20 Essential Summer Recipes For The Bank Holiday Weekend

When it comes to Summer Bank Holiday, we’re thinking of alfresco brunch, picnics in the park, and barbecues with friends. Whatever you’ve got planned this weekend, standing in the kitchen all day rather than spending time with your loved ones shouldn’t be on the cards. We know that hosting people requires a bit of planning, but let us tell you that you can have the best time with your friends and family, plus a delicious, veggie-packed feast, without a meltdown in the kitchen. With our selection of easy, summer recipes, you’ll make the most of the extended weekend. Enjoy!

Tasty starters

Every great meal starts with flavour-packed appetisers. But it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Whether served solo or alongside your mains as part of a larger spread, these are the recipes to enjoy.

Pan Con Tomate With Crispy Chickpeas
Mains
30 mins

Pan Con Tomate With Crispy Chickpeas

A delicious snack or light lunch, this pan con tomate is garlicky and fresh, and is perfect when tomatoes are in season for maximum flavour. We love the crispy harissa chickpea topping, and it’s also great with some basil, rocket, or thinly sliced fennel.

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Grilled Sugar Snaps, Lemon Yoghurt & Crispy Garlic
Sides
20 mins

Grilled Sugar Snaps, Lemon Yoghurt & Crispy Garlic

With just 6 ingredients and 4 steps, you’ll have this sharing dish on the table in under 20 minutes. Fresh, vibrant, and incredibly delicious; it’s been a massive hit in the DE office, dubbed the “the green version” of last year’s favourite, our Creamy Bruschetta-Style Salad. There’s something about piling grilled summery veg on a bed of zesty yoghurt with crispy garlic and mint that just hits the spot every time.

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Summer Rolls With Creamy Peanut Dip
Mains
15 mins

Summer Rolls With Creamy Peanut Dip

Simple, healthy and fun to make, these Vietnamese summer rolls are crammed with crunchy raw veggies, fresh herbs and soft noodles, all tucked inside a delicate rice paper wrapper. Make sure to serve with the creamy peanut sauce for dipping.

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Garlicky Artichoke & Butter Bean Dip
Sides
5 mins

Garlicky Artichoke & Butter Bean Dip

Packed with flavour and ready in minutes, this dip is perfect for a picnic, BBQ or served with lots of fresh veggies, crackers or as part of a spread when you have friends round. It also keeps in a sealed container for up to 5 days, so enjoy the leftovers in sandwiches or on the side of salads and traybakes.

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Summer Gazpacho With Avocado Salsa
Mains
5 mins

Summer Gazpacho With Avocado Salsa

A go-to for hot summer days, this refreshing gazpacho is full of flavour and is healthy too — it’s packed with vitamin C and delivers two of your five-a-day. Enjoy it chilled, topped with creamy avocado salsa.

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Veggie centres

A show stopping centrepiece should be three things: delicious, easy, and stress-free. Our top tip to make them stand out is to use garnishes like fresh herbs, zested lemon, or chilli. If it works with the dish, you can also elevate them with a drizzle of pesto, tahini sauce, or dollops of yoghurt-based dips. We’ve rounded up a few of our favourite summer dishes, and we can guarantee they’re the ultimate crowd-pleasers.

Roasted Aubergine With Chilli & Creamy Tahini Yoghurt
Mains
50 mins

Roasted Aubergine With Chilli & Creamy Tahini Yoghurt

Looking for a super easy recipe to impress your friends and family? This roasted aubergine dish ticks all the boxes. Not only does it look amazing, it can be prepped ahead of time, so when you’re ready, all you need to do is assemble it. Delicious on its own or served as part of a larger mezze of salads, hummus and flatbreads.

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Creamy Kale & Sweet Potato Salad
Mains
35 mins

Creamy Kale & Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasted with paprika and cumin, then tossed through kale with a creamy cashew dressing and finished with a sprinkling of parsley, chilli flakes and black pepper — simple, creamy and delicious.

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Easy Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Mains
25 mins

Easy Mediterranean Orzo Salad

We know how much you all love our orzo recipes, so wanted to make you a super summery, veggie-packed version full of delicious Mediterranean flavours. It makes a perfect simple summer supper, and the leftovers work great for lunch the next day. We’ve added tofu for extra protein, but feel free to swap it for beans or lentils.

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Tomato, Courgette & Pesto Galette
Mains
60 mins

Tomato, Courgette & Pesto Galette

Impress friends and family with this simple rustic galette. Topped with sweet cherry tomatoes, seasonal courgettes and a layer of pesto, it makes for the perfect summer lunch.

