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If your warm weather plans include campers, tents, and the great outdoors, here are some vegan camping meal ideas for your next adventure. Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners included!
Camping getaways have only gotten more popular in the last year or two. They’re an easy way to escape from it all, enjoy the beautiful outdoors, and avoid crowds.
There are so many vegan camping meal options to explore. You can cook while you’re at the campsite, prepare sandwiches and salads in advance, or do a combination of both.
Here are some camping meal ideas that are sure to whet your appetite.
Cooking at the campsite
Hiking, boating, and biking really gets your stomach grumbling! Here are some food ideas for the grill or campfire.
Tofu scramble skillets
Start the morning with cast iron breakfast skillets. If you have several miniature pans, you can make individual skillets. If not, make it in a larger pan to share.
These hearty breakfast skillets are easy to customize with your preferred vegetables. Plus, the tofu gets nice and crispy around the edges thanks to the cast iron. That’s always the best part.
It’s finished with your favorite breakfast sausage. I used spicy Beyond Meat patties, but Gardein or Field Roast would also be good here.
Corn cakes
While I usually make vegan corn cakes in a pan on the stovetop, they’re pretty amazing on a campfire or grill. Use a cast iron griddle and a high heat oil. Then form the corn cakes using masa harina flour and niblets of corn.
Corn cakes are terrific at breakfast with maple syrup and a dollop of vegan butter. Or serve them at dinner with three bean chili or vegan refried beans.
Potatoes
Potatoes are welcome any time of day. And they’re always a satiating addition to a meal.
At breakfast, put frozen hash browns on the grill (either still frozen or thawed). You’ll definitely want to use a grill basket in case they break apart. Because they were already fried in oil before packaging, they get surprisingly crisp on the grill.
Mini or fingerling potatoes also cook quickly on the grill. Put them in a grill basket with a spritz of oil & salt or Fox Point seasoning.
Because of their diminutive size, they don’t take overly long to cook, unlike a full-sized baked potato.
Quesadillas
Refried bean quesadillas can be enjoyed any time of day. Fill them with homemade or store-bought refried beans, and cook them in a grill basket. Serve with avocado or guacamole.
Or for something a little sweeter, toast tortillas with peanut butter & bananas.
Buffalo corn
Get a little spicy with buffalo corn on the cob. Corn is grilled and then rolled in buffalo sauce. Finish with a drizzle of vegan blue cheese dressing or vegan ranch dressing.
Fajitas
Because vegetables cook so quickly on a campfire or grill, veggie fajitas are a super fast & healthy meal option. They’re made with asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions.
Grill the corn tortillas to go with them. Then pile on guacamole or avocado to finish.
Grilled tofu
If you have a drive ahead of you before you get to the campsite, throw slabs of tofu in a lemon and garlic marinade. Then when you get there, start the fire, and grilled tofu is ready in no time.
Or here’s another easy option for marinades – make the marinade before you go, so that you don’t have to tote along bottles and spices. Store it in a freezer bag or glass container large enough to hold the slabs once you’re ready to marinate.
Grilled vegetable skewers
Grilled vegetable skewers are a tasty side dish, rife with options. I recommend zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, and grape tomatoes.
However, you can use whatever grill-friendly vegetables you like. Red onions or steamed baby potatoes, perhaps?
The vegetables marinate in an oil, vinegar, and herb dressing. Then they’re speared onto skewers and grilled. (No skewers handy? Use a grill basket instead!)
Grilled Portobello mushrooms
Grilled Portobello mushrooms are an enticing main course or burger alternative. The mushroom caps are marinated in an oil, vinegar, and herb dressing. Then they’re thrown onto a grill or campfire grate until dark grill marks form on both sides.
Pizza
While you can make pizza on the grill with fresh dough, using pre-made crusts is even easier. I buy the frozen crusts from Trader Joe’s. They’re one of my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products. They come two to a package.
Don’t worry about keeping them frozen on your camping trip. Storing them in a cooler or refrigerator is fine until it’s time to grill.
I recommend cooking the toppings in a grill basket first. Beyond Meat hot Italian sausages, onions, mushrooms, and peppers are tasty options. Then pop the pizza crust onto the grill, along with sauce.
