44 Summer Vegetarian Recipes to Last You All Season (2024)

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Eric Wolfinger/The Mexican Keto Cookbook

Breakfast is served. Start the day with healthy fats, lots of protein and a flawless runny egg, all topped with salsa and cotija. Now, where’s that mimosa pitcher?

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

It may not be pasta, but it’s sure to fill you up at lunch or dinner. And you’ll want to put the sesame-tahini dressing on everything.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Confession: We’re seriously obsessed with Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi. But making your own is simpler than you think. Just combine mashed cauliflower and potato with flour, Parm, salt and pepper. Add homemade sauce and voila.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Slicing an eggplant > making pizza dough from scratch. Better yet, set out pieces for your kids to decorate with marinara, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil and all their favorite toppings.

Linda Pugliese/Just Married

If you always order dishes with peanut sauce from your local Thai restaurant, you’re about to fall in love with this spicy version. Instead of peanut butter, it calls for earthy, rich almond butter. Then, it’s brightened up with lime juice and Sriracha.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

We’ve been known to inhale a whole takeout box of fried rice in one sitting. And with this recipe, we’re bound to repeat history. Make your own cauliflower rice and spruce it up with veggies, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Sriracha and the magic ingredient, eggs.

Emily Dorio/The Saltwater Table

This sauce is about to change your life. Seven cloves of garlic (!!!), Aleppo chile and sweet paprika turn crispy when sautéed in oil. Sear the cauliflower in a pan or fire up the grill. ‘Tis the season, after all.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Step back, red sauce. It’s pesto’s time to shine. Whip some up with fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic and EVOO. Combine with zucchini noodles and onion, top it with cheese curls and your job is done.

Erin McDowell

Gyros! Salads! Wraps! There are countless ways to enjoy these crispy cuties. The best part? They’re lightly sautéed instead of deep-fried, so you can dip them into all the tzatziki or spicy mayo your heart desires minus the guilt.

David Frenkiel/Little Green Kitchen

This is a fantastic way to get some veggies into your kids’ mouths. If they’re picky, serve these with a side of sour cream while you indulge in the herb-avocado sauce with capers, lime juice, apple cider vinegar and pickled jalapeño.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Yup, she’s a beauty. We’re talking cherry tomatoes and thin-sliced squash, fresh basil, dollops of ricotta and all the Pecorino Romano. No one will believe it took you less than an hour to make.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

The definition of vegetarian comfort food. These golden-brown snacks get marinated in soy sauce, honey, Sriracha, vinegar and garlic powder, then baked until they’re crunchy on the outside. The secret to that outer crust? Cornstarch.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Skip the dough and sub in crispy slices of sweet potato. Adding a bunch of kale and Gruyère makes this a stick-to-your-ribs meal with fewer carbs than the original. This is prime for Sunday brunch, but we’d totally have it for dinner too.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

We never get sick of one-pot meals. Especially ones that use tons of canned pantry staples and are topped with avocado and sour cream. Hit the porch with a bowl of this and a glass of wine.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

We love a delicious dinner that doesn’t bog us down. Dig into curry-cumin lentils, carrot ribbons, sliced scallions and cauliflower rice dressed in Greek yogurt and lime juice, all while leaving room for dessert.

Two Peas & Their Pod

Lunchtime never looked so good—or healthy. We’re talking bell pepper, avocado, cucumber, arugula, avocado, radishes, tomato, purple carrot and alfalfa sprouts on hearty bread spread with herbed cream cheese.

Eric Wolfinger/The Mexican Keto Cookbook

This warm spice totally transforms our favorite versatile veggie. And that’s before it’s topped with yogurt and cilantro. Spring for ghee, a tasty clarified butter with a high smoke point, which is the best to roast with.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

While this iconic dish is traditionally topped with canned tuna, we love the look of tons of vibrant veggies on one plate. Close your eyes and you’re in Paris.

The Full Helping

Jealous of your coworker’s chicken Caesar salad? Vegetarians can get in on the fun too. Sub chicken for chickpeas, then toss kale and romaine in a from-scratch vegan cashew dressing with capers, Dijon and lemon.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

This is a dinner you can brag to your yoga instructor about. The gochujang-tamari sauce with honey and sesame oil is a game changer, and we’re serving it on tons of wholesome produce like shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, spinach and cucumber.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

A poached egg has the power to make any dish better. And this protein-rich bowl will give you energy and keep you full all day, thanks to golden-brown roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.

