If you have a garden, then you know that this is the time of the year when you can’t pick your zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers fast enough. These hearty summer veggies will keep on producing until the weather starts to get cold. This is also the perfect time to visit your local farmers market if you don’t have your own growing space.
This bounty of healthy and nutritious vegetables can be made into a large variety of dishes for all the meals of the day. There is something for everyone to enjoy.
Roasted Summer Veggies
This is a simple and delicious way to prepare vegetables. There is some prep time involved in getting the vegetables ready to cook and some oven time but this can be utilized to make a main dish. If you don’t usually eat zucchini, peppers, or root vegetables, you should give this recipe from the blog Budget Bytes a try. Roasting vegetables on high heat caramelizes the natural sugars in them and makes the vegetables taste absolutely delicious.
Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole
This broccoli-quinoa casserole is a healthy one-pot main dish. The easy recipe from Eating Well is sure to please with its creamy, cheesy texture. All you need is quinoa, 4 cups of broccoli florets, one can of cannellini beans, yogurt, milk, fontina cheese, olive oil , fresh garlic, and seasonings. It’s that simple.
Spinach Pie
This classic Greek Spanakopita (spinach pie) from The Pioneer Women is a bit more complicated. It consists of wafer-thin phyllo leaves – that you can purchase or make yourself – with a creamy spinach filling. You can use fresh spinach leaves or frozen in a pinch. The tangy feta cheese and herbs makes this a quintessentially Mediterranean dish. Serve spinach pie with a Greek salad for a tasty summer lunch or dinner.
Carrot Smoothie
Zucchini and Mushroom Sauté
While zucchini is so plentiful, now is the time to try this wholesome and delicious recipe from Eating Well. All you need is two small zucchini julienned, a cup and a half of sliced mushrooms, olive oil, basil and ground pepper. Zucchini is a very versatile vegetable that can be used in a myriad of recipes from sautés, to fried sticks, to breads and muffins.
Vegan Lentil Soup
Homemade soups can be enjoyed any time of the year, especially when it contains an assortment of healthy summer vegetables. This super easy one-pot recipe from Simple Veganista uses carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, spinach, and lentils for a meal full of plant-based protein and fiber. And best of all, it only takes 45 minutes to prepare.
Tomato Salad
Nothing tastes better than fresh ripe summer tomatoes. And this tomato salad from Country Living is a delicious part of a healthy lunch or dinner. You will need around a pound of assorted heirloom tomatoes, a pint of cherry tomatoes, chives, wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper, as well as some small fresh basil leaves to use as a garnish. Chop, mix, and enjoy.