Recipes  

10 Best Recipes for a Vegetarian Summer

Summer is the ideal season to cook vegetarian recipes. With a cornucopia of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs available to us, it’s possible to create a variety of colourful and delicious dishes. Here’s proof, times 10!

1. Buffalo Tofu Steaks with Grilled Carrot Salad

An essential of vegetarian cuisine, tofu is the star of this dish. Cut the plant-based protein into thick slices and cook it in a cast iron pan on the barbecue. Serve the tofu steaks with a creamy ranch sauce and a side dish of grilled carrots. Sprinkle a garnish of herbs and crumbled blue cheese on top.

2. American-Style Double Veggie Burger

This veggie version of hamburgers will please meat lovers as well as vegetarians. Combining tofu and panko breadcrumbs, the veggie patties are cooked in the oven on a baking sheet. Whet your appetite by assembling each burger with two tender and savoury patties on top of each other, a double dose of homemade sauce and generous garnishes. Ready to taste the best of summer?

3. Chimichurri Salad with Grilled Vegetables

Grilled dishes are not the only things you can cook on the barbecue; you can grill salads, too! For this recipe, grill corn on the cob and Nantes carrots to give them a slightly caramelized taste. Serve them in a big bowl with romaine lettuce and mix everything together with chimichurri sauce. Avocado and a few edible flowers from your garden bring the finishing touches to this dish that should impress the guests you share it with.

4. Cold Chickpea and Arugula Soup

Cold soups, like gazpacho, are always welcome in the summertime. This one is made with chickpeas and arugula that you purée in the blender with a herby broth and pieces of pita bread. Leave it to chill for at least two hours before serving with a garnish of sesame- and sumac-seasoned pita and a few sprigs of dill. An original and refreshing dish!

5. Waldorf Salad with Green Apple, Celery and Pecans

There are several variations of the original Waldorf salad recipe, which was created 130 years ago in New York City. This one is made with oak leaf lettuce, green apples, celery, grapes and pecans. The blend of textures and sweet and sour flavours is a surefire winner. Mix it with a quick and easy creamy vinaigrette made with mayonnaise and maple syrup, which brings a local touch.

6. Pasta with Pesto Alla Trapanese, Raw Tomatoes and Burrata

The cherry tomato is a fruit-vegetable that’s easy to grow in earth or in planters. From July to the end of summer, it’s abundant in our gardens and inspires beautiful meals, like this pasta recipe. Serve the spaghetti coated with basil, parsley and mint Sicilian pesto. Raw tomatoes and fresh burrata brighten the dish, adding a touch of sunshine on each plate.

7. Vegetarian Poutine with Grilled Halloumi

Revisit poutine with this version made with everyone’s favourite grilling cheese, halloumi, which you brown in a cast iron pan on the barbecue. Potatoes are also cooked on the grill in papillote. The sauce is made from a mixture of puréed caramelized onions and vegetable broth. One thing is certain; you’ll be in a hurry to dig in!

8. Barbecue Tempeh Sandwiches with Coleslaw

This sandwich is always a great idea when you want to reduce the time you spend cooking. In this vegetarian version, use tempeh coated with barbecue sauce. Serve the plant-based protein between two slices of bread with fork-crushed avocado and crunchy coleslaw. Delicious with a side of sweet potato fries and perfect for lunch!

9. Brown Rice Bowl with Lentils, Carrots and Grapes

Cooked rice, lentils, julienne carrots, fresh slices of avocado and sweet seedless grapes, cilantro leaves; now there’s a combination of ingredients that should rally everyone around the table. Serve these nutritious bowls with a super easy vinaigrette. This is the perfect recipe for weeknight dinners. Plus, everyone will want you to make it again.

10. Veggie Tacos with Melty Cheese

Spice up your summer menu with this vegetarian recipe to cook on the barbecue. Use the grill to roast poblano peppers and give them a nice smokiness. Use it also to reheat the tortillas before sprinkling cheese all over them to melt. Roasted pumpkin seeds covered in spices add a nod to Mexican flavours in these tacos that everyone can garnish to taste.

For more meatless recipe ideas for all seasons, check out our vegetarian category.