As the sun shines and the days get warmer, it’s the perfect season to enjoy some refreshing, light meals. Summer calls for dishes that are not only delicious but also easy to make and packed with nutrition. Imagine enjoying a cold, creamy coleslaw on a weekend picnic or savoring a vibrant potato salad during lunches with the family. These vegan summer dishes are perfect for the hot weather and offer delightful taste and texture combinations that are sure to impress.
Read more: 15 Vegan Picnic Recipes
These vegan summer recipes are all about simplicity and freshness. They’re easy to prepare, making them perfect for busy summer days when you want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time outdoors. Plus, they’re super versatile and can be customized to suit your tastes and dietary preferences. Easy to prepare and made with fresh, healthy ingredients, they’re a great option for anyone looking to eat healthy without the hassle.
Read more: 15 High-Protein Vegan Lunch Ideas
10 Summer Recipes
These 10 summer recipes are perfect for keeping meals light, fresh, and flavorful. Whether you’re preparing for a picnic or family gathering, or simply need a quick and healthy meal, these vegan options will come in handy. Enjoy the season with these easy and delicious recipes that make summer cooking a breeze.
Vegan Coleslaw
First up on this list is a popular summer staple that often appears at barbecues, picnics and Sunday lunches. This vegan coleslaw recipe is perfect for hot summer days. It’s oil-free, completely plant-based and uses homemade vegan mayonnaise. This dish is brought to you by Clean Food Dirty Girl and is a must-try.
The recipe can be found here.
Cheese and tomato quiche
What could be more fun than a completely vegan quiche? Probably something that’s both super tasty and easy to make. This recipe is from Viva’s Vegan Recipe Club and is perfect for summer lunches. This quiche doesn’t take as long to make as you might think. In fact, it takes a total of 60 minutes to make this delicious vegan cheese, tomato, onion and broccoli quiche. The secret to this recipe is using firm tofu for the filling to achieve the perfect texture.
The recipe can be found here.
Oil-free potato salad
Another summer staple is the beloved potato salad, and this oil-free recipe is also from Clean Food Dirty Girl. There are a lot of plant-based potato salad recipes out there these days, but this one’s a little different. With onion, parsley, and dill on red potatoes and topped with a homemade cashew dressing, you’re sure to enjoy some fresh flavors.
The recipe can be found here.
Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad
Adding pasta to a classic Caesar salad makes for a more satisfying meal. Plus, you can enjoy all the flavors of the classic with completely plant-based ingredients. That’s exactly what Rebecca Hinke does with this recipe. Pasta salads are the perfect summer lunch, and this vegan Caesar pasta salad has all the elements you need for a delicious meal. The dish includes vegan bacon, almond parmesan, garlic croutons, lettuce, and a flavorful dressing to bring it all together.
The recipe can be found here.
Easy 3 bean salad
As the title suggests, this recipe by Dorena Barton is a super easy three bean salad. It’s a little different from your usual three bean salad. The main difference is that it uses kidney beans instead of chickpeas and green onions instead of regular onions. It’s super flavorful, with bell peppers, sweet and crunchy apple chunks, and a tangy dressing. Plus, kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas add protein. Serve as a side for lunch or bring to a potluck or BBQ.
The recipe can be found here.
Vegan Bean, Orzo and Pesto Salad
PlantBaes sent me this delicious Bean, Orzo, and Pesto Salad that’s perfect for meal prep. Packed with fresh flavor and nutritious vegan ingredients, this dish is packed with plant-based protein and veggies. The recipe includes instructions on how to make your own Pesto Rosso, and the ingredients are simple and easy to get hold of: a simple combination of butter beans, orzo, broccoli, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and plant-based feta cheese (among other ingredients).
The recipe can be found here.
Vegan Peach Pasta
This peach pasta salad recipe is absolutely delicious. It’s the perfect side dish for a BBQ or perfect to bring to work or school for lunch. It’s packed with spiralized cavatappi pasta, chickpeas, arugula, donut peaches, shallots, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and lots of herbs, spices, and seasonings. Try this recipe from Munchmeals by Janet this summer. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and savory.
The recipe can be found here.
Vegan halloumi salad
BOSH! has created a punchy and rich halloumi salad using firm, plant-based tofu. Innovation is key when creating a vegan alternative, and of course you can make the tofu taste like cheese by simply marinating it and cooking it in the oven. The salad is simple: sauté onions, red peppers and tomatoes, then add nutritious pearl barley. The result is a delicious salad that can be served hot or cold.
The recipe can be found here.
Gluten-free asparagus quiche
This gluten-free quiche from Garden Party is as delicious as it looks. This vegan quiche is made with a quinoa crust and is filled with silken tofu, asparagus, nutritional yeast, peas and artichoke hearts. It’s beautifully garnished with asparagus stalks and artichoke slices and topped with lemon slices and bean sprouts.
The recipe can be found here.
High Protein Couscous Salad Jar
The last recipe on this list is a salad jar recipe that’s perfect for meal prep. It’s made with chewy pearl couscous, crispy roasted tofu, cucumbers, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and an easy-to-make dressing. This recipe is brought to you by FitGreenMind and is perfect for a quick meal on the go. This salad jar can be stored for up to 3 days and requires very little prep other than cooking the tofu and couscous and chopping the veggies.
See the recipe here.
Read more: 10 Easy Vegan Lunches
