15 Plant-Based Gluten-Free Summer Side Dishes

Whether you have celiac disease, or your body is sensitive to gluten, it can sometimes be a struggle to find delicious foods. Luckily, just about anything you can think of can be made without gluten, and you don’t have to sacrifice taste. Here are 15 vegan gluten-free recipes that will satisfy anyone!

1. Corn Flake Onion Rings

Source: Corn Flake Onion Rings

Move over, restaurant onion rings, these Corn Flake Onion Rings by Deniz Kilic are here to impress. They’re crunchy and crispy on the outside, and soft and fragrant on the inside. They’re also dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free! Make a million dips to go with these, have an onion ring party, and go nuts – these deserve a party.

2. Golden Roasted Cauliflower Turmeric Coconut Soup

Source: Golden Roasted Cauliflower Turmeric Coconut Soup

This Cauliflower Turmeric Coconut Soup by Tara Weir is creamy and comforting — without any actual cream — and infused with a wonderfully deep, rich flavor from the roasted cauliflower. Honestly, caramelizing your cauliflower first is a total game-changer! This soup is dairy and gluten-free and suitable for vegan, paleo, and keto diets. Better still, it’s easy to make and packed with vitamins and minerals, disease-fighting antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber.

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3. Fennel and Brown Rice Salad

Source: Fennel and Brown Rice Salad

This Fennel and Brown Rice Salad by Taryn Fitz-Gerald is so easy to throw together and would be a great idea to use up brown rice from whatever you cooked the night before. The fennel gives a great, strong flavor to the dish, and compliments the surrounding flavors. With so many nutritional benefits, this is a pretty complete dish and one that’ll tick all the boxes. Nutrition – Check! Flavor – Check! Quick & Easy – Check! If you’re a lover of fennel and all things licorice, you’ll love this interesting salad.

4. Asparagus Almond Crostini With Fennel Frond Gremolata

Source: Asparagus Almond Crostini With Fennel Frond Gremolata

Fennel takes on such an amazing flavor when it’s roasted as the licorice flavors mellow and caramelize. For these Asparagus Almond Crostini by Courtney West, pair them with spicy radishes and earthy asparagus to create a tangle of roasted veggie goodness. For some different textures, throw some almonds in the mix for a bit of crunch. To create a bit of contrast and be mindful about reducing waste, make fresh gremolata out of fennel fronds, lemon zest, and garlic to top the crostini. If you don’t have any bread, you can serve this over some greens or your favorite cooked grain and it will still be delicious.

5. Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Source: Black Bean Tortilla Soup

This Black Bean Tortilla Soup by Maggie Wescott is vegan, gluten-free, and an easy weeknight meal that you can get on the table in less than 30 minutes.

6. Apple Broccoli Salad with Creamy “Honey” Dressing

Source: Apple Broccoli Salad with Creamy “Honey” Dressing

This Apple Broccoli Salad by Katia Martin is deliciously dressed with this vegan sweet Creamy “Honey” Dressing. It is a light yet filling meal salad enough to satisfy any hunger and is just so finger-licking delicious. Try it with some vegan “bacon bits” which complements this yummy salad perfectly. Enjoy!

7. Spicy Garlic Edamame

Source: Spicy Garlic Edamame

If you are a fan of garlic, then you are going to be obsessed with this Spicy Garlic Edamame by Adam Merrin and Ryan Alvarez. The salty edamame is tossed into a hot pan with seared garlic, spicy chili oil, and a splash of tamari to give it a little extra salt. This fiery snack is dangerously addictive – you have been warned.

8. Carrot and Fennel Salad with Creamy Grapefruit Dressing

Source: Carrot and Fennel Salad with Creamy Grapefruit Dressing

This sweet Carrot and Fennel Salad with Creamy Grapefruit Dressing by Katia Martin will send you to salad bliss. Fennel adds a crisp bite to the salad with its pleasant anise aroma, and when shaved thinly it melds nicely with the sweet-bitter flavors of the grapefruit. It’s a pure delight!

9. Unfried Cauliflower Rice in Ginger Miso Sauce

Source: Unfried Cauliflower Rice in Ginger Miso Sauce

Ricing cauliflower is super easy: chop it into florets, as though you intend to steam it. Drop it in the food processor. Pulse 3-6 times (depending on the strength of your food processor) until the cauliflower turns into ‘snow.’ This Unfried Cauliflower Rice by Amy Height is spectacular!

10. Spicy Curried Potato Dumplings

Source: Spicy Curried Potato Dumplings

Potato balls in spicy curry sauce are hearty, spicy, and aromatic. If you like Indian cuisine, you will love this dish! The potato balls mainly consist of boiled potatoes and yellow lentils (red also works naturally). The easy-to-prepare red curry sauce gives the dish a very nice sharpness. You have to try these Spicy Curried Potato Dumplings by Deniz Kilic.

11. Zucchini Boats

Source: Zucchini Boats

Oven Roasted Zucchini stuffed with Quinoa & Shiitake Mushrooms and served with pesto. Delicious! For this recipe, you’ll need some nice chubby zucchini. These Zucchini Boats by Lena Novak are so tasty and will impress everyone at the table.

12. Mediterranean Baked Lima Beans Recipe

Source: Mediterranean Baked Lima Beans Recipe

These Mediterranean Baked Lima Beans by Pavani Nandula is a delicious and delightful dish. Great to serve with rice, potatoes, and steamed greens! Lima beans are baked in a savory tomato sauce with vegetables, thyme, and oregano, and topped off with fresh cilantro and mint. It can also be served with pita, hummus, and olives as part of a mezze spread.

13. Cauliflower Tots With Herbed Tofu Dip

Source: Cauliflower Tots With Herbed Tofu Dip

Tater tots were a coveted high school lunch staple for many of us. Well, these Cauliflower Tots by Lenia & Dimitra are like tater tats 2.0 — and they’re so good, you’ll never want to share them with anyone. Cauliflower is cooked then blended with bread crumbs and plenty of seasoning, then shaped and baked until crispy on the outside. These baked tots paired with the herbed tofu dip make a great appetizer for game day, movie night, or a weekend snack.

14. Cashew Mozzarella-Stuffed Sweet Potato Rice Balls

Source: Cashew Mozzarella-Stuffed Sweet Potato Rice Balls

These Cashew Mozzarella-Stuffed Sweet Potato Rice Balls by Kirsten Kaminski are the perfect finger food for a party or dinner. They are crispy on the outside and deliciously gooey on the inside because they’re stuffed with cashew mozzarella. Serve them with a salad and dip them in a savory dipping sauce as a bonus.

15. Spicy Teriyaki Soba Noodle Spring Rolls

Source: Spicy Teriyaki Soba Noodle Spring Rolls

If you’re always on the lookout for quick and easy 30-minute weeknight meals, you’ve found just what you need in these Spicy Teriyaki Soba Noodle Spring Rolls by Liz Martone. They’re filled with crunchy cabbage, carrots, asparagus, and gluten-free soba noodles tossed in a spicy, umami sauce. After just 15 minutes of chopping and prepping, you’ll be ready to roll with this tasty light lunch or dinner.

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