These vegetarian 4th of July recipes are bright, fresh, and ready for your next summer BBQ cookout – healthy plant based meals and sides! Simple make-ahead meals that everyone at your next gathering will love! These plant based Fourth of July recipes feature some of our favorites: and air fryer smores!
I wanted to try something fun this year, so I decided to make a list of my favorite vegetarian 4th of July recipes everyone can enjoy – this week’s meal plan is dedicated to easy summer meal prep and warm nights! These plant based summer recipes are ones that we eat regularly on the homestead (tried & true!), and are simple and totally repeatable for cooks of any skill level. Check out all of my Weekly Vegan Meal Plans here!
Summer Recipes for Plant-Based Meal Prep!
I’m a meal prepper all year, but find it essential in the summer months when I don’t want to spend every day cooking. Batch cooking is a lifesaver, so I make multiple portions of everything and prep them out before a party – I made a list of some of my favorite meal prep products on Amazon here that also help me out. By having a few hours of prep and cooking during the week (and a few handy meal prep tools) you don’t have to spend time in the kitchen on crazy weeknights when your family is the busiest.
How To Spend Less Time Cooking while you Entertain
I actually spend way less time cooking if I prep as much as possible on the weekend. I utilize fresh ingredients when I can, and head to the pantry for everything else. That way, we have homemade meals and appetizers, with very little cooking time on my end. Thanks to a few of my favorite meal prep products, long-term food storage is safe and easy!
Vegetarian 4th of July Appetizers
Start your BBQ off the right way with some delicious and delightful appetizers! These dishes can range from dips and hummuses, snacks with sauces, or just fun finger foods everyone will love. You can check out all of my appetizer recipes here on The Herbeevore!
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
This vegan nacho cheese sauce without nuts is loaded with plant-based veggies, and is oil free, dairy free, so good, and so good FOR you! Made with super flavorful roasted vegetables and spices, this cheese sauce is a fantastic recipe to dip chips into, load onto a burrito, or drizzle over fries.
These BBQ Deviled Eggs are a great summer party appetizer for a cookout, potluck, or luau - a sweet and spicy take on classic recipe! These BBQ hard boiled eggs are a fun and simple appetizer that everyone will love. These eggs are vegetarian, gluten free, and SO good!
This green goddess hummus recipe is bright and flavorful, packed with fresh herbs and greens. Great for using extra garden veggies to dip into! Vegan, vegetarian, high fiber, and high protein.
Soft and fluffy no knead sourdough Hawaiian rolls take very little prep time. This pantry staple sweet bread is great for sliders, breakfast buns, and dipping!
This creamy vegan tofu tzatziki is made with high protein silken tofu, fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, and bright spices. A great addition to pitas, shawarma, or falafel! This blender tzatziki sauce is ready in 5 minutes and is made with simple and fresh ingredients.
These easy vegetarian and vegan 4th of july salad recipes are bold and flavorful additions to any BBQ. No boring iceberg lettuce here, this hearty summer salads are loaded with grains, beans, herbs, and flavorful dressings!
Peach Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Sweet and savory, this roasted peach salad combines peaches, asparagus & summer squash with a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette! Serve over fresh mixed greens for the perfect bite of summer.
This Costco copycat Tuscan Bean Salad is a delicious take on the store-bought salad! Fresh herbs and a pesto dressing lighten this salad into something special. This salad is bright, fresh, and vegan - a perfect summer salad for your next party, potluck, or BBQ.
This creamy kidney bean salad recipe is a bright and fresh side dish, made with beans, vegetables, and a light and tangy dressing. A fantastic copycay recipe from White Fence Farm.
This Orange Avocado Salad is a vibrant and fresh summer fruit salad that is loaded with flavor, healthy fats, and sweet citrus fruit. The dressing has a secret ingredient to make this breakfast salad recipe absolutely pop. This is one fantastic way to eat avocado for breakfast that's not avocado toast! Vegan, Whole30 approved, paleo, and gluten free... perfect for anyone!
This rainbow vegan Greek salad is perfect for a pot luck, brunch, or game day party! Filled with artichokes, olives, roasted peppers, and feta this salad is as impressive as it is delicious. Dairy free & Gluten Free too!
My plate at a BBQ is usually 20% grilled food, and 80% side dishes! I love to load up on sweet and vinegary coleslaw, herby pasta salads, and smokey baked beans. The sides are just as important as the main dish, and these great vegetarian summer sides for the 4th of July will be total crowd pleasers.
Instant Pot Cowboy Beans
This Instant Pot Cowboy Beans recipe will kick up your next summer BBQ! A hearty and high protein side dish everyone will love.
