It’s summer! Time to get outside instead of spending too much time in the kitchen. I like to make simple fresh meals and have vegan BBQ options to take with me to parties in the warm sunny weather.
Since people sometimes have trouble knowing what to do for plant-based summer grilling and light meal options, I thought I would put together a round up of some of my favorites.
Hope you’re having a great summer so far!
Veggie Burger Recipes
Quinoa lentil chipotle burgers have a little spice and a little smoke for a super flavorful centerpoint to a summer meal.
Black bean quinoa sweet potato burgers – these are a few of my favorite things, formed into a burger. Enjoy on a bun, or atop a salad!
Veggie burgers can be a bit tricky to BBQ because they don’t always hold together, but Ricki Heller makes some meaty eggplant burgers that work by baking them before grilling
Big portobello mushrooms are one of my favorite things to grill on the BBQ. They’re really easy, and can be topped just like a burger in a bun or on its own…
Sweet purple funghi burgers were the very first recipe that I ever came up with. It combines beets (for sweetness) with mushrooms (for funghi-powered-nutrition) into a really tasty burger.
Quinoa Basil Bean Burgers, by Kristina at Spabettie: With basil exploding in gardens everywhere, what better way to use it than in a burger! There’s also a recipe for homemade vegan basil aioli to go with them – yum!
Vegan BBQ Recipes & Ideas
Tempeh veggie skewers, to add some protein to your skewers – great with a coconut-peanut satay sauce!
Marinate some vegetables with lime juice and grill them in a basket – or on skewers!
Asparagus grills perfectly on the BBQ, seasoned with a bit of olive oil and sea salt and herbs if you like. JL Fields has a creamy strawberry dressing that sounds amazing for drizzling over grilled asparagus.
Fresh corn on the cob is a perfect grilling option. Try dressing it with fun flavors, like lime and chilies or ginger and tamari.
Fresh Summer Side Dish Ideas
Jicama can be grated as a nice base for a hearty summer salad – I love it with this mango basil sauce.
Zucchini noodles are a great way to make a light and refreshing summer meal – Angela Liddon’s rainbow raw pad thai looks like a phenomenal one to try. I love edamame beans!
Spaghetti squash is another way to have a lighter pasta dish. I like to pair it with pesto, and fresh red peppers and cherry tomatoes.
I love having quinoa salads in the summer, and this fruity quinoa salad from Christy Morgan looks so perfect for a hot summer afternoon.
Creamy potato salad with cashew mayo – tasty and healthy!
Fresh salad rolls made with rice paper are one of my favorite summer foods. My friend Lisa decided to put mango in hers, which I think is genius.
Kale chickpea caesar salad could be a meal on its own, or a side with a burger or some skewers.
This creamy chickpea salad can be used in a sandwich, or have a scoop as a side dish. You can give a slightly ocean-y flavor with mineral-dense sea vegetables if you prefer a tuna-like salad.
Pasta salad is fantastic for bringing to pot luck summer meals, or enjoying for yourself on the back patio. Ricki’s ‘oxymoronic’ pasta salad combines creamy, cool, spicy, crunchy and tangy all in one.
Dips & Sauces
I like to have dips and sauces on hand all the time, and they’re fantastic for the summer so you can have them as a snack with some fresh veggies or pair them with some of the BBQ options above for a complete meal. Mango salsa is one of my favorites, and it goes with almost anything.
Guacamole is easy to whip together – but make sure you make enough because it tends to disappear quickly. And you can always put dips on cucumber slices or crackers to make cute appetizers like Gena Hamshaw did here with raw herbed dill cashew cheese.
Refreshing Drink Ideas
Sparkling water and juice – I love to mix cranberry and limes, or raspberry with fresh berries, or tropical fruit juices with melon. Take the fruit one step further into this amazingly refreshing watermelon-basil cooler.
Infused water – cucumber and mint, berries, melon, or citrus slices – the flavor will be light but lovely.
Tropical Sangria is a nice light drink with white wine, sparking water and tropical juices. Or try it as a non-alcoholic mocktail!
Cooling Summer Snack/Dessert Ideas
Watermelon cools me down instantly, it’s amazing. Fruit salad is always refreshing, and you can jazz it up with some fresh mint and/or some lime juice. Frozen grapes – so simple and so refreshing – like a natural popsicle!
Raw raspberry cheesecake squares are not only incredibly delicious, they don’t require you to turn on the oven, and are perfectly on color-theme for Canada Day!
No-bake matcha energy bites are great as snacks and dessert – plus bring lots of healthy compounds and antioxidants!
Make your own fruit juice popsicles – just put some pure fruit juice or a smoothie in popsicle molds. If you want to make them pretty, add some fresh fruit.
These little no-bake bites are a perfect energy booster and end of summer (or any time!) treat. The toasted seeds give it the perfect crunch, and orange zest the perfect pop of flavor.
Fruit-based ice creams, like my mango coconut or Dreena’s cardamom-scented peach, are super easy and a healthy way to have some ice cream.
