Meatless summer? We’re in! The best time to try eating plant-based meals is when summer’s bounty is delicious, diverse, and practically begging to star in everything from dips to desserts. Backyard barbecues, beach parties, and park picnics can all be flush with veggies, thanks to these excellent summer recipes for vegetarians. Scroll down for meat-free appetizers, main courses, and desserts that will hold up in the heat.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Breakfast Tacos
Greg Dupree, Prop Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Food Stylist: Claire Spollen
An array of bright veggies adorns these black bean breakfast tacos. Chopped red onion and red bell pepper add a fresh crunch alongside the sweet potato and scrambled eggs. To switch things up, turn this dish into breakfast nachos by subbing tortilla chips for the flour tortillas.
Tofu & Cabbage Salad with Coconut Dressing
Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Whip up this bright summer salad for any meatless picnic—you won’t even miss the chicken. If tofu isn’t your thing, try seitan (aka vegan chicken) or halloumi. The creamy coconut dressing is kicked up a notch with fish sauce, lime, and sriracha, and including a protein makes this a complete, easy meal. For a vegan alternative, simply use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.
Roasted Veggie Calzones
Fred Hardy
Take pizza nights this summer to another level with handmade veggie calzones, which couldn’t be easier once you get the hang of it: Just roast veggies like eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and onion, then work your pizza dough into small circles. Scoop on a spinach-ricotta mixture, top with the veggies, then fold the dough and slide into a hot oven for around 15 minutes. Serve with a side salad for a light, summer meal.
Veggie Udon Stir Fry
Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
The perfect summer dish needs three things: lightness, vibrant colors, and fresh produce—and this udon stir fry has them all. Crisp bell peppers, carrots, and onion retain a slight crunch, balancing the chewy udon noodles. For some umami flavor, a mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, and garlic coats the noodles, while shredded cabbage adds a finishing touch to this quick, warm-weather meal.
Toasted Israeli Couscous With Corn and Herbs
A salad that’s excellent as an appetizer or an entree, this toasted couscous with fresh summer corn offers a pop of sweetness and texture in every bite. For a savory twist, try it with leftover grilled corn.
Mushroom and Burrata Orzotto
Greg DuPree
This vegetarian recipe comes out like a creamy risotto, but this version calls for orzo, a small, rice-shaped pasta. It’s much faster to cook, making it perfect for busy summer nights. Mix it with roasted mushrooms and chopped onions, and toss in some burrata cheese for a savory and satisfying orzotto.
Spinach Alfredo French Bread Pizza
Greg DuPree
French bread pizza, a childhood favorite, gets a glow-up in this elevated version. Creamy Alfredo sauce, salty Fontina cheese, fresh spinach, and crispy red onions team up to make a magnificent vegetarian play on the classic French bread pizza. And it only takes about 10 minutes of hands on time, making it perfect for nights when you don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen.
Tofu Fried Rice
Fred Hardy
When paired with cool yogurt and a spritz of bright lemon juice, this crispy rice and tofu dish becomes a summer staple weeknight meal. A sprinkling of fresh cilantro leaves adds an extra layer of freshness. Serve with an ice-cold drink for a cooling companion to this 25-minute recipe.
Shawarma Cauliflower and Chickpea Pitas
Fred Hardy
A store-bought shawarma spice blend—typically turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and garlic—is super versatile and adds robust flavor to this summer recipe. It’s made vegetarian by using cauliflower and chickpeas instead of shawarma meat, without sacrificing flavor.
Peanut Butter Ramen
This quick vegetarian dinner recipe is super easy to whip up. It takes less than 10 minutes, and you can throw in raw or cold leftover veggies to dress it up. With endless renditions of these plant-based creamy noodles, they can easily become your new summer staple.
Lemony Chopped Salad with Pita
This Fattoush-inspired chopped salad is truly stunning to look at, and it’s also well-balanced with ideal ratios of crispness, crunch, and tangy lemon dressing. Pita croutons or spiced pita chips are the perfect toppings.
Zucchini Pesto Pasta
Summer and pesto go together like sprinkles and ice cream. Delicious at any temperature, pesto pasta is both healthy and decadent, especially in this recipe that adds zucchini strands to the final dish.
Grilled Halloumi Salad
Don’t sleep on halloumi as an excellent summer vegetarian meal. This chewy cheese is amazing on the grill, as a salad topper, or on its own with your own choice of grilled veggies. If you don’t want to cook the halloumi in a skillet, try it on skewers.
Lemony Pasta Salad With Cucumber
The combo of mustard, garlic, and lemon in this dressing may just make it your new summer salad go-to. But first, you need to try it with pasta and cucumbers for a well-rounded pasta salad. Talk about beach picnic goals!
