12 Refreshing Plant-Based Recipes To Help You Cool Off in the Heat

Beat the summer heat with these 12 easy, vegan recipes made with seasonal produce and refreshing herbs, sauces, and dressings to help cool off from the sun.

Enjoy the taste of crunchy string beans in your dairy-and-egg-free chickpea Nicoise salad, loaded with potatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, and more. Turn a watermelon into cubed poke with our miso-ginger marinate and enjoy it in a bowl of radishes, carrots, cucumbers, jasmine rice, seaweed, and more.

Make your own dairy-free strawberry ice cream at home with our five-ingredient recipe that's creamy, sweet, and smooth. And for the chocolate lovers, try our vegan mousse made with silken tofu and dark chocolate for the ultimate refreshing, velvety treat.

1. How to Make Vegan Yogurt for Breakfast

Cool off with this easy, homemade dairy-free yogurt made with just three ingredients and topped with your favorite berries. Prepare ahead of time since the cashews need to be soaked overnight.

Recipe: How to Make Vegan Yogurt for Under $1 a Serving

2. Blackberry Basil Dairy-Free Yogurt Toast

Turn your toast into a sweet, savory, summery breakfast in under 10 minutes. Spread your favorite dairy-free yogurt on your choice of bread, top it with blackberries, a drizzle of maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar, and finish it off with fresh basil.

Recipe: Blackberry Basil Dairy-Free Yogurt

3. Chickpea Salad Niçoise with Dairy-Free Lemon Dijon Dressing

Looking for a flavorful and healthy lunch option? Make this chickpea salad nicoise full of hearty potatoes, crunchy green beans, seasonal tomatoes, olives, and more. Each bite is like a trip to France!

Recipe: Chickpea Salad Niçoise with Dairy-Free Lemon Dijon Dressing

4. Vegan Macaroni Salad

Planning a cookout? Make this chilled vegan macaroni salad with dairy-and-egg-free mayo for the perfect refreshing side dish. Enjoy it with a veggie burger!

Recipe: Vegan Macaroni Salad

5. Vegan Poke Bowl with Miso-Ginger Marinated Watermelon

Turned watermelon into miso-ginger marinated poke with this easy recipe that includes jasmine rice, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, avocado, and seaweed.

Recipe: Vegan Poke Bowl with Miso-Ginger Marinated Watermelon

6. Dairy-Free Cucumber Gazpacho

Made with vegan yogurt, this chilled cucumber soup is the perfect appetizer to serve at your dinner party or to simply enjoy for lunch on a hot day.

Recipe: Dairy-Free Cucumber Gazpacho

7. Summer Pasta Salad with Dairy-Free Feta

This Mediterranean-inspired chilled pasta salad is full of seasonal, summer vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, and more. Serve it as a side dish at the backyard barbeque.

Recipe: Summer Pasta Salad with Dairy-Free Feta

8. Mark Bittman's Everything-But-the-Chicken Salad

Whip up a healthy and classic lunch of 'chicken' salad without the chicken and mayo by Mark Bittman. Serve it over lettuce and enjoy the taste of crunchy vegetables and sweet grapes.

Recipe: Mark Bittman's Everything-But-the-Chicken Salad

9. Summertime Greek Salad With Vegan Feta

Love authentic Greek salads? Make them vegan and healthier with our easy, refreshing recipe. The key here is to use fresh, organic vegetables because the quality makes a difference!

Recipe: Summertime Greek Salad With Vegan Feta

10. Summer Vegetable Tacos with Dairy-Free Queso Fresco & Cilantro Crema

Make these summer vegetable tacos with a homemade dairy-free queso fresco and refreshing cilantro crema every Tuesday! Squeeze fresh lime on your tacos and throw a fiesta!

Recipe: Summer Vegetable Tacos with Dairy-Free Queso Fresco & Cilantro Crema

11. 5-Ingredient Dairy-Free Strawberry Ice Cream

Made with fresh strawberries, this homemade dairy-free ice cream is refreshing, creamy, and sweet. It's the perfect treat to enjoy in the sun, and children love to partake in the process!

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Dairy-Free Strawberry Ice Cream

12. Rich and Velvety Vegan Chocolate Mousse

For those who love chocolate, make this rich, velvety vegan chocolate mousse with silken tofu, a good source of plant-based protein, and dark chocolate, a good source of antioxidants.

Recipe: Rich and Velvety Vegan Chocolate Mousse

For more great recipes that are dairy-free, check out The Beet's recipe library of more than 1,000 vegan or plant-based recipes.