30 Vegan Summer Recipes
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These 30 Vegan Summer Recipes are a mix of fresh salads, cold noodles, vegan burgers and all of your other favorite vegan summer eats!
It is that time of year when things start getting a little hot and sticky outside. And by a little, I mean we’re all going to be boiling for the next couple months. Here in San Diego, summer doesn’t really start until July and it usually doesn’t cool down until end of October. We kind of skip fall over here.
But wherever you are, and however hot it is there, I’ve got you covered with some of my favorite vegan summer recipes! If you are into burgers or kababs. Or maybe you love a tasty salad. I have everything you could want in one place. Scroll through to get a look and find some inspiration for your next BBQ!
Greek Tempeh Skewer Bowls
This recipe has everything I love! Grilled tempeh & veggies – there’s just something extra tasty about those crispy grilled bits. The dressing is taken to another level by adding vegan feta. And the rice is made extra delicious with the addition of lemon juice and fresh herbs. It is filling, but light, and bursting with fresh flavors.
Cold Peanut Noodle Salad
This Cold Peanut Noodle Salad is something I make ALLLLLL the time! Whenever I have friends over, it is my go-to. It is easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and my peanut sauce recipe cannot be beat! This is also great if you want to make it ahead of time for weekday lunches!
Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
What’s better than a pasta a salad??? A pasta salad where the pasta is replaced with vegan tortellini! This Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad is simple to make, SUPER tasty and the perfect recipe to bring to a party. It can be prepped ahead of time and chilled in the fridge. The pesto is packed with flavor and the tortellini adds the perfect bite. It is a must make!
Buffalo Chickpea Pasta Salad
This Buffalo Chickpea Pasta Salad is what pasta salad should be! Chilled pasta is tossed with crunchy veggies, the BEST green chile vegan ranch and buffalo chickpeas. You get a little bit of kick from the chickpeas and so much great flavor from the dressing. This is the perfect BBQ side dish or make ahead lunch!
Crispy Chickpea Corn Patties
This recipe is saucy, crispy, crunchy goodness. It literally has all my favorite things – a homemade slaw, TWO different sauces and crispy patties that are like a combination of falafel and fritters. Make the patties ahead of time and freeze them for future lunches and dinners!
Black Bean Brown Rice Salad
This salad is SO simple, but SO good. It gives me Chipotle burrito bowl vibes, but even better. The mix of veggies, black beans, brown rice and chipotle vinaigrette is perfect! This is great as a meal prepped lunch or a party side dish!
Grilled Tofu Skewers
I love making skewers in the summer! And with these Grilled Tofu Skewers you get everything you need – charred tofu & veggies, a creamy sauce and fresh herbs. Make these on an indoor or outdoor grill. Perfect for a summer BBQ!
White Bean Balsamic Pasta Salad
Another pasta salad for the books! This White Bean Balsamic Pasta Salad is easy to make, ready in 30 minutes and serves a crowd. The balance of chilled pasta, garlicky balsamic dressing, fresh veggies & herbs, white beans and vegan feta is unmatched. Serve this pasta salad at your next BBQ – it is sure to be a hit!
Vegan Grilled Corn Tostadas
Tostadas are a fun swap for your typical taco night. And these ones are especially tasty. From the grilled corn to the refried beans to the creamy habanero sauce. There is so much to love about these tasty, crispy tostadas.
Creamy Lemon Zucchini Orzo
Summer is coming to an end. And this Creamy Lemon Zucchini Orzo is the perfect side that incorporates lots of veggies, is topped with fresh herbs and has a kick of freshness from the lemon juice. It is made creamy with a little vegan parm and non-dairy milk. It is basically the best side dish that you’ll want to serve with everything!
Vegan Gnocchi Potato Salad
What’s better than potato salad…well, potato salad made with gnocchi, of course! Using gnocchi cuts down on the cooking time, and we’re making this even more fun by using a mix of traditional potato gnocchi and Trader Joe’s kale gnocchi – don’t worry, you can also just use all potato. This twist on a classic is quick, tasty and perfect for a picnic or summer BBQ.
Simple Pinto Bean Salad
This Simple Pinto Bean Salad is going to be your new favorite way to eat your beans & veggies. And let me tell you, we’re getting tons of veggies into this one! Drained & rinsed beans are tossed together with crunchy veggies and then everything is tossed in a chipotle lime dressing. You get crunch, smoke, and creaminess from the avocado. This can be served on its own, with chips or in tortillas!
Spicy Habanero Salsa
Need some extra spice in your life? This Spicy Habanero Salsa is the perfect snack with lots of spice and flavor – Super Bowl party favorite!
Oyster Mushroom BBQ Tacos
It is the second taco recipe of 2024 and these Oyster Mushroom BBQ Tacos will not disappoint! Oyster mushrooms are shredded and tossed with bell peppers, onion & dry seasonings before being pan fried until crispy. Then they are tossed with BBQ sauce to make a delicious base for these tacos. Served up in warm tortillas and topped with vegan slaw (hello, vegan ranch!), avocado, pickled onions and cilantro. These are a total crowd pleaser!
Tempeh Bacon Kale Salad
This Tempeh Bacon Kale Salad has everything you could want in a salad! The ingredients are fresh. It is healthy. It is protein-packed. And it tastes amazing! And it’s even better because you can eat it at home! When you don’t feel like doing a lot of cooking, but want something tasty, this is going to be your go-to!
