Looking for the best vegan summer dinner recipes? Look no further: these 18 vegan summer meals are perfect for sharing with one another, serving at a small get-together, or bringing to a barbecue! These vegan summer recipes are the perfect way to celebrate the season and beat the heat!
Summer is here. With the rising temperatures and increase in summer activities, you may come up short on vegan menu ideas. No worries, I have you covered! Here are 25 vegan summer meals that are perfect for the season.
Vegan Summer Dinner Ideas
Planning meals during the summer can be a daunting task, especially when juggling a busy schedule. As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, finding the inspiration to create delicious vegan summer recipes can feel like an uphill battle.
These vegan summer dinner ideas will allow you to breeze through your meal planning with easy and fun vegan dinner ideas perfect for get-togethers, barbecues, or intimate gatherings. Say goodbye to your summer dinner dilemmas and hello to a season filled with delicious plant-based meals!
Vegan Summer Sandwiches, Wraps, and Tacos
Vegan summer dinner recipes featuring sandwiches and wraps are a delicious and easy choice for summer gatherings. These handheld recipes offer a diverse combination of fresh ingredients, flavors, and textures, making them a crowd-pleasing option. Whether it’s a casual picnic, beach outing, or get-together, the versatility and portability of sandwiches and wraps allow for easy customization and a fun dining experience. Embrace these vibrant flavors with the carby goodness of bread!
Soft Tacos with Jackfruit
Indulge in the sensational flavors of these jackfruit soft tacos, a delicious and easy-to-make plant-based dish that’s simply perfect for summer. These tacos feature tender jackfruit infused with savory spices, nestled in warm tortillas, and topped with crisp radish and carrots.
Versatile and customizable, these soft tacos bring freshness and heartiness to your summer and are a great choice for a relaxed dinner on the patio!
Tofu Banh Mi
This tofu bahn mi hits the spot on a warm summer day. A fresh baguette is critical for this recipe! Marinated tofu mingles with crisp, pickled vegetables while a creamy and spicy vegan mayo pulls it all together. Making these sandwiches is a fun process and this may become your favorite go-to summer sandwich!
BBQ Tempeh Avocado Sandwich (by Kathy Pataksky)
Kathy Patalsky always hits it out of the park with her creations, and this sandwich is no exception! Smoky tempeh, creamy avocado, and crisp red onion are piled high on a sandwich that’s perfect for summer. It’s filling, has a brightness to it, and is easy to assemble at get-togethers or busy days at the pool.
Vegan BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Grab a few cans of young jackfruit packed in brine and a bottle of bbq sauce and this mouthwatering vegan summer barbecue sandwich is yours! Crisp red cabbage slaw and buttery toasted buns make this an easy summer favorite. It smells fantastic, and watching the jackfruit transform its texture will blow your mind!
Farro and Beet Burgers
If you love Beyond Burgers or Impossible Burgers but want something more wholesome, give these farro and beet burgers a try! Pre-ground farro and beets combine to make a sturdy burger that’s perfect for grilling or pan frying. Serve it with traditional fixings or make kimchi mayo for a creamy, spicy sauce. And don’t forget to toast your buns for an awesome burger!
Vegan Lobster Roll
If you are looking for vegan seafood ideas, these vegan lobster rolls are a great choice! Made with hearts of palm, Old Bay seasoning, crisp celery and red onion, capers, and chives, this will hit the spot on the warmest of days.
Vegan Summer Skewers
Skewers offer a great way to showcase an array of colorful vegetables, plant-based proteins, and delicious marinades. Whether you’re grilling them on the barbecue, roasting them in the oven, or even cooking them on a stovetop grill pan, skewers are incredibly simple to prepare.
The beauty lies in the flexibility they provide, allowing you to customize your skewers with your favorite ingredients and seasonings. Not only do skewers cook quickly, making them ideal for hot summer days when you want to spend less time in the kitchen, but they also add a festive and interactive element to your gatherings.
Sambal Seitan Skewers
If hot and spicy is what you crave, these faux-meaty skewers will deliver! Go old school and make your own seitan from scratch or buy it prepared. Slathered in a mixture of sambal, vegan Worcestershire, brown sugar, and ginger, these seitan chunks develop a wonderful, caramelized char when grilled. Offer guests plenty of napkins … these are delightfully messy and perfect with a cold beer!
Tempeh Veggie Skewers (by Vegan Yack Attack)
Jackie over at Vegan Yack Attack kills it with all of her creations, but her summer creations are exceptionally stunning. Marinated tempeh, mushrooms, bell pepper, and zucchini are threaded onto skewers for a colorful and oh-so-summery masterpiece!