Once the sausages are done and the onions are a little sweet, smoky, and blackened, add them to the crust.
The pizza tastes like a brick oven pizza. The flavor is impressive, but takes almost no effort at all.
Veggie burgers
Of course, veggie burgers are always a simple & filling option. There are loads of store-bought options on the market, which are tasty & convenient.
Here are my favorite vegan burgers for grilling season.
Serve the burgers with tortilla chips and pineapple salsa or peach salsa.
Cold dishes & sandwiches to pack ahead
In addition to making hot meals, it’s nice to have some prepared dishes waiting in the cooler.
Cinnamon donuts
Breakfast is sorted when you have cinnamon donuts already baked & waiting. Just add a steamy cup of coffee.
Crustless mini quiche
Mini vegan quiche is a handy, portable option that can be cooked ahead of time. They’re made with tofu, cashews, and vegetables. Serve them warm, cold, or at room temperature.
Hummus
Store-bought or homemade hummus is a protein-packed snack that can be used on sandwiches, in wraps, or as a dip with a veggie platter.
Go plain, or jazz things up with the flavors of pizza, buffalo, or kalamata olives. Or branch out & make eggplant-based baba ganoush instead.
Tortilla pinwheels
Speaking of hummus, tortilla pinwheels are a fun sandwich alternative for hiking trips. They’re made with tortillas rolled with buffalo hummus & crunchy vegetables.
Potato salad
It wouldn’t be a camping trip without potato salad. It goes well with any sandwich or grilled entrée. I like to make my potato salad with plenty of crunchy dill pickles, as well as dried dill & dill pickle juice.
Vegan pasta salad
Vegan pasta salad is a great make ahead dish. The flavors meld & vegetables soften over time.
Make a batch before heading out on your camping trip. Then keep it in the cooler as an easy side for veggie burgers.
Cold peanut noodle salad
Cold peanut noodle salad is a full meal in a bowl. It includes whole wheat noodles in a flavorful peanut sauce. It’s finished out with radishes, carrots, onions, bell peppers, cilantro, and a handful of peanuts for crunch. It also makes a terrific side dish!
Curried tofu salad
Curried tofu salad can be eaten on its own, piled on a green salad, rolled into a wrap, or used as a sandwich filling. It’s loaded with shredded carrots, raisings, and pistachios.
Israeli couscous salad
Israeli couscous salad is light & filling. It can be a side dish or a main course with the inclusion of roasted chickpeas. It’s filled with tomatoes, fresh basil, artichoke hearts, and cucumbers.
Marinated lentil salad
I love the protein-packed oomph of this marinated lentil salad. Tangy lentil salad is tossed with sun-dried tomatoes & green onions. It makes a great snack by the spoonful, add it to kale salads, or pile it in a wrap.
Coleslaw
Vegan coleslaw is always a crowd pleaser. Plus, it takes only minutes to make, thanks to bagged cabbage mix. Serve it with burgers or sandwiches on the side or as a crunchy topping.
Vegan chicken salad sandwich
A big batch of vegan chicken salad is terrific on sandwiches. Or scoop it onto crackers, pile it into hollowed out tomatoes, or roll it into a tortilla. Use store-bought seitan or homemade seitan chicken.
The filling is rounded out with eggless mayo, celery, onions, pickles, and seasonings.
Raw tacos with walnut filling
Raw tacos are a flavorful & quick lunch option. Pack walnut taco meat from home. Then add it to romaine leaves instead of a tortilla. Fill it out with toppings like tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado.
Vegan tuna salad sandwich
Flaky chickpeas are an excellent stand-in for fish in this vegan tuna salad. Add it to sandwiches, pile it on top of crackers, or add it to green salads.
Vegan egg salad sandwich
Vegan egg salad sandwiches get their signature flavor from kala namak, an Indian salt. It’s finished out with vegan mayo, green onions, pumpkin seeds, and a dab of mustard.
Vegetable sandwich
This vegetable sandwich has so much fresh bite & pops of flavor. It’s topped with jalapeño cashew cheese spread, red bell peppers, sliced onion, and baby spinach.
Rice crispy treats
Vegan rice crispy treats are a handy little snack to pack along. They’re really easy to make and a guaranteed crowd pleaser for adults & kids alike. Plus, with cereal as one of the ingredients, you could even make a case for them being breakfast.
