Vegetarian Main Course Recipes You'll Want to Grill All Summer Long

Take this Italian-American classic outdoors. By grilling the eggplant rather than breading and frying it, you can taste the true beauty of the aubergine—it makes for a satisfying but less heavy entrée.

Marinate tofu cubes and scallions in a zesty purée of cilantro, jalapeño, ginger, and lime juice before threading onto skewers. Grill alongside summer squash kebabs and serve with the leftover marinade for dipping.

Grill rounds of homemade pizza dough until lightly charred before adding the toppings. Use the accompanying recipe for tomato sauce or use your favorite store-bought variety, then scatter fresh mozzarella and basil leaves over the top.

Love stuffed peppers but don't feel like turning on the oven? Pop them on the grill! After the peppers are grilled, they're stuffed with couscous, fresh mint, and feta, and cooked on the grill—in a skillet.

Mashed kidney beans form the base for burgers that cook to a crisp crust, giving this vegetarian main extra oomph.

Plenty of vegetables here! Store-bought pizza dough is grilled and then topped with tomatoes, scallions, and goat cheese. Dress fresh spinach and diced avocado with red-wine vinegar and olive oil, and pile onto the pizzas just before serving. 

Portobello mushrooms are cooked until tender, then broiled for a few minutes to make them deliciously caramelized. Layer two mushrooms with sharp provolone cheese on each bun and top with garlicky roasted tomatoes.

Scallions, cumin, ginger, and peanuts add lively flavor to these chickpea patties. Serve the grilled burgers on whole-wheat English muffins with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.

Kidney beans and rice are blended with aromatics to make these mini burgers inspired by Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches. Serve the pan-fried patties on whole-wheat rolls with chili mayonnaise, red onion, and sliced mango.

Grill zucchini, portobello mushrooms, and scallions to top these colorful tostadas. Brush flour tortillas with olive oil and brown them on the grill before topping with feta cheese and fresh salsa.

Purée canned black beans with scallions, jalapeno, and cumin, then mix with cooked brown rice to make these hearty patties. Serve them as vegetarian burgers or as appetizers, accompanied by cilantro-lime yogurt sauce.

Canned lentils are the secret to these easy, delicious mint-flecked veggie burgers. Top with yogurt sauce and serve with a lemony carrot salad.

Cumin, coriander, jalapeno, garlic, and toasted walnuts make these lentil burgers rich and spicy. Serve in pita bread with avocado, tomatoes, and yogurt-cilantro sauce.

Black beans, chopped tomato, corn, scallions, goat cheese, and oregano fill these colorful quesadillas. Serve these as a quick appetizer at your next cookout.

Portobello mushrooms, a favorite vegetarian burger stand-in, are marinated along with red bell peppers in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and minced garlic. Serve the grilled portobellos and peppers on buns with fresh goat cheese and lettuce leaves.

Season asparagus and scallions with sun-dried tomato oil, and grill until they are caramelized and tender. Grill ovals of purchased pizza dough before topping each one with ricotta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and the grilled vegetables.

Store-bought pizza dough is a great shortcut for making this easy, sophisticated grilled pizza. Grill the pizza until the fontina cheese melts, then scatter baby arugula over the top and drizzle with olive oil just before serving.

Tofu can be—how do we put it delicately?—tasteless. But in five minutes over medium heat, it becomes a dynamic meatless meal, with the lattice marks to prove it.