7/15 National Hot Dog Month, Vegan Style
Happy Meatless Monday.
In the heat of the summer it is no wonder that July is celebrated as National Hot Dog Month. They are the perfect accompaniment to picnics, birthday parties, outdoor celebrations and indoor quick meals. Food that is easily consumed out of your hand seems to hold promise of fun for kids of all ages.
Sure, National Hot Dog Month probably was created with the traditional meaty variation in mind, but I think it is a perfect addition to bring Vegan dogs to the table. Vegan hot dogs are among my favorite indulgent treats. With adoration and a touch of reverence in mind, I offer up a few of my favorite hot dog suggestions.
Let’s start with some basic tools.
Choose your vegan dog, the regular “fits in the bun” sort of dog or the jumbo one that spills out either end. I prefer the jumbo ones and have found that Smart Dogs Jumbo from LightLife are a great option.
Choose your bun. There is a wide pool of choices for many of us ranging from fancy seeded buns to a wheat or white for an old fashioned experience. We have a grocery store not far from here that has an exceptional bakery department.
Their many fresh items daily include vegan options, most with very few ingredients. Hot dog buns happen to be in the mix most days and they are sometimes even available with sesame seeds too. This is my new personal favorite, but go for the ones that speak to your dog, even a hoagie style or ciabatta roll can be a great vehicle for your vegan hot dog.
Choose your cooking style. Sometimes necessity keeps our dogs in the kitchen, in a saute pan or better yet, simmering away in the grill pan. A fan favorite method is on the grill, but be careful with vegan dogs not to overcook them, heat them through with good grill marks, but pull them before they get too charred or begin to wrinkle. Follow the cooking instructions on the package, but supervise them carefully, especially on the grill where temperatures can vary significantly.
Condiments. Be sure to check your fridge and pantry to have everything on hand before you invite friends over to enjoy. We like many choices like original mustard, grainy mustard, dijon mustard, ketchup, dill relish, sweet relish, chili, cheese and more.
Here are three of my favorite hot dog choices.
1. Not much more than naked. This is a purist moment, enjoyed on the grill or on a grill pan, nestled in your bun of choice and adorned with ketchup or mustard, but no more than two condiments. 
2. Chicago style dog. Start with a jumbo dog for this one. Place it in a poppy seed bun and start topping. The recipe I’m most familiar with includes tomatoes, onions (I leave these out for personal preference), mustard, sweet relish (for some reason there is a special one found only on a Chicago style planet that is very bright green, but any sweet will do) and top it off with hot peppers.
3. Coney Dog Pizza. This is positively dreamy, in a greasy American Diner sort of way. The recipe is here in a previous Exploits post. You can create it like a coney or amp it up by throwing on some of the Chicago style ingredients to further wow your family and friends. Pizza meets coney dog, doesn’t get much greasier spoon than that.
Photo By: S. Duquet
I’m not suggesting that any of these creations are a health food, but at least the vegan hot dog version offers no cholesterol, less fat and no harm to animals in the making.
There are my three top options for a Vegan National Hot Dog Month and a tasty Meatless Monday.
Have a delicious day.
Tags: compassionate eating, Lightlife Smart Dogs, Meatless Monday, Meatless Monday recipe, plant based diet, Smart Ones Jumbo, vegan coney dog, vegan coney dog pizza, vegan hot dogs, vegan pizza, vegan wannabe