Tofu Satay With Spicy Peanut Sauce
This tofu is marinated in a blend of Indonesian satay seasoning, garlic, and soy sauce to create a brightly-hued and deeply fragrant protein that’s perfect for skewers! A homemade peanut sauce is the perfect accompaniment to this dish. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges for a dinner that smells and tastes amazing!
Tofu Skewers with Blueberry BBQ Sauce (by the First Mess)
Tofu, peaches, and zucchini are threaded onto skewers and slathered with a thick and sticky blueberry bbq sauce. This creation by Laura over at The First Mess looks so incredibly fresh and bright. It’s so perfect for summer, and embraces all of the goodness the season has to offer!
Vegan Summer Salads
These salads are a celebration of all that summer has to offer, showcasing an array of bright colors and crisp textures. With an abundance of seasonal produce like juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sweet berries, and leafy greens, these salads offer a cool respite from the summer heat.
Whether it’s a backyard barbecue, a picnic in the park, or a poolside gathering, vegan summer salads are a fantastic choice for summer gatherings. They not only nourish and hydrate but also provide a refreshing and vibrant addition to the spread.
Embrace the coolness, crispness, and vibrant flavors of these salads, and let them be the star of your summer table, bringing joy and deliciousness to every bite.
Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Salad
This salad features crispy breaded and baked cauliflower that’s been drenched in buffalo sauce. Serve it with peppery arugula, juicy cherry tomatoes, sharp red onion, creamy avocado, and clean-tasting celery for an amazing summertime salad. Vegan ranch or bleu cheese dressing on the side is always a good idea!
Mixed Berry Salad with Sweet Lime Dressing
Sometimes it’s just too hot to turn on the oven. Having this fresh fruit salad as part of your vegan summer dinner repertoire will hit the spot when you feel tired but hungry from a busy day of summer activities. This berry salad also goes with practically any meal, so make room for this easy, lime-kissed salad that will leave you feeling refreshed!
Watermelon Tuna Poke Bowl
Watermelon is a summer staple for good reason. It’s hydrating, delicious, and refreshing! It can also be baked to create a vegan tuna. Now, this vegan tuna doesn’t taste like fish, but it does have a very interesting texture that’s perfect for this vegan poke bowl.
Sushi rice, creamy avocado, pickled cucumbers, spicy vegan mayo, funky seaweed, amaranth caviar, and scallions come together to create this fun and playful dish!
Grilled Green Beans
Ok, so this isn’t technically a salad, but it does make a lovely vegetable side if you have already fired up the grill. If you like spicy food, this dish will hit the spot! Sesame oil, sambal, and soy sauce create an earthy, spicy, and salty sauce for these charred and smoky green beans.
Vegan Summer Desserts
Ok, these aren’t technically recipes for dinner, although they could be! These are perfect companions to these vegan summer dinner ideas!
Vegan summer desserts are a welcome addition to the warm and lazy days of the season. These desserts offer a refreshing indulgence that’s perfect for relaxed afternoons spent under the sun. With vibrant flavors and enticing textures, vegan summer desserts provide a satisfying and invigorating respite from the heat. Whether it’s a cool and fruity creation or a creamy delight, these plant-based desserts bring a sense of lightness and joy to summer.
Creamy Chia Pudding with a Fresh Berry Compote
This dessert is great for summer because it’s something that can be whipped up the night before, creating a cold and refreshing treat for the next day. A mixture of cooked-down fruit mixed with fresh offers an interesting contrast to the chia pudding texture. Plus, it’s red, white, and blue—perfect for July 4th!
Vegan Caramel Blizzard
This blizzard can be made with your favorite vegan ice cream. What makes this one so special is the topping, which is a salted cashew caramel sauce. Once it hits cold ice cream, it creates a sort of shell, which is fun to tap and crack while you reach for that next bite.
Vegan Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream (by Jessica in the Kitchen)
This homemade chocolate avocado ice cream by Jessica is amazing! She uses avocado in place of heavy cream and eggs to create a beautifully rich and creamy chocolate ice cream that’s perfect for summer. Grab a cone or a cup and prepare to be wowed by this creation!
Lychee Boba Drink
If you can find fresh lychees, this dessert is a great way to use them! Rich and creamy coconut milk and vanilla bean combine to create a cozy and rich base while the tapioca pearls and a nice texture that will keep you reaching for that next scoop or sip!
That’s it! I hope you’ve been able to find some good vegan summer dinner ideas for this season. Come back for more summer vegan recipes in the next couple of months. For even more vegan menu ideas, check out my vegan summer recipes archive!
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