Sometimes the best way to eat summer fruit just as Mother Nature intended — out of hand, and if need be, pitted and/or peeled. But sometimes, looking at a bowlful on the table or in the fridge doesn’t tempt as much as using summer fruits in simple and enticing recipes like the ones presented here.
Here you’ll find not just desserts and fruit salads, but savory recipes, cold soups, and beverages as well. So don’t let those summer fruits ripen to oblivion — use them generously in these luscious recipes.
Berry Recipes
Stovetop Apple and Blueberry Crisp: Summer meets fall in this fresh, fruity apple and blueberry crisp, a gluten-free vegan dessert made in a skillet, right on the stovetop. Enjoy a delectable, easy dessert minus the 30 minute baking time usually required for crisps and crumbles. Served warm with dollop of vegan ice cream, it’s heavenly!
Vegan Blueberry Baked Oatmeal is a cross between a dessert and a meal. Many of the recipes for this hearty sweet dish (which can be served for breakfast or brunch, or a dessert) aren’t vegan — they contain eggs, butter, and sometimes milk. Turns out none of these are necessary.
Lemon Poppy Blueberry Muffins: There are lemon blueberry muffins, and there are also lemon poppy muffins. Why choose? You can take two classic muffin recipes and overlap them to make vegan lemon poppy blueberry muffins.
Spinach and Berries Salad is a summer classic. It’s a beautiful cold dish that’s a snap to make at the height of berry season with the best summer berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries, or a combination of any two or three.
Cold Strawberry Soup: A celebration of sweet, juicy strawberries in creamy coconut milk, this quick no-cook soup is delectable enough to serve as a dessert. Be sure to use the season’s best for making this luscious cold soup.
Stone Fruit Recipes
Vegan Unbaked Peach Crisp with Summer Berries: When you want a lovely and easy summer fruit dessert that’s ready in no time, this vegan unbaked peach crisp with lush berries will do the trick. This fruity dessert is particularly good with raspberries, but blueberries work just fine, too.
Vegan Peach or Nectarine Muffins: When peaches are perfectly ripe in midsummer, grab a chance to make these vegan peach muffins on a cool evening. Nectarines (aka peaches without the fuzz) work just as well.
Peach Mint Smoothie: With a base of frozen bananas, this minty smoothie is a luscious and refreshing midsummer beverage. Any kind of peach recipe truly requires excellent fruit, preferably grown in or near the area where you live and shop. You can swap in nectarines if you’d like.
Summer Plum and Beet Salad with Pecans or Walnuts: A plum and beet salad is offbeat, but somehow the combination works! As a midsummer small plate, it’s a cross between a savory salad and fruit salad. Pecans or walnuts add a lovely crunch.
Pearl Couscous Salad with Apricots, Tomatoes, and Cucumbers: This summery salad combining herbs, raw veggies, and lush apricots makes a light and refreshing companion to grilled foods or bold-flavored plant-based protein dishes.
Melon Recipes
Dairy-Free Cantaloupe Shake: Inspired by the nostalgic ice cream treats Creamsicle® and Dreamsicle®, this creamy cantaloupe shake is dairy-free and delicious. Get a dose of vitamin C and beta-carotene from cantaloupe and orange in a delectable vegan ice cream shake.
Cold Melon Soup: Presenting a trio of melons in a luscious base, this is a perfect dessert soup to make in midsummer, when melons are at their sweetest. This cold melon soup featuring watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe makes a refreshing finale to a meal of spicy foods or grilled vegetables and plant-based proteins.
Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho: Adding summer fruit to classic gazpacho works surprisingly well, as this easy gazpacho will prove. The sweet and piquant flavors of watermelon and tomatoes play off of one another in this palate-pleasing summer soup.
Vegan Feta and Watermelon Salad is almost too pretty to eat, and is extra refreshing with the addition of cucumber and a hint of mint. Who first thought of putting watermelon and feta together in a salad? It’s one of those combinations that seems odd at first, but is actually genius.
Watermelon-Cucumber Cooler: What’s more cooling than cucumber? Maybe watermelon. Put the two together and you have an incredibly refreshing summer drink. With a hint of mint and ginger, it’s a blissful way to stay hydrated.
Leave a Reply