13 of the BEST vegan summer meals, sauces, and sides! Bring these meals or sides to any barbeque this summer!
I love being plant based in the summer! I feel it’s easier and there is such an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies available. I’m also more motivated to eat salads and sandwiches.
You’re going to love the salads, main courses, side dishes, and sauces in this post! They’re so good and great ideas to bring to summer get togethers. I have served these dishes to my meat and dairy eating and family members and gotten rave reviews!
These ideas are more than just veggie burgers they’re elevated and inspired fresh healthy clean plant based recipes that will make this summer your most delicious summer yet!
Whether your goal is weight loss or just eating more plants you’re going to be inspired to do it with these recipes!
This post is all about vegan summer meals.
Salads:
1. Arugala Salad with Fennel, Chickpeas, and Nectarines
Summer Arugula Salad with Fennel and Nectarines
Ingredients
- 1 box arugula
- 1 fennel root bulb
- 2 ripe nectarines
- 1 can chickpeas
- 3 TBS maple syrup
- 3 TBS dijon mustard
- 1/2 purple onion
- 1/2 pound rotini pasta
Instructions
- add arugula to a large bowl
- slice fennel bulb, onion (start with 1/2), and nectarines into thin slices and add to the bowl
- drain and rinse chickpeas and add
- mix mustard and maple syrup
- prepare rotini as stated on the package and cool
- mix dressing and pasta into the bowl and toss
- enjoy!
2. Cucumber Salad
Summer Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber sliced very thin - so you can see through it
- 1/2 onion sliced in very thin strips
- 3 TBS red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 /4 tsp black pepper
- 3 TBS sugar
- 3 TBS water
Instructions
- slice cucumber and onions very thin - so you can read through them and add to a bowl
- add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix
- let sit for 20 - 30 minutes - you can eat right away but its better if it sits for a few minutes
- enjoy!
3. Orzo Salad
Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 1 box orzo
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 4 canned artichoke heart (not in oil)
- 1 can black olives chopped
- 5 basil leaves
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 TBS salt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 olive oil
Instructions
- boil water and prepare orzo as directed
- chop olives, tomatoes, and artichokes into bite size pieces - add to a large bowl
- roll basil leaves up and slice into strips - drain and rinse chickpeas - add to the large bowl
- drain and cool orzo - wait until orzo is not steaming and toss in the bowl with all ingredients
- add salt, pepper, lemon and olive oil - olive oil is kind of a no-no for cooking but use a good one in this for garnish - it really does make a difference and it helps cut the lemon
- enjoy!
Sides:
4. Pickled Onions
I absolutely love these onions! Even my 7-year-old son likes them. They’re good on sandwiches in salads on rice basically everything. I always have these in the fridge in the summer. For some reason, I don’t feel compelled to make them in the fall/winter but they’re just so delicious!
I originally had these in a Panera salad and love them and then I figured out how to make them on my own and I haven’t stopped since!
Pickled Onions
Equipment
- mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 purple onion sliced very thin
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- boil water and vinegar together
- put sliced onions in a mason jar while water/vinegar is boiling
- pour water/vinegar into the jar once it has come to a boil
- put the mason jar in the refrigerator for an hour until the onions are cool
- onions can be eaten after an hour but keep them in there for up to a week and they get better and better!
- enjoy
5. Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Bean and Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup your favorite salsa
- 1 TBS cumin
- 1 TBS paprika
Instructions
- mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit until corn in defrosted
- enjoy!
6. Potato Fries
You will start making these all the time! When I started the high carb low-fat plant-based diet I was like “what? I can eat potatoes? LIke a lot of potatoes? YES!”
My kids love these and sometimes I just eat these with some steamed veggies on the side and voila! A most excellent mean!
They’re also amazing on the side of a veggie burger or veggie sandwich (also in this post).
Pair them with BBQ sauce, ketchup, some vegan ranch, hummus, guacamole, salsa…basically anything you can dip!
