Salads, one-pan meals, grilled vegetables and proteins, and light pasta meals are just some of the ideas I've got here for you. I know summer can be a hard season to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but also, most gatherings happen to be during this time of the year, so all you need is a few recipes you can prepare in no time, using fresh seasonal produce that will please any crowd.
Whether you prefer meat, fish, or vegetarian meals, you can find here different ideas for your summer menu, making your cooking experience much more enjoyable and embracing new flavors into your sunny evenings.
Get ready to explore a collection of meals that are as easy to make as they are enjoyable to eat, embodying the season's spirit with every bite.
1. Tortellini Antipasto Salad
Pasta salad is one of those dishes that you can enjoy during the warmest months and never get tired of! This Tortellini Antipasto Salad combines cheese-filled tortellini with seasonal vegetables, making for a refreshing and satisfying meal for this time of the year.
This tortellini dish is perfect to make ahead and bring out to a beach day, a picnic, or a potluck dinner.
Get the recipe: Tortellini Antipasto Salad
2. Blistered Tomato Pasta
Whether you make this recipe with homegrown cherry tomatoes or store-bought ones, this is one of the pasta dishes that will bring the summer flavors to your table. Fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, and pecorino getting hungry already?
Enjoy the simple flavors of summer with this easy and light pasta meal with a glass of white wine.
Get the recipe: Blistered Tomato Pasta
3. Mediterranean Orzo Salad
This Mediterranean Orzo Salad is the perfect combination of orzo pasta, summer vegetables, salty feta cheese, and a herby lemon dressing.
You can prepare this salad ahead and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it. We find this salad to be the perfect addition to potluck dinners, or a summer family meal.
Get the recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad
4. Mediterranean Salmon Avocado Salad
Isn't salmon and salad one of the best summer combinations? What if we add some avocado and make the salad Greek-style? You've got yourself a fantastic summer dinner that would win anyone's heart!
This salad with avocado and salmon is served with a delicious marinade that features olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, dried herbs, and feta cheese.
Get the recipe: Mediterranean Salmon Avocado Salad
5. Chickpea Tuna Wrap
If you're looking for something vegan, hearty, and delicious for this summer, this chickpea tuna wrap is the ultimate recipe for the season! You can use chickpeas to make a vegan tuna wrap that with the addition of nori sheets, tastes just like the ocean!
Enjoy this plant-based dinner also on the go. Prepare the wrap and take it with you to the beach, night market, or any other summer outing!
Get the recipe: Chickpea Tuna Wrap
6. Peach Panzanella Salad
Peach Panzanella Salad is a refreshing twist on the classic Tuscan salad, blending ripe peaches with crusty bread and fresh veggies, all dressed in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette, perfect for a light summer meal.
This recipe is perfect for enjoying the fresh summer produce while having a nutritious meal that also tastes delicious.
Get the recipe: Peach Panzanella Salad
7. Lemon Chicken and Asparagus Sheet Pan Dinner
This gorgeous-looking sheet pan dinner option is the perfect addition to your summer menu. Full of flavor and easy to make, this recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo.
This chicken dish will please the whole family, even the little ones!
Get the recipe: Lemon Chicken and Asparagus Sheet Pan Dinner
8. Honey Lime Chicken with Grilled Peach Corn Salad
Another chicken recipe, this time served with a refreshing salad featuring grilled peach. You can't get much more summery than this combination of ingredients. This recipe will bring delicious flavors to your table in no time, perfect for those lazy summer days!
Get the recipe: Honey Lime Chicken with Grilled Peach Corn Salad
9. Sheet Pan Salmon and Green Beans with Potatoes
If you liked the idea of the chicken and asparagus sheet pan, you'll definitely love this one too: Salmon, green beans, and potatoes, all cooked in one sheet pan and drizzled with the most delicious sauce that can be easily made while you bake the rest of the ingredients.
This recipe is super quick to prepare, leaving you more time to enjoy those sunny days by the garden.
Get the recipe: Sheet Pan Salmon and Green Beans with Potatoes
10. Ricotta Lemon Pasta
This one pot Ricotta Lemon Pasta is a creamy pasta meal that with the freshness of lemon makes for a wonderfully light choice for a summer evening meal. You'll only need 8 ingredients to make this one-pot meal!
This pasta dish is a family-favorite. You can skip the red pepper flakes if you make this for little ones.
Get the recipe: Ricotta Lemon Pasta
11. Mediterranean Chicken Salad with Easy Greek Dressing
Bring the vibrant flavors of a Mediterranean Chicken Salad to your table, topped with an easy Greek dressing. This summer dinner recipe is both satisfying and light, making it an ideal choice for an evening meal.
This salad recipe is a fantastic addition to your potluck dinner, picnic lunch, or any other outdoor gathering where you think something refreshing, light, and nutritious would work well.
Get the recipe: Mediterranean Chicken Salad with Easy Greek Dressing
12. Fresh Salmon Quinoa Bowl with Honey Lime Dressing
Looking for something light but still nourishing? This is it! A fresh and healthy dinner bowl with salmon, quinoa, veggies, seeds, fruit, and cheese and drizzled with Honey Lime Dressing.
This dinner idea is an easy dish that is full of protein, super nourishing, and absolutely delicious!
Get the recipe: Fresh Salmon Quinoa Bowl with Honey Lime Dressing
13. Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Grilled Chicken Kabobs are the perfect centerpiece for your outdoor dining, with juicy chicken and colorful veggies grilled to perfection.
Serve over quinoa, rice, pasta, or fresh leafy salad, and enjoy a delicious meal that takes little time to cook.
Get the recipe: Grilled Chicken Kabobs
14. Loaded Hummus
Homemade red pepper hummus loaded with a fresh Mediterranean salad and served with grilled pita bread. This light summer dinner is also great to serve as an appetizer or snack. Enjoy the season produce with this hearty and beautiful Loaded Hummus.
Get the recipe: Loaded Hummus
15. Lemon Fettuccine with Garlic Shrimps
Keep this recipe for those days when you want something elegant but easy to prepare. Lemon Fettuccine with Garlic Shrimp combines the zestiness of lemon and the rich flavor of garlic-infused shrimp, making a pasta dish that's both refreshing and filling for a summer dinner.
Surprise your family with a restaurant-like pasta dish this season.
Get the recipe: Lemon Fettuccine with Garlic Shrimps
15 Perfect Summer Appetizers For Easy Entertaining
Summer is the perfect time for gatherings with friends and family, pool parties, grilled dinners, and picnics, and the best way to start a foodie event is with a delicious appetizer using all those summer flavors.
From grilled vegetables that bring out the natural sweetness of fresh produce to light and creamy dips perfect to please a crowd, we’ve gathered 15 Summer Appetizers that will bring the summer flavors to your table.
See Them Here: 15 Perfect Summer Appetizers For Easy Entertaining
25 Easy Summer Potluck Favorites
There's nothing like a big old-fashioned summer potluck, spent with friends, family, or teammates! Summer foods are the most fun, and it's such a joy to make favorite recipes to share with hungry friends.
We've got recipes for them all here, in this diving list of time-honored dishes that are just perfect for that next big summer potluck!
See Them Here: 25 Easy Summer Potluck Favorites
Meet Laura, the recipe developer and writer of Six Hungry Feet. She is a mum of two busy bees. She graduated in economics back in 2013 and worked as an economic controller for many years. She is now a full-time blogger and studying to become a certified Vegan Nutritionist. Laura loves traveling, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and has a real passion for Asian food.
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