Sunday Menu 🥑🥞🌮 no. 30

Readers share favorite easy weeknight meals! And plant-powered lunches and snacks for back-to-school.

The Sunday Menu is a look at what I’m cookin’ up to feed my vegan family of 6, kitchen sounds, fave ingredients, and other reflections on all things delicious. Grab a snack and let’s hang out in the kitchen…

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We packed a big bag of Hippeas and a container of PB&Js and took the kids to the mountains for some waterpark and mini golf play to soak up the final days of summer

The back-to-school excitement has started to spread through our home— this year, we have a 3rd grader, a 2nd grader, and a kindergartener! The snack packing, lunch-box filling, and after-school snack duty will soon be underway, as our school year's rhythm gets back into gear.

It’s bittersweet. We all seem to thrive under routine, which is minimal— at best— in the summer. But the unstructured and generously long days of summer are also treasured. Summer produce is still here for a bit longer, but before we know it, the transition to fall will feel like the snap of a branch— soups will be on heavy rotation, and squash and apples will dominate our produce basket once more.

For meals this past week, we relied on pantry staples and leftover produce in our fridge and garden. On Friday, I gave our fridge a deep clean to prepare for the busy days of the school year ahead, and it feels SO GOOD. I picked up a few groceries, and a freshly cleaned, fully stocked fridge is one of life’s simplest pleasures to me.

BEFORE: a cleaned and grocery store stocked fridge! AFTER: our CSA and farmer's market produce filling in the gaps!

Speaking of back-to-school! Here are some past Sunday Menus that feature plant-powered lunchbox ideas and snacks:

Today I’m sharing some easy, weeknight meal recommendations from readers to help bring a little ease to the busy season ahead. I’ll also share a look at what we’ve been enjoying lately as a last hurrah for all things summer.

And before we get started, what’s something you’d like to enjoy in the next Sunday Menu?

In the subscriber chat, I asked readers to share a recent meal that’s been a hit while also being easy for a weeknight, and they delivered! Here are some amazing weeknight dinners crowdsourced from this wonderful reader community. I’m adding all of these to my lineup over the next few weeks:

🍝

Chelsea

shared: “10-Ingredient Creamy Vegan Pantry Pasta with crispy baked tofu. Not a lot of veggies, but you could add some on the side. So good!!”
I love a pantry meal, and this would be so yummy with a handful of spinach or chopped kale wilted in.

🍚

Meridith Hoover

says, “Everyone in my house likes Pinch of Yum’s crunchy roll bowls! It reminds my kids of sushi, and I just discovered a way to make it even easier to put together — Trader Joe’s now sells fried shallots in a bag that I plan to sub for the crunchy onion topping.”
And I echo this sentiment, these are also a huge hit in our house!

🌮

Kuleigh Baker

says, “Any kind of taco! Last night we used flour tortillas, roasted corn, avocado, and chili lime seasoning. It was a hit! I think it would be good with cashew queso or seitan, too.”
So simple and so yummy, I’m making these next week! Would be great with soyrizo or shredded tofu as well.

🍅

Rebecca Adkins

shared “This Savory Vegan recipes are so good! One-pot summer veggie pasta and creamy green chile macaroni are easy pasta dishes for weeknight dinners. One loaded with veggies and one with a little spice, which I love!”
And as a fan of This Savory Vegan as well, I cannot believe this green chile mac recipe was not yet on my radar. I’m making it ASAP.

🍋‍🟩

Sri Juneja

shared “I’ve been loving the Pick Up Lime’s recipe app. It’s become my go-to for meal planning.”
I also love Pick Up Lime’s recipes and just downloaded her app. I’m excited to try it!

🥣 And this Plant Whys lasagna soup recipe—that uses ingredients I usually have on hand and can be made in a pressure cooker—has been enjoyed back-to-back weeks in our house. Even my pickiest eater gave it a 9 out of 10! I made a batch of tofu ricotta from the Love and Lemons Everyday cookbook to dollop on top, which was an excellent choice. You can also substitute any noodles you have on hand.

Thank you for sharing the meals you have been loving! The subscriber chat is such an awesome way to crowdsource with this reader community. Please don’t hesitate to utilize it for questions, ideas, and recommendations. 🩷

And with that, here’s a look at all the meals we’ve been enjoying lately as summer winds down.