15 Healthy Plant-Based Recipes To Make With Your Favorite Summer Produce (2024)

Summer is nearly here and there are so many delicious veggies that are in season! If you’re having trouble figuring out what to make for recipes or simply love summer veggies, this roundup is for you! Featuring summer squash, chard, green beans, eggplant, and cucumber, these recipes are all fresh and definitely summer-worthy! Don’t forget to check out these recipes and many others on our Food Monster App!

Summer Squash

1. Summer Squash and Tomatoes

Source: Summer Squash and Tomatoes

This Summer Squash and Tomatoes salad by Melanie Sorrentino is not only colorful, but also so flavorful and filling. It is also packed full of nutrients! Get on it now!

2. Summer Squash Spice Cake

Source: Summer Squash Spice Cake

If you are lucky enough to have a garden full of Summer Squash Spice Cake by Amy Lyons that you don’t know what to do with, this is the recipe for you! Shredded yellow squash and zucchini give this irresistible spice cake a moist texture and natural sweetness. The fluffy maple-vanilla frosting takes it to the next level! You’ll be craving this delightful summer cake all year round.

3. Grilled Baby Summer Squash

Source: Grilled Baby Summer Squash: Two Ways

This recipe Grilled Baby Summer Squash: Two Ways by Grace Silla for includes two easy ways to make it. One is plain grilled baby squash served with a garlicky basil dip and the other serves it on skewers with other vegetables. Both options are an easy side for any summer barbecue. If you want to add more bulk to the skewers, try grilling it with tofu, tempeh, or seitan or simply serve it alongside your favorite veggie burger.

Cucumber

1. Carrot Cucumber Jicama Salad with Mint Tahini Dressing

Source: Carrot Cucumber Jicama Salad with Mint Tahini Dressing

This Carrot Cucumber Jicama Salad with Mint Tahini Dressing by Amy Heightis simply delicious.Crunchy, hydrating and coated in a creamy minty sauce, this is salad reimagined and so much more fun. Carrots, cucumber and jicama are actually some of the best veggies to consume raw, particularly when chewed thoroughly. They have high water content and pair well with other cooked or raw foods.

2. Cucumber Seaweed Salad

Source: Cucumber Seaweed Salad

This Cucumber Seaweed Salad by Claire Ragozzino is both light and refreshing on its own, but pairs well with brown rice, toasted tofu, and big juicy slice of avocado to make it a more balanced meal. You can never go wrong with that deliciously satisfying umami taste of ume plum vinegar paired with lime and tamari.

3. Mango Cucumber Relish

Source: Mango Cucumber Relish

This bright and refreshing Mango Cucumber Relish by Nita Ragoonanan is the perfect topping for a variety of dishes, or even just great on chips as a snack! The mango and cucumber combine with lemon, red pepper, seasoning and a slight kick from jalapenos to create the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.

Chard

1. Blanched Chard Dolmas

Source: Blanched Chard Dolmas

This is such a simple yet filling meal to put together. You can meal prep these Blanched Chard Dolmas by Molly Patrick or just make it the night of – either way, equally yummy!

2. Mushroom and Swiss Chard Pasta with Creamy Rosè Sauce

Source: Mushroom and Swiss Chard Pasta with Creamy Rosè Sauce

There’s nothing like delicious pasta topped with veggies and creamy, satisfying sauce. This Mushroom and Swiss Chard Pasta with Creamy Rosè Sauce by certainly checks all of those boxes! Perfectly seasoned with balanced flavors, you’ll want to make this dish again and again.

3. Swiss Chard and White Bean Grilled Sammie

Source: Swiss Chard and White Bean Grilled Sammie

This Swiss Chard and White Bean Grilled Sammie by Heather Poire is just as comforting as a grilled cheese but packed full of healthy ingredients. A grilled sandwich is so much better than one that is not and this tasty creation is the embodiment of summer comfort food perfected.

Eggplant

1. Grilled Eggplant Salad With Lentils and Sesame Yogurt

Source: Grilled Eggplant Salad With Lentils and Sesame Yogurt

This Grilled Eggplant Salad With Lentils and Sesame Yogurt by Judy Moosmueller doesn’t only bring rich, earthy colors to the plate but also warming and creamy textures. Coriander and pomegranate add a little bit of zestyness and are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C.

2. Smoky Eggplant Bean Ragout

Source: Smoky Eggplant Bean Ragout

This Smoky Eggplant Bean Ragout by Mitra Shirmohammadi is such an easy, delicious, and heartwarming dish! The smoky flavor comes from warming spices like cumin and paprika. Red chili flakes make it a bit spicy.

