Summer Meal Planning - easy gourmet by jackie

This is week 2 of simple and fresh flavors! Summer is the best time to eat fresh, healthy meals, and meal planning is the easiest way to do so. We’re going to kickoff the week with some delicious quinoa and salmon salads, then finish off the week with some of my favorite comforting easy asian dishes. Finally, my Spring Ribollita is the most delicious and hearty recipe that is perfect for leftovers into the weekend.

Sunday – Quinoa Meal Prep

This sweet and savory combo makes for one of my all time favorite quinoa salads. It’s protein packed, filling, and so refreshing. This salad has BBQ chicken, pineapple, crunchy radishes and Persian cucumbers, and feta cheese. I like to meal prep these for the week, but they’d also be great for a weeknight dinner.

quinoa bowl with radish, pineapple, and chicken in a brown ceramic bowl. Great for summer meal planning

Monday – Salmon Salad with charred Potatoes and broccoli

Summer meal planning wouldn’t be complete without a salmon salad or bowl, and this recipe is delicious. It’s hearty yet healthy, and the oregano red wine vinaigrette comes together with just a few pantry ingredients. This can stay also in the refrigerator for up to 1 month to reuse with other salads.

salmon on top of a bed of veggies, potatoes, and broccoli in a large salad bowl. This is placed on a white kitchen counter. great for summer meal planning

Tuesday – Easy Mapo Tofu with Charred Veggies and Multigrain Rice

Easy Mapo Tofu is a classic dish I keep in my weekly meal planning rotation and it always hits my homemade chinese food cravings. I pair this with my multigrain rice and a stir fry of veggies I have on hand (for example, this week would include broccoli, celery, napa cabbage, and asparagus). You can just take a few of each ingredient to stir fry together. I like the variety, but you can also just use 1 or 2 vegetables to stir fry. Feel free to follow the instructions in the charred veggies page for some tips on making any charred vegetable delicious!

tofu and minced meat with green onions on top and in a saucy base.

Wednesday – Steamed Chicken with Veggies and Multigrain Rice

My Garlic Soy steamed chicken is another quick and flavor packed dish to make in our week 2 summer meal plan. This dish is fast, so flavor packed, and pairs wonderfully with rice. You can make extra rice the day before and just reheat for this meal.

a spoon holding rice, piece of chicken, and napa cabbage. Behind this is a bowl of steamed chicken and veggies and a small bowl of multigrain purple and white rice. great for summer meal planning

Thursday – Spring Ribollita

This Italian inspired soup is hearty, comforting, and one of my favorite things to make going into the weekend. I’ve added it to the summer meal plan this week since we have a busy weekend coming up, and this dish is great as leftovers.