Hot Weather, Cool Kitchen: 21 Vegan Recipes for People and a Planet that Need to Chill Out
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The Chicago area is now experiencing the triple digit weather so many have lived through (or are currently still enduring) after a fairly cool summer by our standards. I am not complaining! Give me pleasant autumn weather year-round and I’d be happy.
I thought it might be nice to gather together some recipes that will not heat up your kitchen. Most are cold — yes, of course I’ve got gazpacho but there is so much more! — and a few are warm but made in the slow cooker so your home can stay cool. You will notice that most fit into the light meal category, which is fine for those hot days. I did not include any dessert recipes because, come on, just buy some dairy-free ice cream and be done with it, you know?
Before we get to the recipes, just a quick reminder that in addition to the other benefits, plant-based diets are one of the best ways to dramatically shrink our environmental footprints, including creating 75% less climate-heating emissions than diets in which more than 100 grams (or 3.5-ounces, less than a quarter pound) of meat a day was eaten. Don’t like climate change? You shouldn’t. Let’s do something about it.
Okay, now…let’s get to it, shall we?
Soups
Ultimate Gazpacho via Cookie + Kate
Watermelon Gazpacho via Love and Lemons
Cold Cucumber Soup with Avocado and Basil via Plant-Based Jess
Salads
Vegan Chicken Salad via Eating Bird Food
Chickpea Waldorf Salad via Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen
Curried Tofu Salad via Cadry’s Kitchen
Taco Salad via The Simple Veganista
Caprese Salad via Let’s Be Vegan
Curried Chickpea Salad via Jessica in the Kitchen
Everyday Kale Salad via From My Bowl
Mediterranean Bean Salad via AICR.org
No-Cook Black Bean Salad via Eating Well
Sandwiches
Vegan Egg Salad Sandwiches via It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
Pesto Caprese Sandwich via Zen and Zaatar
Miscellaneous
Creamy Hummus via Dreena Burton
Raw Thai Lettuce Wraps with Creamy Peanut Butter Sauce via Healthy Vegan
Homemade Fresh Summer Rolls* via Bianca Zapatka
Mediterranean Zucchini Noodles via This Savory Vegan
Slow-Cooker Tofu BBQ Bowls via VeganStreet.com
Crockpot Carnitas via Blissful Basil
Slow Cooker BBQ Soy Curls via VeganStreet.com
* Requires a little heat to prepare the noodles unless you buy noodles that can soften fully in hot water.
Marla Rose is co-founder of VeganStreet.com.