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Summer Vegetable Tostadas
Mains
15 mins

Summer Vegetable Tostadas

If you want a super speedy, vibrant summer meal — this is what you need! Simply bake a handful of tortillas while you quickly pan-fry some seasonal veggies, then pile them up with a dollop of pesto yoghurt and a little lemon zest.

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Fresh salads

We think the right salad works any time of year, but they really shine in summer. Whether you’re searching for the perfect side or a satisfying main, these vibrant salads are the ones to make.

Speedy Green Goddess Salad
Mains
15 mins

Speedy Green Goddess Salad

15-minutes, one pan, tons of greens. This simple herby salad with garlic croutons is a perfect speedy summery lunch; especially when you’re WFH and need something quick and nutritious. The super green dressing boosts the salad’s plant power — you’ll get 10 plants in the recipe overall — and the croutons give the perfect crunch (once you’ve tried them, you’ll be adding them to everything!).

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Spicy Mango, Quinoa & Green Bean Salad
Mains
20 mins

Spicy Mango, Quinoa & Green Bean Salad

With juicy mango, green beans and quick pickled red onion and chilli, this spicy salad is speedy, nourishing and packed with flavour. Adding the quinoa gives it extra protein and gut-loving fibre for long-lasting energy.

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Creamy Bruschetta-Style Salad
Mains
20 mins

Creamy Bruschetta-Style Salad

Creamy, crunchy, sweet and spicy, this speedy salad has it all. Sweet roasted tomatoes, crunchy sourdough, fresh basil and butter beans are layered onto a bed of creamy, garlicky yoghurt, then finished with a drizzle of balsamic and a sprinkling of chilli flakes.

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Peanut & Wild Rice Rainbow Salad
Mains
30 mins

Peanut & Wild Rice Rainbow Salad

Try this colourful salad with crunchy raw vegetables, topped with a creamy peanut dressing, roasted peanuts and punchy pickled chilli. Full of incredible textures, bold flavours and minimal fuss, it makes for an easy lunch or supper.

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Protein-Packed Quinoa Caesar Bowl
Mains
25 mins

Protein-Packed Quinoa Caesar Bowl

I have a feeling this creamy Caesar bowl is going to be our most popular recipe of 2023; I can’t recommend it highly enough. Not only is it absolutely delicious and ready in under 30 minutes, it’s also loaded with nearly 35g of plant-based protein in every serving, thanks to the chickpeas, tofu, edamame beans and quinoa. Combine this with fibre and healthy fats, and you have the perfect dish to keep you feeling fuller for longer.

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Sweet treats

Whether for brunch, an afternoon sweet treat, or dessert, these recipes hero the very best of summer produce.

Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Chickpea Blondies
Sweets
40 mins

Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Chickpea Blondies

Chickpea blondies are having a moment so we've given our original recipe a glow-up. These are filled with juicy raspberries, toasted hazelnuts and drizzled with glossy dark chocolate. Perfect for a picnic or getting cosy with a cup of tea.

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Frozen Raspberry, Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bites
Sweets
15 mins

Frozen Raspberry, Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bites

If you’re looking for a summery sweet treat that's super easy to make, requires only 4 ingredients, and is completely moreish — these raspberry, chocolate and peanut butter bites are the perfect option. Combining raspberries, chocolate and peanut butter, they provide fibre, protein and protective antioxidants; teamed with delicious creamy yoghurt, they'll satisfy your sweet cravings while also being good for you.

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Summer Strawberry Loaf
Sweets
90 mins

Summer Strawberry Loaf

Full of fresh strawberries and zesty lemon, this simple loaf celebrates the best of summer flavours. Perfect as a delicious afternoon treat (when you need to switch up your banana bread!) or pack it up for a picnic. The best part, it only requires 10 minutes of hands-on time to make, meaning it’s a no faff recipe. Feel free to swap the strawberries for whatever summer berries you have in the house.

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Strawberry Overnight Oats
Breakfast
15 mins

Strawberry Overnight Oats

The perfect fuss-free breakfast. This takes less than 15 minutes to prep the night before, meaning you have the most delicious, nourishing breakfast ready to go as soon as you wake up.

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Pancakes With Sticky Maple Peaches
Breakfast
25 mins

Pancakes With Sticky Maple Peaches

This super simple pancake recipe is great at any time of the year, but adding the pan-fried maple peaches turns our classic recipe into the most perfect summer brunch.

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