50 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas To Keep You Cool

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These insanely easy summer dinner ideas are incredibly simple to put together and will leave you time to chill

Who says cooking in the summer needs to be hard and sweaty?

These summer dinner ideas are simple to put together, they will give you enough time to chill by the pool while sipping a cool margarita (or anything you fancy really!).

I am sure you know those days when it’s so hot outside you feel like you can barely lift a finger. Let alone cook something in an oven!

So id you are asking yourself:

What should I make for dinner on a hot summer night?

I’ve got you covered!

To help you to sort out dinner without much fuss and with very little effort.

But before we dive into my favorite summer dinner recipes, I want to share with you some tips that have helped me to bear the thought of cooking on a hot day. 

5 tips to cook dinner in the summer

My motto for summer recipes is that they have to be: simple, exciting, and lazy!

And these tips will help you to keep it that way.

1. Don’t cook

Yep! That’s right. My number one tip is to avoid turning on the stove or the oven. There are so many delicious no-cook summer ideas that simply require chopping some ingredients together. Plus by using raw fresh seasonal ingredients you can make the best out of your local produce or any veggies you grow in your garden.

2. Keep it simple

Stick to recipes with a few fresh ingredients, and when you have to heat up the stove, keep it to a minimum. Most seasonal ingredients like zucchini, corn, cucumber, or tomatoes require minimal cooking or no cooking at all.

3. Cook al fresco

And if you want something more exciting, how about cooking outside under the stars? Fire up the grill and cook some incredible bruschettas, burgers

4. Plan ahead

Do you prep work and heavy cooking in the cooler parts of the day (before the sun comes up or after it goes down). If you are making a pasta salad, for example, cook your pasta in the morning and keep it in the fridge ready to dress. Or boil your potatoes and let them cool for your evening meal.

5. Keep it light and exciting

The last thing you need in the summer is to eat heavy meals that will take hours to digest. But this doesn’t mean you need to eat boring salads every day. I eat mostly plant-based meals but I never eat a boring green salad. It’s just not exciting enough. Make your meals fun with spiralized veggies or add something fresh and filling to them like seasons fruit, grains, and nuts.

And now, let’s get cooking! Or shall I say, cooling?

SUMMER SALAD IDEAS

There is nothing more refreshing and easy than a salad as your go-to light summer dinner recipe. Here I put together a selection of my favorite ones.

1. Panzanella (Tuscan-Style Salad)

Full recipe on Gathering Dreams

This is my go-to no-cook dinner recipe when outside is so hot that I can’t be bothered to turn on the heat. Panzanella is a colorful and hearty Italian salad that puts to good use juicy tomatoes and stale bread. It tastes amazing with summery sun-riped tomatoes! And it’s great as a cold summer lunch too!

2. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Full recipe on Gathering Dreams

This Mediterranean quinoa salad requires a tiny bit more effort as you’ll need to cook the quinoa. But that’s all. Then you just need to wash and chop some delicious seasonal veggies and you are done!

3. Summer Peach Spinach Salad with Avocado, Toasted Almonds + Goat Cheese

Full recipe on Ambitious Kitchen

If you love sweet and salty flavors, you’ll love this fresh peach spinach salad with creamy goat cheese, heart-healthy avocado, and crunchy toasted almonds. Drizzled with an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette it’s the perfect easy summer dinner recipe. So good and simple!

4. Prawn Mango Avocado Summer Salad

Full recipe on RecipeTin Eats

A terrific almost no-cook meal option or a great summer salad. This salad has a magical combination of textures and flavors of summer in a big tasty bowl. 

5. Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad

Full recipe on Love & Lemons

This couscous salad is a staple in Israeli cuisine. It’s packed with raw & roasted cherry tomatoes, feta, chickpeas & herbs. Perfect for a cold dinner idea on its own, or as a side to one of the many summer grilled recipes you will find below!

6. Summer Veggie and Chickpea Chopped Salad

Full recipe on Nyssa’s Kitchen

This protein-packed summer veggie and chickpea chopped salad is made with a rainbow of fresh crunchy summer vegetables, herbs, and green onions. And it’s naturally vegan and gluten-free!

7. Heirloom Caprese Salad

Full recipe on Cookie + Kate

Nothing screams summer more than a refreshing Caprese salad. Great ingredients here are the key. Use ripe summer tomatoes, burrata or mozzarella, fresh basil, and extra-virgin olive oil.

8. Summer Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad

Full recipe on Pinch Of Yum

This salad tastes like summer! It’s made with juicy chipotle chicken, sweet corn, avocado, cilantro vinaigrette, bacon crumbles, and fresh strawberries for a pop of sweetness.

9. Triple Berry Crunch Salad

Full recipe on How Sweet Eats

Berries in a salad? Yes! This triple berry salad is filling and satisfying with hearty ingredients. Berries, chickpeas, avocado, and a shallot vinaigrette, plus a hint of cinnamon make this an irresistible salad!

