27 Light Summer Recipes for Warm Weather Dining
These easy meals won't weigh you down, or turn the kitchen into a sauna.
Summer is not the time to make an all-day meat sauce.
Big, hearty, stick-to-your-rib meals will just settle on you like a lead weight when it's hot out. Plus, there are many vegetables in peak season during the summer that need little to no cooking at all, and barely any seasoning in order to taste absolutely amazing. (Looking at you fresh summer tomatoes.)
This is the time for produce-forward, super-fresh, light meals that are easy to assemble and won't leave you feeling like you're dragging afterward. Whether you're fixing up a brunch or a weekday dinner, a quick snack, or a full-on meal, these easy recipes are best enjoyed in the fresh air, with a chilled drink, and some good friends.
Get More Great Summer Ideas Right Here:
Open-Faced Tomato and Dill Toasts
Get the freshest, ripest, straight-from-the-garden tomato you can find, drop a few slices on some sourdough smeared with mayo, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top along with sprigs of fresh dill.
You've made a sandwich that is 100% summer delight.
Tarragon Chicken Salad on Croissants
We love to pair these easy, elegant sandwiches with a fresh green salad and a glass of homemade sangria for a meal that is equally at home on a weekday with the family as it is hosting guests for a Sunday Brunch.
The best part? It's so easy it's nearly as relaxing to make as it is to enjoy.
Salade Niçoise
This classic French picnic salad skips the wilting greens for sturdier stuff: eggs, boiled baby potatoes, crunchy green beans, radishes, and tuna, all dressed in a brilliant bright vinaigrette.
You can easily make it ahead of time and just assemble when you're ready to eat.
Asparagus Frittata with Burrata and Herb Pesto
Eggs for dinner? Yes, please!
If you're worried a light dinner might not have enough protein, this quick cooking main will make you think again. It's got plenty of fresh taste, easily serves four (with leftovers) and pairs well with any variety of salads.
Get the recipe for Asparagus Frittata with Burrata and Herb Pesto.
Bibb Salad with Pickled Onion, Fennel, and Plums
Whether you're serving it as a side to something else or adding some protein on top and making it a main course, salads are perfect for light summer meals. Here, you pair pickled onions with ripe stonefruit for a sweet/acid combo that is deeply delicious. (The homemade green goddess dressing is hard to resist as well.)
White Wine-Garlic Pasta with Scallops
Simply dressed pasta makes such a great summer meal. Sear off a few scallops, and it's perfectly filling. Serve it with a glass of nice white wine and you'll feel like you're dining al fresco by the beach!
Creole Shrimp Caesar Salad with Cheesy Croutons
We're big fans of the "put some protein on a salad and call it dinner" move. You can do that with a lot of proteins, and a lot of salads, but this creole shrimp and Caesar combo might just be perfection.
Peach-and-Bacon Pizza
Break out the pizza oven! If you haven't paired sweet fresh peaches and salty bacon before, you're in for a treat.
Carrot-and-Black Bean Crispy Tacos
You might not believe that black beans and roasted carrots could be filling enough to center a dinner around, but try these tacos and you'll be convinced!
Herbes de Provence Shrimp with Basil and Pea Couscous
Shrimp may be the ultimate summery meal. It cooks quickly, doesn't weigh you down, and tastes fantastic—especially with a lightly chilled rosé!
Get the recipe for Herbes de Provence Shrimp with Basil and Pea Couscous.
Teriyaki Salmon with Crispy Roasted Broccoli
This tasty meal is fast, simple, and it won't heat up the house making it.
Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta
Serve this light, lightning-fast veggie-and-seafood dinner with a glass of your favorite summer wine.
Cobb Salad
It doesn't get more classic than Cobb salad. Rotisserie chicken makes this a snap, and if you pre-cook the eggs, all you really have to do is assemble it!
Peach, Arugula, and Blue Cheese Salad
Whip up a quick vinaigrette in the bottom of a large bowl. Layer in a bed of fresh greens, and top with juicy slices of peach, slivers of spicy red onion, roasted almonds, and some creamy, pungent blue cheese.
You've just made a salad for the ages.
Big Green Cali Salad
There's nothing more summery than having a big green salad for dinner. And you don't get better salads than in southern California, where it's practically always summer.
Baked Halibut with Snap Pea Gremolata
Splurge on good fish if you can for this easy summer dinner. Like steak, you get what you pay for.
Waldorf Salad Flatbread
We reworked this classic summer salad into a white-pizza style dinner, and it is 👨🍳😘.
Squash Ribbon Salad with Sunflower Seeds
This fresh, pasta-like salad works as a light main dish, or as an easy side. Feta and seeds keep it hearty, and a champagne vinegar dressing gives it flavor.
Get the recipe for Squash Ribbon Salad with Sunflower Seeds.
Asparagus White Pizza with Prosciutto and Gremolata
Break out that outdoor pizza oven you got and give it a whirl with this delicious summer dinner idea!
Grilled Sea Scallops with Parsley-Shallot-Honey Sauce
If you're looking for a summer dinner that won't weigh you down, pair these delicate scallops with a simple summer salad.
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