Vegan Summer Celebration Menu

You can thank the raspberry bushes in my backyard for this vegan summer menu as I recently harvested a big batch of raspberries, and afterwards, all I could think about was making a berry crumble to celebrate one of the many perks of living in the Pacific Northwest: the abundance of delicious summer berries.

But you can’t just have a berry dessert for the 4th of July (or maybe you can?!), and that’s where the juicy burger and refreshing salad came into the picture. I happily chowed down on these colorful dishes for my 4th of July lunch, and now you can enjoy this vegan summer menu all season long. Here’s to summer eats and summer heat!

Cucumber & Chickpea Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes, makes 6 servings

A vegan summer menu wouldn’t be complete without a salad. You know what I love most about this cucumber & chickpea salad? The textures! Even after sitting in dressing for a while, it still holds such a fun, refreshing crunch.

Ingredients
1 cucumber, cut into wedges
1 cup chickpeas
4 stalks scallions, sliced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing
1/4 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Sriracha (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing one tablespoon at a time over the salad, tossing periodically and increasing the amount of dressing until it is to your liking. (I used three tablespoons total.)

You can prep all the ingredients a day in advance, store it in the fridge, then add the dressing about 30 minutes before serving.

Burger & Home Fries

In the few years that I’ve been vegetarian and then vegan, plant-based meat alternatives have come a very long way. It’s only fitting that I bring up my favorite hashtag: #whatatimetobealive. From a foodie perspective, the highly controversial Impossible Burger (I could write a very long post about that) is the most realistic beef substitute on the market. Even the most carnivorous bloggers I know have enjoyed it. The Impossible Burger hasn’t officially hit grocery stores yet, but I was lucky enough to have some patties leftover from an event I worked on.

It seems silly to post a burger recipe since this is not a recipe for a homemade burger patty. However, what I will give you is a list of classic toppings to complement whatever burger patty you’re serving, whether it’s the Impossible, Beyond, Gardein, or homemade:

• Hampton’s Creek Just Mayo
• Romaine lettuce
• Avocado (1/4 large avocado per burger)
• Grilled onions
• Thick tomato slice

Since I created this vegan summer menu with the 4th of July in mind, it seems only fitting to have potatoes to accompany the burger. Before cooking my home fries up in a pan, I tossed them with a little oil, paprika, Italian seasoning, and nutritional yeast. What are your favorite seasonings for home fries?

Raspberry Crisp

Prep time: 45 minutes, makes 6 servings

I recently learned the difference between cobblers, crumbles, and crisps. They’re very similar, but with cobblers, the topping is placed on top on the berries in small rounds, giving it the appearance of a cobblestone street. Crumbles and crisps both have a streusel-like topping, but crisps contain oats and crumbles do not. I enjoy the added texture of oats, and I’ve been calling it a crumble for years until now!

Ingredients*
3 cup fresh raspberries
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
2/3 cup + 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oats
Pinch of salt
6 tbsp vegan butter, cut into pieces

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch baking pan.

Combine raspberries, arrowroot powder, 2/3 cup sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Gently toss until the berries are lightly coated in arrowroot and sugar. Transfer to the baking pan.

Mix all the remaining dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the berries.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and the berries are bubbling. Allow to sit before serving.

*Use organic flour and sugar to ensure that it is vegan and free of bone char.