10. Corn, Avocado, And Quinoa Salad With Marinated Tomatoes

Full recipe on Pinch Of Yum

SUMMER PASTA RECIPES

These simply delicious summer pasta recipes make the most of the seasonal ingredients, from fresh corn and eggplant to heirloom tomatoes and juicy lemons.

11. Ziti Alla Norma

Full recipe on 14. Ziti Alla Norma

This eggplant and tomato pasta is a common summer dinner in Sicily. It’s incredibly creamy and delicious, made with deep-fried aubergines and ricotta salata, a typical Sicilian aged ricotta. You can also use parmesan instead, and roast the aubergines for a lighter, healthier version.

12. Lemon Ricotta Pasta & Spinach

Full recipe on The Clever Meal

This light and zesty lemon ricotta pasta with spinach is a perfect delish weeknight dinner ready in less than 15 minutes. You’ll need minimal effort to put together this refreshing summer recipe.

13. Quick Summer Tuna Pasta Salad

Full recipe on Little Spice Jar

This incredibly easy summer tuna pasta salad comes together in just 20 minutes! Loaded with tons of peppery arugula, tender tuna, and zesty pepperoncini is the perfect go-to summer dinner recipe!

14. The Best Easy Italian Pasta Salad by Pinch of Yum ~ 15. Easy Pasta Salad by Love & Lemons

30-MINUTE DINNERS 

If you are short on time and would like to cook some quick and light summer meals in no time, these 30-minute or less recipes are what you are looking for!

31. Grilled Corn Tacos

Full recipe on Love & Lemons

These grilled corn tacos are a super fresh, easy summer dinner! Lots of lime, cilantro & tomatillo salsa accent a crisp veggie medley are the perfect summer products in the yummy filling.

32. Pan-fried Halloumi with Israeli Cous Cous Salad

Full recipe on I Am A Food Blog

Another feast of corn flavors, this is a great Mediterranean diet summer meal, full of freshness, and all the bright and beautiful flavors.

33. Roasted Lemon Basil Butter Salmon With Burst Tomatoes

Full recipe on How Sweet Eats

This crispy salmon cooks in no time! I normally use extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter, but it’s up to you!

34. Easy Gazpacho by Love & Lemons ~ 35. Black Pepper Chicken by Eat Little Bird

36. Late Summer Frittata with Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs

Full recipe on Nyssa’s Kitchen

This summer frittata with tomatoes and fresh herbs is perfect for hot weather! Made with eggs, ripe summer tomatoes, savory caramelized shallots, spinach, and fresh parsley this vegetarian summer meal is a must-try!

37. Zucchini And Pea Egg-Free Fritter Recipe

Full recipe on Our Nourishing Table

Are you vegan, allergic to eggs, or following a more plant-based diet? Then this egg-free fritter recipe is for you. I am a huge lover of eating plant-based foods but I don’t personally follow a strict plant-based diet. But these fritters are going to please anyone! They are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. 

38. Summer Shrimp Zoodle Bowls

Full recipe on How Sweet Eats

Who doesn’t love a good bowl full of fresh spiralized veggies, especially in the summer? There are all sorts of summery things on this bowl. We have zoodles topped with brown butter shrimp, crunchy corn, and juicy cherry tomatoes.

39. Cowboy Rice Salad by Recipe Tin Eats ~ 40. Baja Grain Bowls by How Sweet Eats

VEGAN SUMMER DINNERS

If you are following a plant-based diet, or are just looking for some nourishing wholesome recipes, here you can find some of my favorites healthy summer recipes.

41. Chilled Avocado & Cucumber Soup

Full recipe on The Simple Veganista

If you love to eat homemade meals without cooking, then this creamy Avocado Cucumber Soup recipe is just for you! With only 5 simple ingredients, plus water and salt, this soup is easy to make and ready in no time.

42. Summer Harvest Vegan Burrito Bowl

46. Greek Pasta Salad

Full recipe on The Simple Veganista

Full of color and simple flavors, this healthy Greek Pasta Salad is a quick and easy one-pot recipe packed with veggies, vegan feta, and lemon flavor! Great for parties, potlucks, and meal prep!

47. Vegan Zucchini Involtini Bake

Full recipe on Lazy Cat Kitchen

Zucchinis are a staple product in every summer kitchen. And this incredible involtini bake is the perfect dish to taste them in all their glory!

48. Vegan Summer Pasta

Full recipe on Lazy Cat Kitchen

A feast of summer: tomatoes, zucchini, and aubergines come together in this incredibly tasty pasta recipe.

49. Grilled Corn Salad with Vegan Chipotle Ranch Dressing by Minimalist Baker ~ 50. Garlic Ginger Summer Veggy Stir-Fry by Cook Nourish Bliss

Get ready for dinner!

There you have it!

50 quick and easy summer dinner ideas that will help you survive the heat outside! Whether you are firing up the grill or simply looking for a light summer meal, I’ve got you covered!

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