It might seem tricky to navigate all the backyard barbecues and summer parties if you’re trying to include more plant-based foods in your diet, but fear not — we can make meaty recipes without meat! Tofu, tempeh, and seitan are all great plant-based meats, but when it comes to whole foods, there’s nothing more we love than mushrooms. Mushrooms are the perfect meaty substitute for burgers, steaks, and more. Throw Portobello mushroom caps on a grill and you’ll never miss

Throw Portobello mushroom caps on a grill and you’ll never miss beef. Mushrooms can also be used to recreate our favorite seafood dishes that taste even better than the original. You can get as fancy as recreating sea scallops and calamari or go the route of comfort food and make po’ boys. The trick is all about the seasoning and knowing when to use the right type of mushroom. So, in honor of all the awesome food of summer, we’ve gathered up 15 must-try mushroom recipes. You’ll probably want to make every one of these recipes and summers not over yet, so you still have plenty of time!

1. Baked Mushroom Po’ Boys These Baked Mushroom Po’ Boys are a delicious summertime sandwich with crunchy, well-seasoned mushrooms and a tangy, creamy sauce. This reinvented Louisiana classic swaps out the oysters for White Button mushrooms that emulate the texture of the original recipe. The mushrooms are baked instead of fried, and the sandwich is loaded with creamy remoulade sauce spread on toasty, buttery hoagie rolls and served with crunchy lettuce.

2. Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger

These Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers are seasoned with just salt and pepper and then cooked until tender and juicy. They’re served on a bun with sautéed vegetables crisp baby bok coy, broccolini, and red bell peppers, and then served with a creamy, garlicky avocado mayonnaise. These monster burgers will be the star of your summer cookout, or anytime.

3. Raw Sushi Rolls With Shiitake Mushrooms

These Raw Sushi Rolls With Shiitake Mushrooms are beautiful, colorful, and most importantly, delicious! Sweet, succulent jicama is chopped into rice-like pieces, and then together with Shiitake mushrooms, cucumbers, avocado, and red cabbage, rolled into nori sheets. Try these for a light and refreshing twist on sushi!

4. Seared Mushroom Scallops With Mint Pea Purée

While these Seared Mushroom Scallops may look authentic, they’re actually made from King Oyster mushrooms! Liquid aminos or tamari help to bring that savory umami taste that complements the minty pea purée. This is an appetizer fit for warmer weather and fancy parties.

5. Mushroom and Garlic Tacos

The best way to make a good thing better is to turn it into a taco. In these Mushroom and Garlic Tacos, tender mushrooms and jalapeño, are wrapped in a soft flour tortilla and topped with fresh cilantro. This recipe will also teach you how to master the art of preparing the tastiest mushrooms.

6. Tangy Mushroom Skewers

Mushrooms are probably the first vegetable anyone would associate with a meat-free barbecue and for good reason. Far from being a boring cliché, mushrooms are a versatile barbecue option … if you add a little something extra to them. The marinade on these Tangy Mushroom Skewers makes them big on flavor as well as texture!

7. Raw King Oyster Mushroom Calamari

Crispy and savory, this Raw King Oyster Mushroom Calamari is a crowd pleaser! In this recipe, fish is replaced with meaty mushrooms, and the breading is given a major nutritional revamping. Instead of just bread crumbs, this calamari is coated in a mixture of flax seeds and spices like garlic, sage, parsley, thyme, and black salt. Pair this dish with a tangy tomato dip and plenty of lemon.

8. Ranch BLT With Portobello Mushroom Bacon

The ranch dressing on this BLT With Portobello Mushroom Bacon takes the flavor to the max but don’t forget to toast the bread, so it doesn’t become soggy. Or you can even put the dressing between the veggie layers instead of next to the bread. The ranch isn’t an exact replica, rather it tastes slightly like gravy. The mushroom bacon is super, ultra sweet but it is also wonderfully smoky and salty.

9. Thyme Grilled Mushrooms

There’s nothing quite like grilled mushrooms as a meaty entrée for your summer barbecue. This recipe  for Thyme Grilled Mushrooms comes with three different components: meaty grilled mushrooms, a simple salsa, and a fennel slaw. Serve them together on a bun like a burger, or combine them with greens and other vegetables for an awesome summer salad.

10. Portobello Fajitas

These Portobello Fajitas are stuffed with juicy mushroom strips marinated in tamari, chili powder, cumin, and turmeric alongside red onions and bell pepper. Drizzled on top is a fresh cilantro garlic sauce made from not only cilantro and garlic but also pea shoots, arugula, lemon, and lime.

11. Halifax Mushroom Donair

The Halifax Mushroom Donair is the quintessential street food of Halifax that’s basically a reinvented Greek gyro. In this messy, sweet, and savory meal, spiced mushrooms substitute for the usual meat and a cool, creamy cashew sauce stands in for yogurt sauce. It all gets wrapped up in a soft pita with plenty of greens, tomatoes, and tangy red onions. Be sure to serve it in foil — it can get pretty messy!

12. Raw Mushroom Lasagna With Zucchini Cheese

This delicious, Raw Mushroom Lasagna is amazing. It’s made with mushroom meat, golden zucchini cheese, garlic herb tomato sauce, and eggplant/zucchini “noodle” layers. Don’t be warded off by the fact that there are four layers! This is a fairly simple recipe since once everything is prepped, you just have to assemble the layers and pop it in the oven or dehydrator.

13. Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms

These Grilled King Oyster Mushroom Steaks sit atop a bed of lemony pesto polenta in this creative dish. The “steaks” are plump and juicy, and the roasted tomatoes and dash of balsamic vinegar bring the whole dish together. Delicious!

14. Mushroom Barley Grillers

Light up your grill, because this recipe is a must-make. Fermented foods, in the case of these Mushroom Barley Grillers, wine, and sauerkraut, bring extra flavor to dishes. These savory burgers are hearty and toothsome, and will turn heads at any cookout.

15. Mushroom and Mozzarella Pizza

The inspiration for this Mushroom and Mozzarella Pizza came from the farinata, a chickpea-based flatbread that’s eaten in Italy. It’s so simple to make with only five ingredients and is naturally gluten-free. The topping marries pizza bianca, a pizza crust with just mozzarella with mushroom pizza and the result is fantastic. It’s a blend of meaty texture with fresh, subtle herbs and a creamy cheese sauce and it’ll become your go-to recipe for pizza night.

Don’t let summer end without trying these mushroom recipes!

Lead image source: Mushroom and Garlic Tacos