Your Ultimate Summer Food Guide: What’s in Season? Plus, cookbooks and vegan recipe ideas

We have celebrated summer for centuries. In fact, some historians believe that our ancestors observed the summer solstice—which recognizes the longest day of the year—as far back as the Stone Age. Today, for most people, summer is still an appreciated season. It represents many positives: barbecues with loved ones, picnics, camping trips and vacations, all of which always include plenty of delicious food and drink. And while all seasons are associated with delicious food (let’s hear it for pumpkin pie in the fall), arguably, summer offers the cream of the crop.

We’re talking delicious ice cream, light salads, and juicy burgers—it doesn’t get much better. If you’re looking for summer meal inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ve got it all – from the best summer recipes to some of our own favorite vegan recipes from the best cookbooks. If your tastes are tantalizing, let’s dive right in.

What is the season this summer?

Summer is the season for growing and harvesting all kinds of delicious produce. Corn, cucumbers, and eggplant are just a few examples of the types of vegetables that have their own this season, but you can find more examples and delicious recipe ideas. We’ve also put together this guide to zucchini, which covers how to cook with the summer favorite, as well as all of its nutritional benefits.

You can also find our guide to summer fruits, as well as some in-depth explanations of two seasonal classics, watermelon and berries. And we’ve also covered heirloom tomatoes, and whatnot right Makes them so special. Also, you can follow our guide to nopel, which is usually harvested from August, and learn more about how to cook with the Mexican ingredient, as well as all its nutritional benefits.

Best summer recipes

Let’s start with the obvious: one of the best ways to cook in the summer is on the grill, outside, with all your loved ones. But summer cooking doesn’t always involve barbecue. Sometimes, the best meals to cook when it’s hot outside are quick and easy (salads and pasta, for example), so you have more time for all the summer fun. Another way to keep things simple is to use an Instant Pot, so you can spend the day in the sun before heading out to find a nutritious, delicious dinner waiting for you. To help you with cooking ideas, we’ve compiled nine vegan cookbooks, all packed with recipes perfect for the summer months.

The best cookbook for easy vegetarian summer meals

1
A Vegan Summer in Southern Italy

There’s no denying it: flights to Italy are expensive. But with Nadia Fragnito’s Southern Italy-inspired cookbook, you can at least enjoy it the taste of the Mediterranean, without actually buying a plane ticket. Try everything from simple busiate alla trapanese (which is a delicious take on pasta with pesto) to caponata (which is a delicious eggplant stew).
Buy it now

2
VBQ The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook

Meat may be seen as a stereotypical barbecue staple, but this vegetarian cookbook is here to help you change that narrative. Wow your guests with pulled mushroom sandwiches, coleslaw, tandoori tofu skewers and more.
Buy it now

3Raw and radiant

Interested in following a raw plant-based diet? With all the fresh fruits and vegetables in season, summer is a great season to try it. Let this cookbook be your guide to delicious, vibrant, mouth-watering raw vegan recipes, including soups, salads, smoothies, and desserts.
Buy it now

4Vegan barbecue

You can never have too many vegan barbecue recipe ideas. Add 70 more to your rotation with this book by Katy Besco, which will help you throw together everything from brown sugar baked beans to buttered hasselback squash.
Buy it now

5i am
Instant Pot Indian Vegan Cookbook

May be the summer months busy And there isn’t always extra time to cook. But with an Instant Pot, you can save time and still make sure you’re getting a nutritious, delicious meal every night. This book contains 50 recipes for Indian-style dishes, including dal, curries, soups and sambar, all of which come together easily in the Instant Pot.
Buy it now

6Mocktail party

so what really A sunny, comfortable, summer day unless you drink a delicious fruit drink? With this book, you don’t have to find the answer to that question. Treat yourself to a chilled glass of delicious frozen or a blueberry daiquiri Mocktail party.
Buy it now

7The 30-Minute Whole-Foods, Plant-Based Cookbook

For more quick summer dinner ideas, order a copy of this whole-foods, plant-based cookbook by Kathy Davis, which will show you how to make simple, delicious meals without salt, oil, or refined sugar. And the best part? Nothing takes more than 30 minutes.
Buy it now

More easy vegetarian summer meal ideas

All of the cookbooks above are packed with delicious ideas for vegan summer meals, but if you want more, we’re happy to deliver, as we’ve got plenty of inspiration of our own below. Whether you’re in the mood for a light pasta salad, a refreshing smoothie or a meaty burger without the meat, we’ve got you covered.

Compassionate cuisine

1 Picnic Pasta Salad

No picnic is complete without pasta salad. That’s the rule. Make yours a hit by combining spicy pickles, fresh herbs, your favorite chopped veggies and some elbow macaroni.
Get the recipe

Alex McLaughlin

2 Sweet Corn and Pepper Gazpacho

soup? In the summer? It sounds wrong, but, when it’s cold, it’s right. This recipe calls for bell peppers, fresh corn, cucumbers, and white beans, which combine to create a creamy, sweet new summer classic.
Get the recipe

Hannah Kaminsky

3 Cheesy Scalloped Summer Squash

Combine zucchini with yellow squash and homemade cheesy sauce to create this delicious creamy side dish, perfect for enjoying outside with a salad and a glass of white wine.
Get the recipe

Kylie Perrotti

4 Nectarine and Chickpea Salad

Make your summer salads extra juicy by adding them with aromatic and flavorful nectars. The flavors are quite good, especially with the mild chickpeas and spicy jalapeño peppers.
Get the recipe

Page Street Publishing

5 Garlic-Rosemary Vegetable Skewers

Burgers and sausages are grilling staples, but sometimes, you need to shake things up a bit. These skewers are not only very easy to make, but they are packed with flavor.
Get the recipe

Chef Ahki

6 Coconut-Lime Smoothie

This refreshing coconut water smoothie also contains avocado, lime and dates, which combine to create a smooth, creamy and nutritious summer drink.
Get the recipe

Karina Skrobecki Photography

7 Picnic Poblano Pepper Salad

This simple salad is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser when you bring a Tupperware to your next picnic. Just make sure you prepare enough.
Get the recipe

mining book

8 Spicy Ancho-Spice BBQ Burger

You don’t need real meat to make beefy, juicy burgers. Instead, combine black beans with ingredients like garlic and mushrooms in a food processor to make these delicious vegan patties. And don’t forget the all-important vegan cheese.
Get the recipe

Alejandra Schrader, Dr. Gunhild Stordalen

9 Cantaloupe and Prickly Pear Ice Pops

For a refreshing, nutritious, cool snack, make this thirst-quenching ice cream with ingredients like lime juice, maple syrup, prickly pear, and cantaloupe.
Get the recipe

Hannah Kaminsky

10 Grilled S’mores with Strawberries and Bananas

The next time you gather around the campfire, level up your toasting game with these deliciously indulgent vegan s’mores with chocolate, strawberries, and bananas.
Get the recipe