Minimalist Baker

Think spaghetti and meatballs is just for carnivores? Guess again. These gems are made with quinoa and black beans before going for a dip in warm marinara. Pass the Parm.

Welcome summer’s favorite produce to the pasta pot. Cashews, corn kernels and seasonings come together in the blender to create a ridiculously creamy sauce that’s surprisingly dairy-free. Extra grated cheese, please.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Not only is this idea stunning, but it’s also really smart. If you’ve ever burned a veggie kebab on the grill before, it was likely because there were different sized bits on the skewer that cooked at different speeds. You won’t have to worry about that this time.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Homemade sushi is definitely impressive, but a tall order without a lot of spare time. Enter these easy cups, assembled in muffin tins with sticky rice and soy-sesame veggies.

Half Baked Harvest

Corned beef who? We love this meatless version that uses brown rice tempeh and cashew cheese. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of Thousand Island dressing to slather on there. This one is spiked with chili sauce, pickle juice and tahini.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

The prettiest pie at the picnic has arrived. Thanks to store-bought flatbread, the crust stays crispy under shaved zucchini, bell pepper and tomato. Not to mention all that gooey mozzarella and hearty marinara. We’ll see you in 30.

Erin McDowell

The party don’t start until mac walks in. No barbecue is complete without this stuff, and you can pull it off in 30 minutes and in a single pot. Three cheers for minimal dishes.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

We’ll take this juicy stone fruit in our salad any day, especially if it’s sporting some gorgeous char marks. Take the tangy grilled halloumi cheese and basil-lemon sauce into consideration and you’ve got an easy win for any cookout.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

The only thing that could make this crowd-favorite any better is another summer veggie in the mix. Here, zucchini halves are browned on the grill before getting topped with mozzarella, tomato and balsamic.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

This recipe is so genius that you’re probably wondering why you didn’t think of it yourself. Making a single pan definitely beats making lots of individual quesadillas. Salsa and cheddar cheese make it a playdate-friendly snack that can serve lots of tiny mouths at once.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Your inner child just got really hungry. Golden-brown sourdough, thin-sliced peaches, fresh blackberries and three different cheeses unite for one indulgent lunch you’ll make over and over. Did we mention it’ll only take you ten minutes?

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Dinner in 20? Sign us up. We used zucchini noodles, but you can totally serve this over rice or lo mein. It’s so good, your family will ask you where you ordered it from.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

You can’t have a barbecue without pasta salad. Opt for this one with vibrant peas and spinach. Our favorite part? The toppings. Bring on all the roasted almonds, crushed red-pepper flakes and Parmesan.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

This chilled soup screams summer. Not only because it’s loaded with diced tomatoes, but because it’s served cold and only takes 15 minutes to whip up. That fits right into our busy beach schedule.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Peanut butter + sweet chili sauce + soy sauce = yeah, we’ll take a hefty side of that, please. The best part? They keep for two days in the fridge, so you can assemble them ahead of time and go straight for the car on picnic day.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

No one’s turning a scoop of this stuff down at a picnic. Pine nuts give crunch to tangy goat cheese, fresh thyme and roasted squash. Substitute summer squash for a seasonal spin.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

You only need a half hour to whip up this dinner win. And it’s super easy to customize the recipe: Swap red curry paste for green, bell peppers for snap peas or cauliflower for broccoli. Serve with basmati rice and naan.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Sorry, spicy tuna. Summer’s mascot is running the show. Not only is it healthy, but it’s also refreshing and pretty darn gorgeous, if we do say so ourselves. We’ll take extra sprouts.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

A no-brainer for breakfast *and* dinner. This 30-minute wonder only uses six ingredients and a single sheet pan, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more in the backyard.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

What’s summer without a fruity dessert? Wow everyone at the cookout with a pretty-in-pink crust. Want to know the secret? Freeze-dried strawberries.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Isn’t it about time you hop on the golden mylk bandwagon? This turmeric-infused vegan drink stars in this decadent dessert that’ll have you saying, “dairy who?”

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

The lemon-pineapple filling and light yogurt topping scream summer. We’ll never tell the secret behind this light-and-fluffy treat. (Psst, it’s cauliflower rice.)

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Looking for a way to snag the title Hostess with the Mostest? A plate of crispy, homemade tortilla chips topped with caramel, fudge, raspberries and whipped cream should do the trick.

Food Editor

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...