Picnic Recipes to Take to the Park This Summer
Four recipes to make your day outside a success.
3 Min. Read | Home & Backyard
Pull up a blanket and your favorite foods for a nice evening out in the park with these ideas for simple yet delicious picnic meals.
1. Chickpea Lettuce Wraps
A fresh and filling dish that comes on its own plate, making it perfect for park picnics.
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 14-oz can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, set aside to dry
⅓ cup julienned carrots
¼ cup chopped scallions
6 small cornichons, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
1 tablespoon mayo
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon capers
1 small clove of garlic
freshly ground black pepper
Bibb lettuce leaves
How to prepare
In a medium bowl combine and mash chickpeas, carrots, scallions, cornichons, garlic, dill/parsley, lemon juice and zest, mayo, Dijon mustard, capers, and black pepper. Finished product should still have texture! It should not be one consistency. Chill until ready to use.
Once ready, fill each bibb lettuce leaf with a spoonful of chickpea salad, your choice of sauce or other garnishes. Fold in each end, roll, and enjoy!
2. Homemade Hummus
This homemade hummus dip is exactly what your park outing calls for. And best of all, there will be plenty to go around.
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 can chickpeas
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
1 ½ small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Ground paprika and salt for serving
How to make
In a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process until it is smooth and creamy.
Add olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice.
Open, drain, and rinse the chickpeas. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute or until consistency is thick and smooth.
Slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and process until you reach the desired consistency.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of paprika and pita chips.
3. Asian Slaw
Your picnic is calling for a colorful side that’s sure to please every picnic guest.
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
Dressing Ingredients
¼ cup cashew or peanut butter
2 tablespoons white miso paste
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 ½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 to 5 tablespoons water, or as needed
Slaw Ingredients
6 to 7 cups shredded red and/or green cabbage
Mix of peppers: I used 3 Anaheim and 3 banana peppers; or use 1 red bell and 1 poblano
2 scallions, chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro, including stems
½ cup fresh basil, Thai basil, and/or mint
2 Thai chiles or 1 serrano pepper, diced
Sea salt
¼ cup toasted peanuts, pepitas, and/or sesame seeds
1 ripe peach, thinly sliced
How to prepare dressing
Whisk together the cashew or peanut butter, lime juice, sesame oil, and ginger, miso paste. Combine with enough water to create a dressing-like consistency.
How to prepare slaw
Toss the cabbage, peaches, basil/mint, scallions, cilantro, chiles, peppers, and ¾ of the dressing. Save remaining dressing for individual application. Then enjoy!
4. 5-Ingredient Energy Bars
Sweet, crunchy granola bars make for a quick and delicious dessert to top off any picnic in the park.
PREP TIME: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter
1 ¼ cup pitted dates
1 cup roasted unsalted almonds
1 ½ cups rolled oats
1 cup of raisins
How to prepare
In food processor, process dates until they are the consistency of dough.
Put dates, almonds, raisins and oats in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Warm maple syrup and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat. Pour over oat mixture and then mix, spreading the dates evenly throughout.
Once mixed, pour into a small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily.
Press down and really pack the bars until uniformly flattened.
Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and place in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove and cut to desired size.
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