14 Summer Vegetarian Recipes You Can Make on Meatless Monday—and Beyond
Meatless summer? We're in! The warm months are maybe the best time to try eating plant-based meals, 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 lush with veggies thanks to these excellent summer vegetarian recipes.
Scroll down for some meat-free appetizers, main courses, desserts, and more!
1 Gazpacho With Goat Cheese Salsa
This classic cold soup is super easy to make, and full of bright flavors that are accentuated by crumbled goat cheese on top. Pack it in a Thermos for a refreshing sip on a warm day.
2 Toasted Israeli Couscous With Corn and Herbs
A salad that's excellent as a appetizer or an entree, this toasted couscous with fresh summer corn offers a pop of sweetness and texture in every bite. Try it with leftover grilled corn for another savory twist.
3 Corn and Pepper Scramble
If you're a gardener, farmers market frequenter, or CSA subscriber, you're all too familiar with the abundance of corn and peppers in your fridge come midsummer. Use some of that bright, fresh flavor in a quick breakfast or lunch and top it with crumbly cheese and hot sauce for an extra boost.
4 Peanut Butter Ramen
This quick vegetarian dinner recipe is super easy to whip up—it takes less than 10 minutes to make, and you can throw in an abundance of raw or cold leftover veggies to dress it up. With endless renditions of these plant-based creamy noodles, they can easily become a new summer staple.
5 Tomato, Corn, and Red Cabbage Salad
Whip this up for a picnic or to top any variety of vegetarian proteins, like grilled tofu, seitan, or halloumi. It will add some acidity and bright color to any meal! And if you have leftovers, give this salad a refresh by tossing in your favorite summer herbs.
6 Grilled Cauliflower Steaks With Romesco and Manchego
Cauliflower steaks are always a good idea, especially when you can grill them outdoors on a warm night. Just bring all the elements near the grill so you can plate everything once these plant-based steaks are cooked to perfection.
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7 Lemony Chopped Salad with Pita
This fattoush-inspired chopped salad is truly stunning to look at, but also way too easy to eat, with the perfect ratios of crispness, crunch, and tangy lemon dressing. Pita croutons are the perfect topping!
8 Zucchini Pesto Pasta
Summer and pesto go together like sprinkles and ice cream. Delicious at any temperature, a pesto pasta is both healthy and decadent, especially this recipe that adds zucchini strands to the final dish.
9 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 instead.
10 Lemony Cucumber-and-Herb Pasta Salad
The combo of mustard, garlic, and lemon in this dressing may just make it your summer salad go-to, but first you need to try it with pasta and cucumbers. Talk about beach picnic goals!
11 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 the healthy pistachios.
12 Frozen Strawberry Trifle
This make-ahead dessert only uses six ingredients, making it a breeze to prepare 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!
13 Orange Dreamsicle Icebox Cake
Making a cake crust from flat graham crackers is the ultimate hack, and you just know that dreamsicle anything sparks so much joy. Bring this no-bake cake out at the end of a summer vegetarian meal for the ultimate creamy treat.
14 Mixed Berry Biscuit Cobbler
When the weather cooperates and you can turn on your oven, a berry cobbler is the perfect summer treat. The biscuits on top of these berries add a wonderful crumbly layer that can arguably be eaten for breakfast and dessert alike.