Camping meal ideas for your outdoor getaway

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.

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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.

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.

Dairy-free 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.

It’s also terrific with pistachio butter.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

Breakfast is sorted when you have cinnamon donuts already baked & waiting.

Just add a steamy cup of coffee.

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.

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.

Speaking of hummus, tortilla pinwheels are a fun sandwich alternative for hiking trips.

They’re made with tortillas rolled with buffalo hummus & crunchy vegetables.

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 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 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!

Bowtie pasta salad can be a side dish or a light lunch in its own right.

It’s loaded with fresh basil, roasted chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and tomatoes.

It’s tossed with an oil & vinegar dressing.

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, raisins, and pistachios.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Flaky chickpeas are an excellent stand-in for fish in this vegan chickpea tuna salad.

Add it to sandwiches, pile it on top of crackers, or add it to green salads.

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.

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.

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 June 17, 2024. Originally posted August 19, 2020.