3. Eggplant Dip

Source: Eggplant Dip

This Eggplant Dip by Viktoria Radichkova is so easy – with only 4 ingredients, this dip is an easy and impressive appetizer! Serve with all your favorite veggies and crackers.

Green Beans

1. Sweet and Sour Green Beans

Source: Sweet and Sour Green Beans

Blanch these green beans before searing them in the cast-iron skillet. The resulting texture for this Sweet and Sour Green Beans by Katzie Guy-Hamilton is perfectly tender, caramelized, and delicious. Tamarind is a sweet-and-sour root commonly used in cuisines around the world, especially those known for their regional curries. Pungent sage—a medicinal herb whose literal meaning is “saved”—has been linked to mental clarity. Paired with earthy hazelnuts, this dish is proper eating—and nothing short of magic.

2. Szechuan Citrus Green Beans

Source: Szechuan Citrus Green Beans

These spicy Szechuan Citrus Green Beans by Natalie Yonan are the perfect side to any Chinese dish. Fresh green beans are blanched, allowing them to retain their texture, then tossed with sesame oil, fresh herbs, and ground Szechuan pepper. They’re crisp and sweet, with just the right amount of bite!

3. Green Beans with Lemon Dressing

Source: Green Beans with Lemon Dressing

These Green Beans with Lemon Dressing by Melissa Tedesco can be made in 10 minutes. The dressing is so versatile and can be used on salads, almost any other vegetable or as a marinade.

If it’s more recipes you’re after, check out these recipes and thousands more by downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for iPhone! The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes and subscribers get access to new recipes every day.

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15 Healthy Plant-Based Recipes To Make With Your Favorite Summer Produce (2024)

FAQs

What are the healthy plant-based foods? ›

Start with oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, or barley. Then add some nuts or seeds along with fresh fruit. Go for greens. Try a variety of green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, and other greens each day.

What are examples of plant-based meals? ›

41 Easy Plant-Based Recipes You'll Make Again and Again
  • Green Bean Pasta with Cashew Pesto. ...
  • Thai Rice Salad Bowls. ...
  • Tex-Mex Pita Pizzas. ...
  • Chickpea Flour Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free), Plus Topping Ideas. ...
  • Sneaky Chickpea Burgers. ...
  • Lentil Vegetable Soup. ...
  • Kale Arrabbiata-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash. ...
  • Hearty Vegan Red Bean Chili.
Oct 31, 2022

What are the 30 plant-based foods? ›

While it may seem ambitious, Rossi recommends aiming for 30 different plants a week from the super six: whole grains (think: quinoa, rolled oats, and sourdough bread), nuts and seeds (walnuts, pistachios, and pecans), vegetables, fruits, legumes (think: beans), and herbs and spices (cumin, cinnamon, and paprika).

What are 5 plant-based foods? ›

Leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers…the more, the merrier! Whole grains: many whole grains are a vital source of protein and fiber. Oats, quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, and bulgur are hearty and satisfying options.

What are the most filling plant-based foods? ›

Healthful foods that are high in protein, fiber, or both tend to be filling. Rich sources of protein for vegans include foods such as soybeans, pulses, and some nuts and seeds. Oats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruit are all good sources of fiber.

What meat can I eat everyday? ›

5 of the Healthiest Meats
  • Sirloin Steak. Sirloin steak is both lean and flavorful – just 3 ounces packs about 25 grams of filling protein! ...
  • Rotisserie Chicken & Turkey. The rotisserie cooking method helps maximize flavor without relying on unhealthy additives. ...
  • Chicken Thigh. ...
  • Pork Chop. ...
  • Canned Fish.
Jan 6, 2020

Can you eat eggs on a plant-based diet? ›

In other words, plants were paired with protein sources, like eggs, to make a nutritious and well rounded meal. Eggs can and should be part of a plant-based diet, and these five suggestions showcase how easy it is to incorporate the incredible egg into your plant-forward dishes.

What is the downside of a plant-based diet? ›

Some studies have shown that those on a plant-based diet are found to have lower plasma vitamin B12 levels and higher levels of vitamin B12 deficiency than those who consume animal products. Vitamin B12 is an important cofactor in DNA synthesis, and deficiency can lead to anemia and severe neurological dysfunction.

Which plant-based meats are the healthiest? ›

Less processed plant proteins such as tofu, whole grains, legumes, and beans are preferred protein sources compared to more processed soy isolates, textured vegetable protein (TVP), and wheat gluten because the less processed forms retain more of the nutrients and benefits of the original food.

Are plant-based foods really healthy? ›

A plant-based diet is considered to be nutrient-dense and packed with fiber, healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is a very healthy way of eating and can meet all of your nutrient needs.

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