Too hot to cook? Try some of our raw food recipes for summer!
By Lora O’Brien
When the days are warmer and the nights longer, who the heck wants to be stuck in front of a hot oven? Especially when raw foods are healthy, super delicious – and of course, require zero cooking. If the thought of summer fills your mind with images of BBQs and grilled foods, you may be struggling to come up with new and inventive recipes that you can enjoy this season. But no worries – I’m here to help inspire you!
Luckily for us, there are a lot of great, fresh foods available over the summer that make raw dishes super tasty. For example, avocado is a great base for salad dressings and dips, thanks to its creaminess, whilst fruits like juicy watermelon and berries make a quick and easy frozen dessert fix. And let’s not forget seasoning with herbs like fragrant mint, thyme and basil – preferably fresh from the garden.
Why eat raw foods?
There are some real benefits to eating raw foods – besides beating the heat, that is! For example? A raw diet can help you:
- Lose weight
- Cleanse and detox your body
- Reduce candida
- Reduce inflammation in the body
- Reduce sugar addiction
Of course, it’s best to use organic raw food whenever you can, and sometimes, you may be allowed to do some light cooking with certain vegetables.
We’re just focusing here on tasty, easy, raw vegan recipes for summer, and pretty much nixing all nasty processed foods. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Now, let’s get cooking. Or not!
Beat the Heat! 25 Raw Vegan Recipes for Summer
1. Organic Burst Smoothies
Start the day with a smoothie! Of course, they’re all raw, and they’re wonderful to use up fruit that may ripen fast over the summer. Go on, flood your body with all those beneficial vitamins and minerals – and this recipe is just bursting with superfood powders, so with every sip, you’ll feel like some kind of superhero, trust me.
Get the recipe here.
2. Homemade Grain-Free Rawnola Cereal
Yes, raw food recipes include granola, too! This grain-free rawnola is the perfect breakfast – and no baking involved. Pair with fresh seasonal fruit and some plant-milk for a truly nourishing star to the day.
Get the recipe here.
3. Banana Cinnamon Crepes With Ice Cream & Mango
This is one of those raw food recipes with all the makings of perfection. Crepes are simply heavenly, and ice cream…for breakfast?! Yes, yes and a whole lot more yes. The only thing that would make this even more perfect would be some kind of raw berry compote drizzle over the top ….drool.
Get the recipe here.
4. Raw Buckwheat Porridge with Fresh Figs
Porridge is a really great breakfast because 1. It tastes great, 2. It’s super fuelling and 3. It’s pretty damn good for us. So when it’s hot outside, why not make a raw version? Soaking the oats makes them super soft and almost gooey, and using cold nut milk straight from the fridge will make it really cooling.
Get the recipe here.
5. Enlighten Smoothie Bowl
Put summer berries to good use in this gorgeous smoothie bowl! This is worth waking up early for. It’s packed with goodness, including chia seeds, fruit and granola (which you can replace with oat flakes to keep it raw). It’s one of the best raw food recipes for breakfast – or dessert! (I differentiate by adding some chocolate in for the latter).
Get the recipe here.
6. Collard Green Burritos
Raw walnut ‘meat’ forms the basis for these burritos. They say ‘adios’ to the typical corn tortilla, and ‘hola’ to collard greens as a wrap instead. Gluten free and customisable, these make a great lunch or picnic food. The dip adds even more Mexican yumminess.
Get the recipe here.
7. Minty Raw Pea and Spinach Soup
I love soup, but who wants to eat a hot bowl of it when it’s summer? This creamy delight is as refreshing and healthy as it is gorgeous – just look at that colour! Add a few raw veggie tarts to the mix (recipe below) and you’ve got a hearty lunch.
Get the recipe here.
8. Raw Veggie Rice With Tamari Orange Sauce
When you’re craving a burst of flavours, I’d recommend this Asian-inspired bowl! It’s tangy, crunchy, citrusy and savoury – what more could you ask for? It’s one of those raw food recipes anyone can make, too. Super easy!
Get the recipe here.
9. Raw Cauliflower & Sundried Tomato Detox Salad
When making a raw salad, cauliflower is such a great veggie to use because you can pop it into a food processor and pulse it down to rice-like grains without needing to add a cooked food such as rice or quinoa. The lemon, garlic and tahini-based dressing really brings it together perfectly.
Get the recipe here.
10. Spinach & Wild Mushroom Quiche
Ok, so this might not belong in a list of raw food recipes since some of the ingredients are dehydrated. But was too tasty to leave out! The base is made from nuts, nooch and flax seed and topped with courgette, onion, mushroom and spinach, yum!
Get the recipe here.
11. Apple, Broccoli & Raisin Salad
They may not seem like they go together, but you’d be surprised to learn that the tartness of apple mixed with the green flavour of broccoli actually gets on quite well! I’d definitely recommend a sweeter apple like a Gala or Pink Lady in this recipe, as the sweetness with complements the veggies and acidic dressing super well.
Get the recipe here.
