Vegan summer dishes by Boris Lauser

Credit: Boris Lauser

Summer is here! The sun is shining, temperatures are rising and we are longing for light, refreshing meals. It's the time for barbecues and light summer cuisine. While many people often find it a little more difficult to make vegan, savoury and filling dishes in winter, it is much easier to conjure up vegan summer dishes, if only because of the abundance of fresh ingredients that are available everywhere. This literally cries out for vegan summer dishes that provide us with energy without weighing us down. Let this article inspire you with lots of vegan summer recipes and discover the diversity of raw, plant-based cuisine!

Refreshing drinks for hot days

Let's start with refreshing drinks that should not be missing on any summer day.

Green smoothie deluxe

Blend fresh greens (baby spinach, kale, chard, wild herbs, etc.), cucumber, apple, lemon and a little ginger with water or coconut water. You can add some avocado for a creamy texture. A dash of Keimling agave syrup or 1 dried fig or Medjol date provide a pleasant sweetness. One or 2 tablespoons of shelled hemp seeds for creaminess and omega 3 fatty acids.

Berry lemonade with mint

Puree mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) with a little water and lemon juice. Pour the puree through a fine sieve and mix with sparkling water. Fresh mint adds a special flavour to this vegan summer recipe. For more variety and vitamins, stir a tablespoon of goji berries into the lemonade or mix them in at the beginning.

Watermelon and basil drink

Dice watermelon and mix with fresh basil leaves and a little lime juice. A refreshing and thirst-quenching treat!

Light salads and starters - vegan summer recipes at their best

Salads are the stars among vegan summer dishes. They are versatile, filling and full of important nutrients.

Courgette noodle salad with creamy cashew sauce

Use a spiraliser to turn courgettes into fine noodles. To make the sauce, soak Keimling cashews and then puree them with lemon juice, yeast flakes, a little water, garlic and fresh herbs such as dill and chives. Add cherry tomatoes and rocket and sprinkle some Paranut Parmesan on top. This is made in a Magimix or similar food processor from Brazil nuts, salt, yeast flakes and garlic.

Mango and avocado salad with lime dressing:

Dice ripe mango and avocado and mix with a seaweed mix for omega-3 fatty acids, chopped red onion,plenty of fresh coriander and a little chilli. Dill and mint also work very well. For the dressing, mix lime juice, olive oil, agave syrup, nama tamari with grated garlic and ginger. This salad is an exotic highlight among vegan summer recipes.

Colourful raw vegetable slaw with sprouts

Combine grated carrots, beetroot, kohlrabi and white or red cabbage. Refine the salad with a handful of Keimling alfalfa or other sprouts from the sprout box. To make the dressing, mix almond butter or soaked almonds with orgeat juice, lemon juice, grated ginger, salt or nama tamari, linseed oil and pepper. Refine the salad with freshly chopped herbs to taste and chopped walnuts. Ideally, soak the walnuts, marinate them and then dry them in a dehydrator to achieve the best flavour and nutritional results. A very fresh and nutritious vegan summer recipe.

Tomato and mozzarella skewers (vegan)

Use cherry tomatoes and preferably a homemade cashew mozzarella. This is made from cashew nuts and psyllium husks. (You can find a very special recipe from Boris Lauser in his Raw Chef Academy or his Fermentation Masterclass: Probiotic Fermented Mozzarella). Thread the tomatoes and mozzarella pieces alternately onto skewers and drizzle with balsamic glaze, an intensely fruity olive oil and fresh basil. A simple and delicious snack for any summer party.
Protein tip: All of these salads can be upgraded with more nuts, hemp seeds, marinated tempeh or other cooked pulses to make a complete protein-rich vegan main course.

Protein tip: All of these salads can be upgraded with more nuts, hemp seeds, marinated tempeh or other cooked pulses to make a complete protein-rich vegan main course.

Main courses - Vegan summer dishes that fill you up

Filling and delicious main courses can also be conjured up without cooking.

Raw food wraps with vegetable filling

Use large lettuce leaves (e.g. romaine lettuce or chard) as wraps. Or even better and tastier, mix your own wraps and make real vegetable wraps in the dehydrator, as Raw Chef Boris Lauser describes in this video (link to the Raw Food Challenge video here) Fill them with vegetables of your choice and tempeh for extra protein and a creamy sauce made from Keimling nut butters, lemon juice and herbs.

Gazpacho - the Spanish raw food soup

Blend ripe tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, long chilli peppers, lime and olive oil to make a slightly creamy but still chunky soup. Chill thoroughly and serve with fresh herbs and optional sprouted hemp seeds as a topping. This cold soup is a classic vegan summer recipe. Boris Lauser tip: Add a few strawberries to give this soup a wonderful fruity touch and combine it with a homemade probiotic lime yoghurt ice cream to turn it into a gourmet dish. An idea from the Raw Chef Academy.

Sushi rolls

Turn cauliflower into a rice-like consistency in the Magimix food processor. Add a little rice vinegar, agave syrup, linseed oil and bind with a small amount of psyllium husk. Hemp seeds provide additional omega 3. Use thin strips of radish, cucumber and carrot as well as avocado and marinated and baked tempeh as a filling. As a dip, serve with a dollop of Keimling Tamari and/or a wasabi mayonnaise made from wasabi paste and cashew nuts.

Vegan summer pizza (raw food version):

Prepare a "pizza base" from nut pomace, cauliflower rice, soaked walnuts and linseed. Form one or more pizza bases and dry them in the dehydrator at 45 degrees for approx. 15-20 hours. Top with tomato sauce (pureed from fresh and dried tomatoes, olive oil, herbs and agave syrup or coconut blossom sugar), a cheese sauce as described in the courgette pasta salad and marinated courgettes, mushrooms and herbs. These can spend another 1-2 hours in the dehydrator so that the sauces dry slightly. A fantastic vegan summer dish.

Sweet treats - vegan summer recipes for the sweet tooth

Even without an oven, there are wonderful vegan summer dishes for those with a sweet tooth.

Nicecream

Freeze ripe bananas and then puree them with a few ice cubes in a Vitamix or similar high-performance blender until creamy. Refine your nicecream with creamy almond or other nut purees, berries, mango, cocoa powder, spirulina, maca powder, vanilla and much more.

Chia pudding with fruit

Mix Keimling chia seeds with plant milk (e.g. almond or coconut milk) and leave the mixture to soak for at least 30 minutes. Top the chia pudding with fresh fruit and some Keimling maple syrup.
Tip: Refine the nut milk directly with dates or other dried fruit, cocoa powder or paste, nibs, vanilla, agave syrup, etc.

Raw tartelettes with berries

Prepare a base of nuts and dates. For the filling, puree cashew nuts with berries, lemon juice and a little sweetener. Fill the tartelette moulds and leave to set in the fridge. For more advanced variations, take a look at Boris Lauser's Raw Chef Academy and Fermentation Masterclass. (Here possibly link to my strawberry tarts?)

Be inspired by the variety of vegan summer dishes and enjoy the sunny days with light, nutritious meals. With the high-quality products from Keimling.de and the creative ideas in this article, your summer is guaranteed to be a culinary highlight! Try out these vegan summer recipes and discover your new favourite dishes!