Mole-Spiced Black Bean and Quinoa Bowl
You may be used to mole with chicken, but it works equally well to flavor beans, veggies, and dressings. Crispy cauliflower and pumpkin seeds make this bowl a crunchy vegetarian delight.
Summer Nachos
Corn spiced with paprika and golden-seared zucchini top these cheesy nachos. Tie it all together by drizzling a creamy avocado-yogurt dressing over the tray. This works as a meal or as a fun, semi-healthy appetizer for a summer soiree.
Superfood Lentil Salad
Zucchini is an excellent, nutritious grilled summer vegetable. It anchors this vegetarian salad recipe with a boost of flavor from al dente lentils and sweetness, thanks to a sprinkling of golden raisins. Top the dish with avocado slices or pan-crisped tofu.
Black Bean-Oat Burger
Veggie burgers can be hit or miss, but this one is a real winner for a quick summer meal. Texture-wise, it’s a crispy-tender combination, and it’s full of Southwest flavors. Serve with a tomato, onion, lettuce, and a dollop of salsa.
Crispy Mushroom Reuben Sandwiches
Because mushrooms are high in umami, they have a meaty, savory taste that makes them a great vegetarian mainstay. This iconic sandwich lookalike is also highly nutritious, thanks to its probiotic-rich sauerkraut.
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
A healthier version of a chicken salad sandwich? Yes, please! Dress up this sandwich any way you like—try bean sprouts, tomatoes, or romaine—and serve with a side of homemade potato chips.
Grilled Mediterranean Salad
Here’s a chance to elevate your standard summer pasta salad. This recipe does it using twisty campanelle pasta, cubes of halloumi, a wide variety of grilled vegetables, and a balsamic dressing. Pair with your favorite crusty bread.
Tofu and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps
Fred Hardy
When grated and combined with soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms, tofu resembles ground meat, making it the perfect protein for these fresh lettuce cups. The addition of rice elevates them from appetizer territory to main dish-worthy status.
Potato Leek Tart With Feta and Zucchini
Tracey Kusiewicz/Getty Images
This hearty potato tart offers a medley of veggies, such as zucchini and leeks, plus salty crumbled feta and fresh dill. Using a store-bought pie crust ensures it’s easy to make, but still looks and tastes completely from scratch.
Khichdi
VICTOR PROTASIO; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Khichdi (pronounced kih-CHA-dee) is India’s version of comfort food in a bowl. It’s founded on a base of Indian-spiced rice and lentils but, from there, variations abound. This recipe allows for a wide range of just about whatever mixed veggies and leafy greens you can find in your produce drawer. Top with fresh cilantro and a dollop of yogurt.
Cauliflower Piccata
Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Pan-seared cauliflower steaks star in this version of an Italian classic that traditionally features breaded veal or chicken. Ready in just 35 minutes, it’s a one-skillet dish highlighted with a zesty lemon-caper-broth sauce for a bright, briny finish. Serve with a size of pasta for a complete meal.
Za’atar Tofu Skewers with Tomato Salad & Hummus
Jennifer Causey
Summer is for grilling, and so are these tofu skewers seasoned with za’atar, a zesty Middle Eastern spice blend. Not a tofu fan? Sub with halloumi, a cheese that can stand up to the grilling. Save some room on the grill to throw a few pita rounds on there, too.
Watermelon Poke Bowls
Watermelon rarely gets to star on the main stage, but this recipe puts it front and center in an iconic Hawaiian dish. Poke traditionally features ahi tuna, but here it’s swapped with watermelon cubes marinated in an Asian-inspired sauce. Avocado, carrots, and cucumber join in, too, all drizzled in sriracha-spiked mayo.
No-Bake Summer Veggie Lasagna
Interested in a lasagna with no meat, no oven, and no jars or cans? If so, this vegetarian summer recipe is for you. It uses the usual lasagna noodles, Italian herbs, and creamy ricotta layers, but this one features fresh cherry tomatoes with chopped zucchini and onion for a fresh, light version that’s ready in just 25 minutes.
Veggie Patties
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This delicious appetizer recipe does double duty as it can reduce food waste—it’s meant to be made with leftover veggies from the fridge. It’s vegan, and you can turn this gluten-free as well by using chickpea flour. These patties pack in the flavor without skimping on the vegetables—a win-win!
Pistachio Pudding
A cold scoop of fresh pudding on a hot day just hits the spot, especially when it boasts a beautiful green hue. And yes, that color is all natural thanks to this recipe’s liberal use of healthy pistachios.
Frozen Strawberry Trifle
This make-ahead dessert recipe calls for just six ingredients, making it a breeze to assemble and have ready in the freezer for a special occasion. Cutting into the layers for that first bite of ice cream-covered strawberries is just delightful!
