Vegan Summer Meals in 15 Minutes or Less

Summer is the time to spend more time outside and with friends and family (or at least if you ask me!). So when it comes to cooking summer meals, I tend to error on the side of quick, easy, and something that doesn’t require an oven! No need to create more heat, right?? In Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science deeply rooted in centuries of science just not in the traditional sense, there are certain properties to foods. For example, mint, cucumbers, dill, and sweet ripe fruits are all very cooling to the pitta nature of summer (fiery, heat). While I’m not a certified Ayurvedic practitioner, I have found many of the principles to be helpful.

The three fifteen minute meals for summer below are based on foods my husband and I eat on a regular basis during these heat filled months but also based on some Ayurvedic principles. Like many of my meal plans and meal suggestions, you’ll see some repeat ingredients to help save money at the grocery store but to also help reduce food waste. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these summer meals…and you’ll have time to let me know because they won’t take an eon to make/create! 😉 Happy eating!

Sausage with White Beans and Kale (serves 3-4)

Sometimes meals that require minimal prep are better for lunch meals as they just aren’t hearty enough for dinner. This vegan recipe is the exception…high protein sausage and meals plus fiber from the whole grains and kale make this one hard to pass up. Beans, greens, and grains – the winning ingredients for sure! If your family or significant other isn’t super stoked about Meatless Monday or meatless meals, this is a great introductory meal or at least one to throw into the rotation. Note: Field Roast Sausages come in packages of 4 near the refrigerated cooler section in produce (think where the tofu is). This meal works great for meal prep and leftovers for the week, so if you’re not sure what to do with the remaining 2 sausages, double the recipe! I will say, we tend to like vegan sausages in meals rather than on their own.

2 Fieldroast Sausages (or other vegan sausages) – I use the Italian or Smoked Apple Sage

1 can of cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 10oz bag of chopped kale (Tuscan Kale from Trader Joe’s is my favorite here)

1/2 red onion, chopped

6 large button mushrooms, chopped

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

1/8-1/4 vegetable bouillon cube

brown rice or quick cooking farro (Trader Joe’s), for serving

crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1. Start to boil water and prepare your brown rice/quick cooking farro according to package instructions at the same time as the meal so everything is done at once. Protip: Make a big batch of a grain pilaf and use for multiple meals, like this one! Saves a ton of time.
2. In a large non-stick skillet with cover (make sure it has room for everything as this is a one pot meal), saute chopped onion and mushrooms in dash of olive oil for a few minutes until mostly cooked. While onion and mushrooms are cooking, remove the casing on the sausage and slice into 1/4 inch coins. Add sausage coins to mixture and saute a couple minutes.
3. Add in chopped kale (you may need to remove some of the large stem parts or tear some of the pieces into smaller pieces). Side note: bitter foods like kale are recommended for summer as bitter flavors have drying properties that can help cool us off by drying sweat or dampness from accumulated moisture in the body. Add in maple syrup and bouillon and a few dashes of water to help “steam the kale.” Cover the skillet with a lid and cover for a couple minutes. Remove cover, stir, and stir in beans. Heat until warm.
4. Serve with brown rice or farro and enjoy!

Marinated Artichoke Hearts with Garbanzo Beans and Brown Rice (serves 2)

This is a great hearty salad that can be served cold if you’re really needing a cool vegan summer meal. It’s also great to multiply the quantity and take to a BBQ or gathering. If you’re in the mood for hot food but you’ve got limited time, simply heat the ingredients together on the stove. It seriously takes less than 10 minutes, even if you have to whip up your own dressing (which I usually prefer because it always amazes me at how much better it tastes and how easy it can be to make your own vegan Italian dressing as most Italian dressings contain milk/cheese)

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained (aim for no added salt)

4 tablespoons of your favorite Italian based dressing or pesto (homemade Italian for a couple recipes: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning, dash (1/4 teaspoon) of garlic powder and onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste – this will keep in fridge for a week – double and use to mix and mash with smashed chickpeas for an easy lunch)

Brown Rice Pilaf to serve – traditional brown rice or if really short on time or need camping meal, use a pouch like Seeds of Change Brown Rice and Quinoa. This is how this meal started actually – camping and we needed something fairly ready to go to limit cooking and maximize time hiking/paddleboarding…note: these packets contain a considerable amount of salt – if you’re hiking/running out in the summer heat, no problem but if not, minimize added salt by choosing no added salt beans and skipping the salt in your homemade dressing if making

1. Mix all ingredients together and serve cold, room temperature or heat on a stove! Want more veggies? Add in 1/2 a pack of chopped frozen spinach
2. If you aren’t using the prepared pilaf, cooking the grain will be the longest part of this recipe and if you use instant brown rice or quick cooking farro (from Trader Joe’s), you’ll have dinner on the table in no time!

10 Minute Pantry Dal (serves 4)

Most of the Indian inspired meals I love to make take a considerable amount of time, even when I use my pressure cooker. However, by using canned beans, this meal comes together in no time. This is certainly not an authentic recipe, but does indeed cross of the checkbox for speedy summer vegan meal using many foods you may already have in your pantry…and if not, they are certainly easy to add to you shopping list. This is also the kind of meal I like to make when coming back from a trip….you know, when you have nothing in your house and you haven’t gone grocery shopping yet but you also are done going out to eat. This recipe works with many vegetable combinations and while I’ve provided some options, feel free to get creative with what you have on hand or what you prefer!

4 cups diced veggies (use your imagination or use one of these combinations: frozen or fresh broccoli and/or cauliflower, peeled potatoes and frozen peas, summer squash and zucchini – great if you’ve got a lot of this summer produce, frozen spinach, chopped kale, etc)

1 can lentils or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained – I prefer the small lentil here but sometimes canned can be hard to find. I’ve had good luck at Wal-Mart and Whole Foods

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can coconut milk

1/2 red onion, diced (or add a few dashes of onion powder to truly make this a pantry dal)

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 gloves of garlic, minced)

1 tablespoon Indian curry powder, or more to taste based on your personal preferences – I have used a variety and currently use Rani Curry Powder because it’s salt free and a bit spicier – Biggest thing here is to make sure it’s not a Jamaican or other curry powder

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste – less if your curry powder contains salt

cracked black pepper to taste

Serve with cooked rice or grain of choice – I would consider using Instant Brown rice as in previous recipes or use a prepared/leftover grain pilaf

Optional: fresh chopped cilantro leaves or fresh lime juice if you’ve got it – these flavors help the meal become more vibrant and “come alive”