Vegan summer menus

Costa cuisine

Bring the summer holidays to your kitchen door this year by embracing the laid-back Spanish approach to food. Serve lunch well after noon and supper late into the night, setting aside time to savour the Iberian flavours.

Start the meal with a cooling gazpacho or tasty tomato salad - both can be thrown together in minutes. Fry croûtons until crisp and golden-brown using day-old crusty bread, then float them in the chilled soup or sprinkle over the salad.

Plan a Spanish-style spread for the main course, leading the way with two titans of tapas: patatas bravas and pimientos de padrón (hot green chillies fried in olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt). Whip up Sophie Grigson's thick, rough-textured Romesco-style sauce and deep fry batons of courgette and aubergine to dip into it. For a Canary Islands classic, boil new potatoes in a little heavily salted water, covering the pan with a damp tea towel. When the potatoes are tender and covered in a thin dusting of salt, drain off any remaining water and pour over mojo picón, a coarse-textured, pourable sauce made by blending roughly two parts garlic to one part dried red chillies to one part red pepper, then adding paprika, olive oil and white wine vinegar, to taste.

Make sure everyone leaves room for the main event, a colourful vegetable paella laden with refreshing artichokes and sweet piquillo peppers. Serve with lemon wedges and tamaca, crusty bread rubbed all over with garlic and fresh tomato.

To finish, keep it light with adult ice lollies or a seasonal fruit plate. For insatiable chocoholics, lace the fruit with melted dark chocolate. ¡Ay caramba!

Cócteles ibéricos y latinos

• Sangria summer fruits from Good Food Magazine
• Mojito mint tea by Andy Pearson from Something for the Weekend
• Bandera by Andy Pearson from Something for the Weekend
• Caipirinha by Andy Pearson from Something for the Weekend
• Caipirosca by Andy Pearson from Something for the Weekend
• Margarita by Oz Clarke from Food and Drink

Para picar

• Spicy roast cashews by Phil Vickery from Ready Steady Cook
• Marinated olives by Rick Stein from Fresh Food
• Sweet pepper gazpacho from The Flour Advisory Bureau
• White gazpacho soup by Simon Rimmer from Something for the Weekend
• Crushed tomato salad from Vegan Society
• Onion and radish salad by Simon King and David Myers from The Hairy Bikers
• Patatas bravas by James Martin from Housecall
• Vegetable paella with artichokes and piquillo peppers by Sam and Sam Clark from Casa Moro
• Green beans with garlic and almonds by Jane Sen from Saturday Kitchen
• Saffron potatoes by Sam and Sam Clark from Casa Moro

Postres

• Mango and cava granita by Antony Worrall Thompson from Saturday Kitchen

Roman holiday

If you're hankering after la dolce vita, take inspiration from Italy, another fiery Mediterranean favourite. In Italian cuisine, the ingredient is the hero, so simplicity is key. As a starter, bake homemade focaccia and serve warm with top-quality Italian olive oil, fat olives and dried deli tomatoes.

Pay homage to the Italian style of dining and serve two or three small main courses instead of one hearty dish. First, choose between Anthony Howard's exquisite Courgette flowers filled with tomato fondue in tempura batter or a simple but flavourful vegetable carpaccio - both will send the tastebuds tripping while leaving room for more. Follow these dishes with a small helping of warm summer pasta or a warm salad using fresh ingredients. Finally, make a smooth polenta and spoon over Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi's unctuous caponata, which is best served at room temperature.

For dessert, tuck into strawberries, served three ways if the mood takes you. Alternatively, serve a strawberry or lemonade granita sprinkled with fresh berries or drenched in strawberry liqueur or limoncello. If you've no room for dessert, an Italian-inspired cocktail should round off the meal in style.