Content and photos updated April 13, 2021. Originally posted August 19, 2020.
Shell says
Cad, in the future I hope you only have to cook this way for fun. I wish we had never heard of a derecho, let alone experienced one. The best news from this post was the burger dog! I’m glad you were able to experience once of those last week. Also good to know that Trader Joe’s sells the Impossible Burgers. I wasn’t in love with Beyond Meat’s version.
Cadry says
I agree! Grilling by choice is a lot more enjoyable than by necessity. Although, I’m glad I had the option!
I had wanted to add Herbivorous Butcher bacon to my burger dog, but I was all out. I made a vegan bacon burger dog last year with Beyond Meat, and it was pretty convincing & delicious! You can see a pic here on my Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzas2VOjLbM/
You should give Impossible a try sometime. I definitely prefer their burgers to Beyond. Although, the Beyond sausage & breakfast patties are incredible. I don’t know why they don’t get the same buzz as the burgers, because they are far superior!
Lucy says
You really made some proverbial lemonade here. You guys are troopers!
Glad you are all safe and really sorry Iowa had to go through this, especially now.
Cadry says
Thank you, Lucy! I really appreciate that. There’s definitely no good time for this, but in 2020, we could all use a break from any added hardships for sure!
Mandy says
Wow, Cadry! How scary and unfortunate! I’m glad your home didn’t experience any damage and that you were safe, but I’m so sorry about the loss of groceries/food and the five days without electricity and running water. Goodness! I had never heard of a storm like that happening in the Midwest – that’s crazy! How lucky to have had your camping stove and your cooking skills – everything looks delicious! This year has certainly been one for the record books – especially for you! BIG hugs to you guys (and the cats)! My heart goes out to all of those who have suffered from the damage and effects of the storm. Thank you for sharing the resource page.
P.S. – Josh just picked up those Beyond Meat breakfast patties…going to try them this weekend!
Cadry says
Thank you, Mandy! I’d never heard of a storm like this either, and I grew up in the Midwest! Usually we get some kind of warning on a big thunderstorm or tornado. But in this case, there was just some rain in the forecast. We went out to pick up takeout, and before we could even reheat it a little, our power was out. It was really intense seeing how the branches were falling & trees were shaking violently.
Since we’ve been stocking up a lot because of the pandemic, it was really heartbreaking having to throw out so much food. We tried the best we could to save it from going bad, but for the most part, it was a lost cause. In addition to a bunch of staples, there were a lot of special things that I was looking forward to enjoying – like some donuts David surprised me with for my birthday. I’d put about a dozen in the freezer to enjoy over the next few months. 🙁
Thank you again for your kindness. I hope you enjoyed the breakfast patties!
Susan says
That is so scary and sounds so horrible. I am seriously impressed with your ingenuity and tasty foods during that time! I suspect I would have been eating beans out of a tin and drinking defrosted ice cream from the punnet, crying as all my Field Roast went off. I am glad you have your power and water and internet back now!
But how can you just drop the intriguing term ‘burger dog’ with no further explanation or photo. TELL ME YOUR MAGIC.
Cadry says
Haha! I’m sure you would have struggled through fine. In that kind of situation, the only way out is forward. But there were more than a few breaking points along the way! In an already challenging year, it was a really rough week.
About the burger dog, when I was a kid my family’s #1 favorite dish was the bacon burger dog. It’s a hot dog with a burger wrapped fully around it encasing it, and then a strip of bacon wrapped all around that. In the end, it all still has the shape of a fat hot dog. Then it’s grilled, put into a hot dog bun, and topped with mustard, ketchup, pickles, and onions.
Over the years, I’ve tried to veganize it. But burgers like frozen Gardein patties just fall apart when being shaped, and don’t stick together right. And seitan burgers don’t have the right kind of squishiness to mold around other things.
Finally, when Beyond meat came on the scene last year, that worked well. And now that Impossible is available the same way, that works too. Herbivorous Butcher bacon is so good with it, but it can be tricky to get it to stick to everything. So it’s a little better added afterwards. You don’t want it falling into the grill! Haha! And I was all out when I was making it this time around. You can see the picture of the one I made last year here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzas2VOjLbM/