12. Raw Sushi Rolls
Cauliflower ‘rice’ forms the basis of these delicious raw sushi rolls. They are made even tastier with the tahini dip they come with. These little bites of yum are perfect for taking to the office for lunch, and work well at picnics, too! It’s one of those raw food recipes you’ll always want to have on hand.
Get the recipe here.
13. Raw Vegan Tacos
What would a list of raw food recipes be without a taco idea, right? I’m all about that taco/Mexican food life, and any way I can enjoy my tacos, I am down for trying it. So I could hardly wait to try this deconstructed recipe! The taco ‘meat’ is made from a mix of nut and seed crumbles. You’ll absolutely love it – believe me! I drizzled mine with the collard green burrito dip recipe (above) and it was heavenly.
Get the recipe here.
14. Stuffed Avocados
Avocados are quite literally a godsend to this Earth! What a sad world it would be without their existence. However, STUFFED avocados are somehow even better. This creamy deliciousness is going to be an org*smic treat for the taste buds this summer, and this is one of the more filling raw vegan recipes for summer.
Get the recipe here.
15. Raw Zucchini Lasagne
Have all of the deliciousness of a cooked meal without having to turn the oven on to do so! That’s why I love raw foods; anything can be made into a raw recipe, it’s all about experimentation. This lasagne uses thin slices of courgette for the pasta and has three tasty layers: creamy cashew-almond, pesto and tomato!
Get the recipe here.
16. Raw Pizza with Zucchini Cheese
Whoa! Life is good when you can even make pizza raw! This is topped with a garlic basil tomato sauce, zucchini cheese, and “sautéed” mushrooms. The outcome is a wonderfully light and fresh pizza that would go even better with an ice-cold beer.
Get the recipe here.
17. Portobello Mushrooms With Greens & Guac
BBQs are great, but getting all hot and smoky – not so much. That’s why this is one of my fave raw food recipes. Especially as the ‘bun’ is made from portobello mushrooms! It gives the burger a much lighter feel, which is perfect for summertime when we don’t really want to chow down on a starchy bun and feel bloated. The raw chips make a great alternative to fries, too.
Get the recipe here.
18. Cucumber Noodles In Peanut Sauce
Love yourself some Pad Thai? This is one of those raw food recipes with all those great Thai flavours: lime, peanuts, cilantro and spicy chilis. But instead of rice noodles, it uses ribbons of refreshing cucumber. Yum!
Get the recipe here.
19. Veggie Summer Rolls
Veggie rolls are low cal, quick and easy to make, and you can pack them out with an abundance of raw veg, then pair them up with a dipping sauce for a really delicious go-to meal. The combination of crisp and crunchy veggies wrapped in squishy rice paper with the sweet and spicy sauce? Pure heaven.
Get the recipe here.
20. Raw Vegan Buddha Bowl
Loads of veggies and cauliflower rice make this bowl a filling alternative lunch or dinner for those days when it’s too hot to cook. And the best part? You can just add whichever veggies you have on hand. Definitely one of the easiest raw food recipes to make!
Get the recipe here.
21. Raw Almond Rosemary Crackers
I know what you’re thinking: I NEED CARBS! And that’s no problem, my friend! These gluten free crackers are raw, filling, and are just what you need to dip into some soup or hummus.
Get the recipe here.
22. Vegan Chunky Monkey Ice Cream
Summer isn’t officially here in my house until there’s ice cream in the freezer. Nuts, bananas and cacao nibs mix and mingle with a cashew-based ice cream that’s sweetened with maple syrup. One of those raw food recipes to die for!
Get the recipe here.
23. Raw Coconut Lime Pie
Lime is really refreshing on a hot day, and it’s also quite cleansing for the palette, making it perfect for dessert. The crust of this pie is made from a mix of pumpkin seeds and dates, whilst the filling is super creamy thanks to the avocado and coconut.
Get the recipe here.
24. Raw Blackberry Cheesecake Bars
For me blackberries remind me of childhood. I’d spend my summer picking them fresh from a bush right next to my grandparent’s house. And my God – were they delicious! So plump and juicy, and it really sparked a loving relationship for blackberry-based dishes. So I’m going to be making these cheesecake bars all summer long, thank you!
Get the recipe here.
25. Raw Strawberry Macadamia Nut Cheesecake
Whoa, am I right? Of all the raw vegan recipes for summer, this may be the prettiest. It’s like, wedding worthy. And given its exotic ingredients, including those posh Macadamia nuts, all topped with freeze-dried jasmine, roses and strawberries – well, this isn’t an everyday kinda vegan cheesecake by any means. It’s so damn beautiful, that I had to add TWO pics! (it’s the main image, too).
Get the recipe here.
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Lora O'Brien
Food Editor at Eluxe Magazine
After graduating in Journalism from the University of Greenwich, Lora worked for Sugar and Healing Lifestyles magazines in London before being hired to write about food for Eluxe. She’s recently become a new mom to baby Lulla, and is writing a blog about the experience of being a new mom. See more about Lora here.
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