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    Home » Healthy Vegan Living » Vegan Food

    Vegan Summer Recipes

    Published: May 26, 2021 · Modified: Apr 19, 2023 by Dianne · This post may contain affiliate links

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    These Vegan Summer Recipes are perfect for cookouts, bbq, picnics, and potlucks! With recipes for sandwiches, wraps, salads, and skewers, you'll find something for everyone, wether your having a dinner potluck in your backyard or a lunch picnic in the park.

    Vegan Summer Recipes collage

    Summer Food

    I'm going to have to admit that summer isn't my favorite season. I get hot and sweaty very easily, which makes me cranky and uncomfortable. What I do like about the season, though, is the food! I love having potlucks and cookouts in my backyard, and I also love to go on picnics. Sometimes Dennis and I will make sandwiches and take them to a park just up the street from us that overlooks the New York City skyline. Other times we'll get more "formal" about our picnics, and we'll pack a big basket with sandwiches and salads and head out to one of the many historical parks in our area. Summertime may actually make the heat a little more bearable for me.

    Since summer is almost upon us, I'm sharing some of favorite vegan summer recipes

    grilling vegetables

    Vegan Summer Recipes for Cookouts, BBQs, Picnics, and Potlucks

    Vegan Picnic-Worthy Sandwiches and Wraps

    Chickpea Salad Sandwiches sandwiches on plates verticalChickpea Salad Sandwiches

    Chickpea salad sandwiches are are my go-to for picnics.

    close up of Apple-Pecan Tempeh Salad sandwichApple-Pecan Tempeh Salad

    These sandwiches were inspired by an apple-picking adventure, and it's perfect for picnics in the park!

    Vegan Tofu Tuna Salad Sandwiches

    Tofu Tuna Sandwiches

    Frozen tofu gives these sandwiches a meaty texture.

    Vegan Chicken Salad Sandwich on plate

    Vegan Chicken Salad Sandwiches 

    Made with Soy Curls, this easy recipe comes together quickly.

    Baked Falafels from The China Study Cookbook by LeAnne Campbell

    Baked Falafel 

    This healthy Baked Falafel in Pita from The China Study Cookbook by LeAnne Campbell comes together quickly, and it makes a terrific lunch or light dinner.

    Curried Mango Chickpea Wraps

    Sweet mango is paired with creamy tahini and flavorful curry in this easy-to-make Curried Mango Chickpea Wrap from The Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan by Heather Nicholds.

    Vegan Shawarma with Soy Curls on plate

    Soy Curl Shawarma 

    Made with Soy Curls, loaded with vegetables, and drizzled with sauce, Vegan Shawarma is lunchtime perfection.

    gyros on plates overhead with tomatoes an garlic

    Seitan Gyro

    Seitan, veggies, and tahini sauce all wrapped up in a whole wheat pita – these gyros are the perfect lunch!

    stack of collard green tuna wraps on plate

    Sunflower Seed Tuna Collard Wraps

    Vegan Tuna Wraps are perfect for lunch on those hot summer days when it’s too hot to cook! They travel well, so you can take them with you for lunch at the office or a picnic in the park.

     

    Vegan Sushi Wraps vertical

    Sushi Wraps

    Made with nori seaweed sheets and loaded with veggies and an easy-to-make sunflower seed cheese, these wraps are great for lunch or dinner.

    For the Grill

    Seitan Skewers on platter with chimichurri, limes, garlic, and peppersSeitan Skewers with Chimichurri and Jalapeno Lime Aioli

    Made with homemade seitan, these skewers are a great grilled appetizer!

    picking up a skewerTofu and Pineapple Kebabs

    We moved into our house 3 years ago, and we were happy to find an old grill in new condition hiding in out the garage. We had come from a rental townhouse that didn’t have backyard, so grilling was a new and wonderful thing for us. I skewered just about everything I could get my hands on and played around with various marinades. These  were a favorite.

    Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

    Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

    Eggplant does really well on the grill, and these sandwiches are one of my favorite ways to eat.

    eggplant wraps in dish with tahini dressing

    Grilled Eggplant Wraps

    These wraps are a copycat of a sadly  now discontinued Trader Joe's favorite.

    close up of sandwichGrilled Ratatouille Sandwiches

    This is the ultimate way to enjoy summer's harvest!

    Grilled Tofu Sandwich with tomatoes

    Lemon-Rosemary Grilled Tofu

    This recipe was inspired by a favorite from Blossom du Jour in New York City.

    Potluck-Worthy Vegan Salads

    salad overheadSummertime Avocado-Chickpea Salad

    This is one of my favorite salads to take on picnics.

    bowls of rice salad with lemon waterPotluck-Worthy Rice Salad

    This recipe was one of those happy accidents that come from throwing some ingredients together. I took this to a potluck and everyone wanted the recipe. Fortunately, I remembered what I did, so I was able to type out the recipe to share.

    raw kale slaw close upRaw Kale Slaw

    This salad is kind of like a grown-up, healthy version of the coleslaw we all grew up eating.

    two bowls of Cruciferous Crunch Salad with tomatoes, and brussels sprouts

    Cruciferous Crunch Salad

    A copycat of a Trader Joe’s favorite, this salad is super easy to make using cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and a creamy, dairy-free cashew based dressing.

    bowls of salad from aboveBroccoli Slaw

    I'll turn pretty much any veggie into a slaw, and is one of my favorites!

    two bowls of pasta salad

    Vegan Tomato and Feta Pasta Salad

    This recipe is a vegan version of an Ina Garten recipe I came across on Facebook a few years ago.

    two bowls of pasta salad with parmesan, chickpeas, and lemons

    Caesar Pasta Salad

    I turned my favorite salad into a pasta-based dish!

    potato salad on cutting board with spoon, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, and parsley

    German Potato Salad

    This warm potato salad is a fun change from the usual mayo-laden variety.

    overhead of two bowls of vegan potato salad

    Niçoise-Style Potato Salad

    Serve this salad from Kathy Hester's Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking in Your Instant Pot as a side dish with grilled vegetables or your favorite vegan burger – or serve it on its own as a light lunch or dinner.

    close up of salad

    Classic Quinoa Salad

    I make this salad time and time again, and I never get tired of it!

    What are your favorite vegan summer recipes?

    « Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches
    Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream »

    About Dianne

    Dianne Wenz is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Vegan Lifestyle Coach, Plant-Based Diet Nutrition Specialist, and Plant-Based Chef, as well as the author of Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. JL Fields

      May 25, 2016 at 1:51 pm

      ...and now I have to rush out to find some lunch because this post makes me HUNGRY! It's really proof that vegans can celebrate any holiday or event with abundance.

    2. Dianne

      May 25, 2016 at 3:23 pm

      I hope you found something yummy for lunch, JL! 🙂

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    Hi! I'm Dianne Wenz, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. I empower my clients to build new habits so they can reach their healthy living goals. I love to show others how easy it is to live a vegan lifestyle as well as how to cook deliciously easy plant-based meals. Contact me today to learn more and to schedule a complimentary breakthrough session!

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