Vegan Greek Sliders
Summer is officially here and that means it is burger season. And these Vegan Greek Sliders are going to be in my rotation all summer long! The Calabrian chili aioli has the perfect amount of creaminess & spice. The arugula & pickled onions add some pops of flavor. And the little bits of crumbled vegan feta inside the impossible burger patties are so delicious! Ready in less than 30 minutes and perfect for a party!
Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad
I know gut health is all the rage these days – from podcasts to documentaries, I hear about it at least once a week. And my main takeaway is that a having a mix of different fruits and veggies in your diet is a major key to a healthy gut. I’m not to the point where I count every different veggie I have each week, but I do try to mix things up as much as possible. And this Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad has SO MANY different veggies! And beyond the gut health aspect, this salad is simply delicious. The dressing is easy and tasty. The noodles make it hearty. Its just a great meal all around!
Vegan BLT Pasta Salad
This Vegan BLT Pasta Salad is perfect for a summer BBQ! It is loaded with tempeh bacon, cherry tomatoes, arugula, avocado, red onion and a creamy dressing!
Zesty Brown Rice Black Bean Vegan Sliders
These Zesty Brown Rice Black Bean Vegan Sliders with Basil Aioli are the perfect party appetizer. Topped off with an avocado & tomato salsa.
BBQ Tofu Tacos
I love everything about these tacos! The tofu is SUPER flavorful, the avocado corn salsa has the perfect amount of crunch and creaminess, and the chipotle yogurt sauce is next level. I’m telling you, yogurt is my new favorite way to make all of my sauces and dressings at home! Served up in warm corn tortillas, these BBQ Tofu Tacos only take 30 minutes and bring alllll the flavor!
Roasted Tomato & Basil Orzo Salad
The combo of roasted tomatoes & garlic with fresh basil and cubes of vegan feta might be my favorite thing ever. This orzo pasta salad is the perfect summer dinner – it is filling, fresh and delicious. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a truly delicious vegan dinner!
Vegan Steak Salad
Back when I went vegan 8 years ago, I never would have thought I would be making a Vegan Steak Salad. But, the vegan products on the market today (vs 8 years ago) is wild! And I love the vegan steak tips from the freezer section. They are a great base to add your own flavors. And for this salad I gave them a balsamic, soy glaze. It adds a nice crust to the vegan steak…and a delicious flavor. The “steak” is served over greens with a simple vinaigrette, vegan cheese, avocado, red onion & microgreens. This salad is protein-packed and so delicious! You’ll want to serve this at every party!
Southwest Quinoa Salad
This Southwest Quinoa Salad is simple and delicious. It is filled with simple ingredients – chilled quinoa, crispy soy chorizo, black beans, veggies and a creamy southwest dressing. This recipe is perfect for a BBQ, picnic or meal prep! Delicious flavors, simple ingredients and easy to make!
Vegan Sausage & Zucchini Skillet
This Vegan Sausage & Zucchini Skillet is the PERFECT low carb, high protein, vegan dinner idea. And it’s ready in just 25 minutes. If you are short on time, but want tons of flavor then you need to give this vegan skillet dinner a try!
Grilled Tempeh Greek Salad
This is seriously the ULTIMATE Greek Salad!!! It has the perfect amount of tanginess from the dressing, crunch from the veggies and crispiness from the grilled tempeh. This is the type of salad you can eat as an entree – trust me, it is very filling and satisfying!
Cajun Caesar Pasta Salad
When the sun comes out, pasta salad is my go-to. Very little cooking required, makes a ton of food, and can be kept in the fridge for snacking. Today we’re making this Cajun Caesar Pasta Salad and it is delish! Crunchy romaine is tossed with chilled pasta, red onion, vegan parmesan and a vegan cajun caesar dressing. Then the whole thing is topped with crispy chickpeas and avocado slices. This pasta salad has the perfect amount of tang and zest. You’re going to love it!
Kale Taco Salad with Crispy Quinoa
I recently went to Mendocino Farms for the first time, and full disclosure, I had always thought it was a grocery store 😂 Little did I know it is actually a restaurant and they have a vegan taco salad that sounded great. I decided to put my own spin on it today and make this Kale Taco Salad with Crispy Quinoa. I swapped their creamy dressing for a chipotle vinaigrette and I spiced up the crispy quinoa by tossing it in chili crunch oil before baking it. Crunchy veggies, creamy avocado, black beans and the crispy quinoa make for the perfect bite!
Chipotle Tofu Steaks with Avocado Corn Salsa
Grilling season is here! And I am so excited to share this Chipotle Tofu Steaks with Avocado Corn Salsa recipe with you! I teamed up with my favorite tofu brand, Nasoya, to make these super tasty tofu steaks. I love their Super Firm High Protein Tofu, because you don’t need to press it AND it easily holds it’s shape on the grill. Marinated in a zesty chipotle sauce, grilled until crispy and served with a kale slaw & avocado corn salsa. Light, delicious and tasty!
Vegan Smashed Potato Salad
I don’t normally jump on trendy recipes, but I keep seeing this one online and I just knew I needed to vegan-ize it! We’re amping up salad season with this Vegan Smashed Potato Salad! Yukon gold potatoes are boiled and then smashed. Drizzled with oil and baked until crispy. Then we’re making my favorite potato salad dressing and mixing the potatoes up with some celery and green onion. A delicious vegan side dish that you will love!
Vegan Southwest Potato Salad
To kick off the official beginning of Spring, I thought it was fitting to share a new vegan potato salad recipe! And this one is addicting! The potatoes are boiled until tender, then cut in half. The dressing is creamy and tangy – with a little bit of a kick. And I added in some onions, corn & tomatoes for some crunch. This is the perfect side to bring to your next BBQ!