This avocado garlic bread is the perfect addition to your next pasta night- a rich and garlicky side dish ready in 10 minutes, vegan and gluten free. A great bread for spaghetti night, to eat with pesto risotto, or to enjoy with a caprese salad.
No-Cook 3 Bean Salad Side Dish
This 3 Bean Salad is one of the best no cook sides with loads of flavor. Canned beans, jarred vegetables, and simple dressing - this easy bean salad appetizer is ready in 5 minutes, but tastes like it took hours! A great last minute bbq side dish to bring to a party that everyone will love!
This simple lemon quinoa salad is packed with fresh vegetables and herbs in a simple lemon vinaigrette! Easy to make, and ready in 10 minutes. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and plant based a great summer side dish for entertaining, potlucks, or BBQs!
This sour cream coleslaw isTHE Best Coleslaw I have ever had! Crisp, tangy, creamy and delicious- this is the perfect side dish for a BBQ, holiday party, or just a weeknight dinner!
It’s not a proper BBQ without a pasta salad! We always have a pasta salad out for guests – they are simple to make and prep ahead of time, inexpensive, and always seem to hit the spot. The secret to the BEST summer pasta salads are to make the dressing yourself. Here are a few vegetarian summer pasta recipes your guests will love:
Go-To Summer BBQ Pasta Salad (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)
This is a perfect Summer BBQ Pasta Salad to bring to a cookout, tailgate, potluck, or brunch! Loaded with veggies and easy to make ahead.
Amish Macaroni Salad (No Mayo, Gluten Free)
This gluten free macaroni salad with Amish Dressing (and no mayo!) is a classic recipe that's a perfect side dish salad for your next potluck, bbq, or party. This no mayo macaroni salad recipe is loaded with fresh vegetables and has a thick, sweet, and creamy dressing.
This Caprese pesto pasta salad with balsamic vinaigrette is a delicious and veggie-packed summer side dish, perfect for a BBQ, cookout, or holiday party.
This vegan macaroni and cheese is nut free and and is oil free, and has a sharp tangy dairy free cheese sauce that is pure vegan comfort food! This cozy vegan mac and cheese recipe is made with roasted vegetables, bold spices, and a creamy plant based milk sauce. Perfect vegan nostalgia food!
And for the finale, we have some of my favorite vegetarian summer main courses for your 4th of July menu! These hearty and satisfying recipes are great for meat-eaters and vegeterians alike. And there are some great vegan options for those who avoid dairy and animal products too.
Hawaiian BBQ Tofu Bowls (Vegan, GF)
Say aloha to these Hawaiian BBQ Tofu Bowls! This vegan sheet pan dinner is bursting with flavor from roasted pineapple, peppers, onion, and zucchini in a flavorful pineapple BBQ sauce! Toss with crispy tofu for a protein packed meal with delicious tropical taste.
Veggie Kabobs in the Oven
These vegetable kabobs in the oven are super yummy Make-Ahead Vegan Party skewers that will satisfy even the pickiest meat-eaters! Marinating the veggies overnight gives this dish amazing flavor - perfect for any party, gathering, or BBQ.
These crispy tahini tofu wraps are a fresh, vibrant, and high protein lunch or dinner! Made with delicious crispy baked tofu, fresh chopped vegetables, and creamy hummus. These wraps are vegan, gluten free, vegetarian, and SO delicious!
This chickpea shawarma pita recipe is a perfectly spiced high protein lunch or dinner. Top with vegan tzatziki, tabbouleh, and your favorite veggies! This is a simple dinner that is ready in about 30 minutes, a easy and healthy weeknight meal.
Turmeric Tofu Salad Sandwich (Vegan, GF)
This turmeric tofu salad sandwich is a healthy protein packed vegan egg salad - made with healthy spices, homemade bread, and veggies! A great meal prep lunch to enjoy for many meals throughout the week.
These recipes are fantastic and pantry-staple friendly! They use almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards. You probably already have a lot of these ingredients on hand already. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and healthy meals using a few staples you can rotate. I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep on hand. And you can browse through all my favorite pantry staple ingredients on Amazon. By stocking up on healthy whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!
A Few Meal Prep Products That Make Life SO Much Easier!
As a meal prepper and planner, I rely on having durable reliable equipment in my kitchen to make my life easier. Airtight food storage containers and mason jars are great ways to keep food fresh longer. I also love my Instant Pot (I swear by it!) for prepping healthy and simple meals in no time! Here are a few of my favorite products that I use almost everyday! You can also browse a list of some of my favorite products that help me meal prep and organize for the week!
As always, if you make any of these vegan and vegetarian fourth of july recipes for summer, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Kelly Jensen has 7 years experience as a food blogger, freelance recipe developer, content creator, beekeeper, and loves cooking everything she can from scratch.
Kelly Jensen
