Summer in Prague has been frowny rainy so far but some superhot days mixed with storms start to show up. And when it is 29°C in your kitchen, you really don’t want to sweat next to the stove or oven. Summer is barbeque season but not always we have time and grill on hand. So let’s look into some ideas of light lunches full of summer flavours but minimal on cooking.
Salads
This is the most obvious option and the best way to enjoy seasonal produce. Get creative and you will discover endless combinations of vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts and dressings. To make your salad more substantial serve with some bread, add tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, vegan feta, nuts and seeds, grains that you cook in a big batch once a week and store in the fridge. Potato salads with herbs and creamy dressings might be a big lunch hit. In fact, you can make any salad shine with a bit of some fresh herbs and a good dressing – from classic vinaigrette to tahini dressing or soy yoghurt. Chop, mix and get playful!
Cold Soups
Gazpacho is famous cold tomato soup but it is not the only one. Though you can have fun with it adding roasted or fresh peppers, various herbs, stone fruits, avocado – you name it. Or make tarator – kefir/yoghurt based cucumber and dill soup with walnuts. Soy or oat yoghurt will work the best for this one. What I am definitely making this summer is cold fruit soup – very popular in Hungary, can be made with sour cherries, apricots, strawberries or other fruits enriched with sour cream. This qualifies for the dessert and soup at the same time – perfect summer indulgence! I am going to try sour cherries base flavoured with cardamon using rice milk and coconut sour cream alternative.
Overnight oats
In summer I often prefer to replace my breakfast with a detoxing green juice and keep my overnight oats for lunch. Because why not – it is cold, nutritious and filling yumminess you can quickly make the night ahead. Great way to celebrate seasonal fruits as well – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries any kind of berries love oats.
Sandwiches
Another quite obvious option. Seems boring, but you can make amazing sandwiches with very little effort if have the right ingredients on hand. Can be wraps, stuffed pita or classic toast or sourdough sandwiches with hummus and other dips, various pickles and preserved stuff you have in your fridge, tofu, tempeh, mashed chickpea, a bunch of veggies and sprouts. Experiment with what you have and build some awesome sandwiches
Fruits
Taoist trophology (food combining) recommends having a plate of fruits as one of your daily meals. And summer is perfect for that. Fruits are much better being eaten on their own – so why not to have a fresh juicy feast full of vitamins for lunch? Can be a bowl of watermelon or various berries, tropical fruit salad – any fruits you love just maybe skip the high sugar ones (grapes, dates, bananas). Enjoy the tastes of summer in their prime!