Primi piatti

• Focaccia by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi from Return to Tuscany
• Tomato and basil bruschetta by Gino D'Acampo from Ready Steady Cook
• Courgette flowers filled with tomato fondue in tempura batter by Anthony Howard from Masterchef
• Fennel and orange salad by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi from Return to Tuscany
• Courgette carpaccio with tomato, Kalamata olives and a lemon, mint and parsley dressing by Maria Elia from Ready Steady Cook

Segundi piatti

• Pasta with tomatoes, capers and mint by Rick Stein from Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes
• Bean salad with cherry tomato dressing
• Tuscan tomato and pimento salad from The Flour Advisory Bureau
• Monk's potatoes by Paul Harwood from Masterchef
• Warm salad of potatoes, sweet red onions and oregano (insalata di patate, cipolle rosse e oregano) by Gennaro Contaldo from Saturday Kitchen
• Caponata by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi from Return to Tuscany
• Vegetarian aubergine fans (ventagli di melanzane) by Carmelita Caruana from Saturday Kitchen

Dolci

• Strawberries with balsamic vinegar by Antony Worrall Thompson from Saturday Kitchen
• Lemonade granita by Silvana Franco from Saturday Kitchen
• Watermelon and grappa ice lollies and mango ice lollies by Antony Worrall Thompson from Food and Drink
• Zuppa di fragola by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
• Strawberry sorbet, Italian style by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Bevende

• Menthe negroni by Wayne Collins from Something for the Weekend
• Godfather by Jim Wrigley from Something for the Weekend
• Amalfi dream by Salvatore Calabrese from Something for the Weekend

British bites

It's garden party season so break out the best-of-British finger food and keep the cocktails flowing. Try one of the English-themed concoctions below or go for a traditional fruit cup, with plenty of cucumber, mint and seasonal fruit. Freeze citrus or alcoholic ice cubes ahead of time to pop into the glasses for an additional kick.

If your guests have glasses in their hands, make life easy for them by providing edible cutlery - crudités, breadsticks and homemade Melba toast will allow them to sip and dip. Alternatively, serve larger items such as grilled tomato halves stuffed with breadcrumbs and fresh parsley and drizzled with oil nestled in Asian-style soup spoons so that guests can scoop them into their mouths. Make sure there are plenty of places - or butlers! - to dispose of the cutlery. Serve the soup chilled in small Asian-style bowls or shot glasses. Finally, rustle up some salted cucumber sandwiches, crusts removed.

For a sweet treat, dip the bottoms of whole strawberries or mango slices into dark chocolate and allow to solidify. Sprinkle peach wedges with vanilla sugar and grill until caramelised, then serve on cocktail sticks. Or serve traditional summer pudding in kitsch paper cups with coloured spoons. Give them a twist by adding a few chopped basil or mint leaves to the filling mixture. Anyone for croquet?

Drinks and cocktails

• Berry bubbly cocktail by Antony Worrall Thompson from Saturday Kitchen
• Elderflower and apple summer punch by Michael Caines from Countryfile Summer Diaries
• The classic Martini by Andy Pearson from Something for the Weekend
• English summer by Andy Pearson from Something for the Weekend
• Summer gin punch by Wayne Collins from Something for the Weekend
• Apricot sour by Andy Pearson from Something for the Weekend
• Cucumber Martini by Andy Pearson from Something for the Weekend
• Wimbledon cup by Wayne Collins from Something for the Weekend
• Strawberry fizz by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
• Home-made lemonade by Richard Corrigan from Full on Food
• Citrus ice cubes by Rick Stein from Fresh Food

Savoury dips and nibbles

• Iced pea, spring onion and mint soup Antony Worrall Thompson from Food and Drink
• Lettuce and lovage soup by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
• Broad bean, lemon and sage dip from The Vegetarian Society
• Quick artichoke and broad bean mix by Kevin Woodford
• Grilled asparagus with lemon and chive dressing by Michael Caines from Countryfile Summer Diaries
• Garlicky Jersey royals and asparagus with mint and lemon pistou
• Pea 'guacamole' bruschetta by James Martin from Ready Steady Cook

Summer sweets

• Seasonal fruit towers
• Individual summer puddings
• Strawberry crisps by Jo' Pratt from Nation's Favourite Food
• Raspberry oaties from Berry Scotland

Recipe search

To look for more recipe ideas, search our advanced search recipe database choosing the 'vegan' option from the 'special considerations'.