3 Quick and Healthy Late Summer Meals

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy ingredients at their peak, as well as enjoying the warmth of the summer sun. And during the final days of our favorite season, we would rather skip slaving away in the kitchen. The good news is that healthy meals don’t have to be time consuming to be delicious. Take Chorizo Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes, Garbanzo Salad Stuffed Red Peppers, and Chilled Zucchini Soup, three recipes that prove quick summer meals can be tasty, nutritious and easy to prepare.

The beauty of these three recipes is that they have the potential to be made ahead of time, which will cuts meal prep even further. Chorizo Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes, once the chorizo quinoa stuffing is made, requires merely turning on the oven and baking for 20 minutes! And the chorizo stuffing is just a quick sauté of quinoa, smoked chorizo and green onion. The hardest part?  Stuffing your tomatoes. 

Chilled Zucchini Soup, once prepared, gets better as the days roll on. A quick sauté of zucchini, poblano pepper, leek, and jalapeño, blended with stock, parsley and lime results in a warm, spicy soup. But time in the fridge transforms this dish into a refreshing, chilled soup that will energize you for your summer adventures.

Garbanzo Salad Stuffed Red Peppers offers another quick summer fix when you prepare the salad beforehand. Since these stuffed red peppers can be served warm or cold, you can roast the peppers a day or two in advance and just throw them in the oven for 5 minutes to shake off the chill of the fridge. Stuff with the garbanzo salad and serve!

No matter which you recipe you choose, a summer meal is just a few minutes away!

Next, three quick and easy late summer meals…

Chorizo Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

• 4  large tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed smoked chorizo
• 2 scallion, sliced
• 2 cups quinoa, cooked
• 1/2 cup habanero jack cheese, grated

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Chilled Zucchini Soup 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cups diced zucchini, plus extra for garnish
• 1 cup sliced leeks, washed well
• 1 jalapeño, chopped
• 1/2 poblano pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley, packed
• zest and juice of 1/2 lime
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• salt and pepper to taste

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Garbanzo Salad Stuffed Red Peppers

• 4 sweet red peppers, large
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups garbanzo beans, cooked
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Get the full recipe.