Summer isn’t over yet and neither are the celebrations. There’s still plenty of time and good weather left to get together, reflect on the good times and make new memories. We’ve compiled some of our favourite vegan appetizers, so we’ve put together a list of vegan apps for the perfect August patio party from some of our favourite plant-based sites.

Superfood Crunch Salad with Homemade Balsamic Apple Vinaigrette by Oh She Glows

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad:

• 8-10 cups destemmed and shredded Lacinato (dino) kale (2 bunches)
• 1 pear, thinly sliced and chopped
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/4 cup pepita seeds
• 3-4 tbsp large flake coconut
• 1-2 tbsp hemp hearts
• 1-2 teaspoons black sesame seeds (optional)
• sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Adjust to taste if desired.
2. Remove all of the stems from the kale leaves and compost the stems (or if you are hard core you can save them for smoothies). Finely chop the kale leaves into tiny “shredded” pieces. The smaller the more tender the leaves will feel. Wash and spin dry. Place kale into a large salad bowl. You should have about 8-10 cups of kale for this salad.
3. Toss the kale in all of the dressing until everything is coated nicely. The kale will reduce in volume substantially.
4. Add the toppings (as much as you want – I recommend lots!), sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve immediately. Or let the dressing marinate the kale for a half hour or so. This salad is best served fresh, but it will keep chilled in the fridge for a day. if you don’t think you will eat that quickly, I recommend making a half batch at a time or simply store the kale and dressing separately until ready to mix and consume.

Vegan Cheeseburger Pasta Salad by hot for food

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

• approx. 3 C (280 g) small pasta shells
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 C veggie ground round, such as frozen Gardein beefless ground round
• 1 1/4 C white onion, finely diced, divided (¼ C diced, as raw garnish)
• 1 tsp granulated garlic powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 C cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 3/4 C cubed vegan cheddar cheese, from a block or slices stuck together
• 1 1/4 C garlic dill pickles, finely diced, divided (1/4 C diced as garnish)
• 1/4 C + 2 tbsp chives, finely diced, divided (2 tbsp as garnish)
• 3 C iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (as garnish)
• fresh ground black pepper (as garnish)

Thousand Island Dressing

• 1 C vegan mayonnaise
• 1/4 C green relish
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sambal oelek (chile paste), or hot sauce
• 2 tbsp pickle brine
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a cast iron pan over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil, veggie ground round, 1 cup of white onion, granulated garlic powder, sea salt and ground black pepper. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every so often until the ground round is golden and the onion is soft. Set aside.

2. Add dried pasta shells to a pot of salted boiling water and boil for 7 to 8 minutes until cooked al dente. Drain but do not rinse.
3. To make the dressing, combine vegan mayonnaise, green relish, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, sambal oelek, pickle brine, onion powder, chives, sea salt and ground pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl add cherry tomatoes, vegan cheddar cheese, 1 cup diced garlic dill pickles, 1/4 cup chives, the cooked vegan ground round mixture and the cooked pasta. Pour 1 cup of dressing over top and toss to combine. Set aside to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before topping with lettuce.

5. Just before serving, top the cooled pasta with the shredded lettuce and the remaining 1/4 cup of white onion, the remaining ¼ cup of pickles and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped chives. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and freshly ground black pepper. Toss and serve with extra thousand island dressing on the side.

Berry Tarts With Hazelnut Banana Filling by This Rawsome Vegan Life

Ingredients

Crust:

• 3/4 cup dates
• 1/4 cup raisins
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
• Pinch sea salt

Filling:

• 2 bananas
• 2 tablespoons hazelnut butter
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch sea saltTopping:
• 1 cup fresh or frozen berries, or whatever fruit is in season near you
• 3 tablespoons hazelnut butter
• Coconut flakes, cacao nibs…

Directions

1. Make the crust. Line three tart tins with coconut oil, parchment paper, or plastic wrap. Pit the dates, then throw the dates, raisins, coconut oil and sea salt in a food processor. Process until you have a sticky dough, it should end up forming into one ball in the food processor. Just be patient, it can take a few minutes. Add the almond flour. Mix it in until you have a thick, sticky dough. Press evenly into the three lined tart tins. If the dough is too sticky, wet your hands a little to make it easier to work with. Put the tart crusts in the freezer until they are hard enough to take out of their tins. This might take 30-60 minutes.
2. Make the filling. Peel the bananas, then mash them together with the rest of the filling ingredients in a bowl with a fork. It should end up being like a hazelnut butter banana pudding. Spread into your crusts.
3. Decorate. Top your tarts off with your berries, then drizzle on hazelnut butter. Add any other goodies you like. Enjoy right away. These are best fresh, but can be stored in the freezer for 1-3 days.

Tempeh Kebabs With Bell Peppers And Bok Choy from the pure life

Ingredients

• 1 block organic tempeh
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 shake chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 head of bok choy
• black pepper, sea salt and olive oil

Directions

1. Chop up the tempeh into cubes.
2. In a shallow bowl, add the tamari, sesame oil, chilli flakes, coconut sugar and peanut butter and mix well. Add the tempeh and let it marinate for at least 30 mins.
3. Chop up the bell peppers and add the peppers & tempeh cubes along the skewers, alternating colours. Pour some olive oil on top of the skewers. Seperate the bok choy leaves and top with pepper, salt and sesame oil. Drizzle with olive oil. Put both foods on the BBQ.
4. The tempeh should cook about 5-6 minutes each side until thoroughly cooked. Serve the kebabs and bok choy with some avocado or roasted BBQ potatoes for a little festive dinner!