and carrots separate for your coleslaw).

Season your jackfruit with Black Magic Cajun Rub, toss to coat, add Stubb’s BBQ sauce and mix until well combined. Now go ahead and add the veggies in there, and spread them out in your baking pan, place in the oven, and from time to time, use a fork to pull the jackfruit to a nice, shredded texture while it bakes.

For your coleslaw, add all ingredients except the coleslaw to a bowl, and mix well. Add the cabbage and carrots, tossing well to cover with your ingredient mixture until uniform.

I like to lightly toast the hamburger buns but it is not required, add a leave of (well-rinsed) Romain Lettuce, a generous scoop of BBQ Jackfruit and a scoop of Coleslaw. Enjoy!

Potatoes

Now let’s not forget about our potatoes. As one who used to be addicted to French fries, I found an easy way to substitute with small red and white potatoes.

I use my air fryer since the Jackfruit is still in the oven, but you can also prepare them ahead of time.

Pre-heat your oven to 425F (suggested: line a baking sheet with some parchment paper).

Cut your potatoes in halves or quarters and toss them in a bow with garlic, parsley, Nutritional Yeast and salt and pepper to taste.

Spread on your baking sheet, toss every 10-15 minutes until crispy. In the air fryer they cook a little faster.

This one beats French fries and I enjoy making it!

No Grill Needed Tofu Sloppy Joe

Recipe courtesy of Natalie Mitchem, RDN, EdD, MDiv, DipACLM

The history of the meals enjoyed during a Juneteenth Celebration includes foods with color “RED”. The color red represents “power, sacrifice and transformation” (https://www.pbs.org/articles/the-meaning-and-history-of-juneteenth-foods#). The red color in food provides power plant nutrients and antioxidants that fight and prevent disease. Anthocyanins are flavonoids that protect cells in the human body from damage by free radicals acting as antioxidants. Consuming healthy low-fat plant-based foods every day and during Juneteenth celebrations helps promote heart and brain health.  The recipe below contains homemade BBQ Sauce made with tomato paste (lycopene).

4 Servings

Ingredients

1 Firm Tofu (Freeze, Thaw and Drain to create ground meat like texture)
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup Water
Your Favorite Barbeque Sauce or try the recipe below

Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 small can Tomato Paste
1/2  cup of Water
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 teaspoons Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Mustard Powder
1/2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Vegan Liquid Smoke
Dash of Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon Vinegar
2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
2 tablespoons Molasses
2 tablespoons Braggs Amino Acids (1 tablespoon can also be used)

Directions

In a stainless, sauté onions in 2-4 tablespoons of water for 5 minutes until soft. Pour in ½ cup of water. With your hands or fork crumble the drained tofu into the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add your favorite BBQ sauce or the homemade vegan BBQ sauce into the tofu, mix, well in the skillet and cook over medium heat of 30 minutes, stirring occasionally or mix the BBQ recipe above.

In a bowl mix the BBQ Sauce ingredients together. Pour the BBQ over the tofu in the skillet, mix well in the skillet and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Serve on Multigrain Bun.

Chickpea Toona Salad

Recipe courtesy of Daphne Bascom, MD, PhD

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 lemon (fresh) or juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup celery (8 stalks), chopped
1/4 cup red onion or shallots, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper (omit for baby mouths)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons chicken broth seasoning
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay (optional)
1 cup hummus

Serving Options

4 whole grain buns
4 large romaine leaves

Directions

Prepare the chickpeas

Drain the canned chickpeas. Save the chickpea liquid (aquafaba) for use in another recipe.

Add chickpeas to a large bowl.

Mash the chickpeas with the back of a fork or potato masher until about ¾ of the chickpeas are mashed (leave some partially intact for texture).

Prepare the vegetables

Chop the celery, jalapeno pepper and red onion.

Set aside.

Prepare the salad

Add the hummus to the bowl with the chickpeas. Stir well to combine.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the chickpeas.

Stir well to combine all the ingredients.

Serve on a whole-grain bun or wrapped in a large lettuce leaf. You can also serve without any serving vehicle; it tastes great straight from the bowl.

Notes

My preference (for taste and cost) is to prepare my garbanzo beans from scratch when time permits. I soak them overnight and then cook them in the InstaPot the next day. I prepare an entire bag and that provides me with chickpeas for several recipes and spare to fry in the air fryer as a snack.

I like to prepare the salad a day in advance of when I plan to serve. Allowing the spices to marinate for a few hours elevates the taste of the dish significantly. You can serve immediately, and it is still wonderful, but your leftovers will taste even better.

You can also serve the toona salad with veggies (cucumbers, bell peppers) or crackers

Store leftover toona salad in a tightly covered container for up to 5 days.