The Ultimate Potato Fries
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes
- 1 TBS garlic powder
- 1 TBS onion powder
- 1 TBS mushroom powder
Instructions
- slice potatoes into french fries
- toss taters in spices in a bowl to coat well
- air fry for 25 minutes at 450 - until brown and crispy
Mains:
7. Burrito Bowl
This is one of my go-to meals – especially in the summer. I always have rice made and pretty much always have the corn and bean salad in the fridge too. It’s so easy to just throw in some peppers, cucumbers, pickled onions, avocado, and whatever else you have sitting around.
I also love the vegan chicken nuggets cut up in here too. Or a chili-spiced air-fryed tofu. As long as there’s rice, corn, some bean and a bunch of cold veggies I’m down!
This doesn’t have a specific recipe but the best combinations are:
- rice – white or brown
- bean – black, refried, or the bean corn salsa above, whatever you like
- corn
- cold veggies – bell peppers, cucumbers, etc.
- greens – spinach, kale, romaine, whatever you like or have on hand
- avocado
- salsa
- hot sauce
extras – vegan chicken nuggets or taco meat – vegan sour cream or the cashew cheese linked below – pickled onions (recipe above) – my vegan lentil chili recipe is great in a burrito bowl too (click here for recipe) whatever you like!
I heat up the rice, beans, chili, and or corn and then add the cold stuff after.
enjoy!
8. The Best Veggie Sandwich
I LOVE THIS SANDWICH!
I made these for my sister-in-law’s bridal shower and they were such a hit!
The Ultimate Veggie Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 slices your favorite bread - I love Dave's Seed Bread or Ezekiel Bread
- 4 TBS oil-free Hummus recipe below
- 1/2 avocado
- greens - spinach or arugula work best
- 1/2 cucumber
- pickled onions recipe below
- tomato - optional - I hate tomatoes on sandwiches but it looks nice and people like them (god knows why!)
- red wine vinegar
Instructions
- smash avocado into one bread and 2 TBS of hummus into the other bread and layer veggies on top
- sprinkle with red wine vinegar
- enjoy!
9. Buffalo Chickpea Quesadillas
Click here for this amazingly delicious spicy crunchy best appetizer at the party!
10. Summer Veggie Sushi Rolls
Here are some really good sushi making tools – I make it all the time and use them all the time!
Summer Veggie Sushi Rolls
Equipment
- Sushi Mat
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold rice
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 cup julienne cucumber
- 1/2 avocado
- soy sauce
- 3 sheets nori
- sushi ginger
- wasabi
- sesame seeds - optional if trying to lose weight
- 1 cooked sweet potato
Instructions
- squish 1/3 of the rice onto a piece of nori leaving 1/2 inch strip with nothing on it along one edge
- add veggies, sweet potato, and avo into a line at the end opposite the 1/2 strip you left - pro tip - smash the avocado into the rice so it doesn't squeeze out when you roll it up - you can use 1 ingredient or all 4 - make your own combinations!
- begin rolling toward the naked part of the nori - roll tightly but not too tight as the ingredients will squish out the ends
- run a wet finger along the 1/2 inch strip of nori and seal to the rest of the roll
- let the roll sit on the side while you construct the other rolls
- once you have made all of the rolls use a very sharp wet knife to cut the rolls into 1 inch sushi bites
- enjoy with soy sauce, sushi ginger, and wasabi!
Sauces:
11. Asian Sauce
- Any Seed or Nut butter – 2 TBS – We use Sunbutter in our house because of my son’s nut allergy – PB2 powder is a low fat option for this sauce
- Soy Sauce, Tamari, or Coconut Aminos – 2 TBS
- GoChuJang (chili paste) or Sriracha (optional if you like some spice)
- Rice Wine Vinegar – 1 TBS
12. Amazing Oil-Free Hummus
Oil Free Hummus
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1/2 cup aquafaba - liquid from the can of chickpeas
- 3 TBS tahini
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 TBS minced garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- add all ingredients to blender and blend for 3 minutes - blending this long makes it whipped and fluffy and delicious!
13. Cheese Sauce – That’s actually good!
Cashew Cheese Sauce – Buy it Amazon Here
This post was all about vegan summer meals.
Other posts you’ll like:
7 Amazing Vegan Breakfast Ideas
5 Healthy Vegan Whole Food Plant Based Lunches
Whole Food Plant Based Meal Plan and Grocery List
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