(Meatless) 4th of July Menu

This Fourth of July hasn't even happened and it's already my favorite one yet!  I'm excited to avoid the traffic and crowds of the city and instead: watch fireworks from the awesome view in our new backyard, fire up the grill on our deck, and eat SO MUCH delicious food with my friends & family! I've been drooling over so many summer recipes lately that I couldn't resist putting together a little roundup of my top picks for this week's festivities!

No cookout would be complete without The Best Veggie Burger Ever! This recipe calls for frying in the pan but I bet these would be delicious on the grill, too. I'm would try to lightly cook them as called for and then throw them on the grill  for a traditional Fourth of July finish.

I already love avocado on my burgers (just like pictured above!) but I can only imagine this Gilled Avocado recipe taking them to the next level!

Baked beans will forever remind me of my childhood. No summer get together was complete without them. I haven't ever cooked them myself, but the day I do I will be using this Vegan Baked Beans recipe from Pickles and Honey. It looks like an entire meal in itself!

We have been making grilled veggie skewers since Memorial Day. You don't even really need a recipe for them— we just take all our favorite vegetables (peppers, onion, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, pineapple, mushrooms, or anything we have on hand) and cut them up. Then we dump a bunch of italian dressing on there and sprinkle with salt and pepper and throw them on the grill. But if you want more detailed instructions then this recipe is a good place to start! 

To cool down from the heat, I recommend this Watermelon Cucumber Salad. I don't think anything has looked so perfect in my life! (For a vegan version, try this instead of feta!)  

This vegan and gluten-free Raw Berry Tart would look amazing on any dessert table! The best part is that you can make it ahead of time and spend more of your day outside instead of in the kitchen! Another quick option is the Patriotic Berry and Cake Dessert Platter at the top of this post. It sounds just as easy as it looks pretty!

Feel free to grab a beer, but to wash it all down I'll take a refreshing Lemon Thyme Tequila Spritzer! It's cooling me down just looking at it!

What are your favorite summer, outdoor, or Fourth of July dishes? My partner was upset there's not a pasta salad on the list, so here ya go!