I’ve at all times thought of myself a fall lady—give me cozy blankets, consolation meals, and a steaming mug any day. However after a protracted winter of hearty meals and heavier dishes, I’m craving one thing more energizing. With hotter days lastly right here, I’m leaning into gentle summer season dinners that really feel nourishing, easy, and seasonal. From honey-glazed fish to contemporary tomato pasta, these straightforward recipes are excellent for these sizzling July nights whenever you need one thing flavorful, but fuss-free.
24 Gentle Dinner Concepts for All Your Summer time Events
Don’t get me unsuitable—there’s a particular place in my coronary heart for soups and heartier dishes, however these summer season specials are precisely what I gravitate towards throughout the hotter months. Made out of seasonal elements and proteins on the lighter aspect, these dishes will fulfill each craving with out leaving you stuffed.
When you’re searching for gentle dinner concepts for summer season which are fast and simple whereas nonetheless packing loads of diet and taste, look no additional. Forward, now we have dinner recipes to fulfill each craving.
Pastas and Salads
Why We Love It: Hearty salads with loads of protein are certainly one of my go-to gentle summer season dinner concepts. I’m formally tired of lackluster aspect salads (who’s with me?). As an alternative, I wish to incorporate extra filling dishes with loads of vitamins into my summertime menus. This mixture of smoky and spicy cauliflower topping a plate of contemporary greens is perfection.
Hero Ingredient: Sriracha turns up the warmth!
Why We Love It: Whereas root veggies might flourish throughout the autumn months, this squash and farro salad remains to be a summer season kicker with quite a lot of tasty toppings and contemporary elements that yow will discover year-round. The mix of textures is nourishing whereas nonetheless being gentle and satisfying with the assistance of grains like farro and an abundance of contemporary herbs.
Hero Ingredient: Goat cheese can elevate nearly any recipe.
Why We Love It: In case your concept of a lightweight summer season dinner entails vibrant and tangy flavors, this grapefruit avocado salad has you lined. Not solely does it possess a pop of coloration from a plethora of fruits and citruses, however this recipe additionally encompasses a turmeric-honey dressing that may improve nearly any dish. Double up on the dressing and thank me later.
Hero Ingredient: Roasted chickpeas give this salad an additional little bit of protein and crunch.
Why We Love It: Salads made strictly from greens aren’t at all times sufficient for a full meal. Our answer? This spring rice salad. Rice, eggs, and avocado pull this salad collectively to create a shocking entree that’s not overly filling.
Hero Ingredient: Contemplate this recipe an excuse to excellent your soft-boiled egg expertise.
Why We Love It: Pasta has a fame as a filling entree, however we’re right here to alter your perspective on the grain. (As are all of those gentle pasta recipes.) This vegan recipe packs an abundance of plant-based goodness curated right into a creamy and spicy sauce that pairs completely with the pasta of your alternative.
Hero Ingredient: The mixture of soaked uncooked cashews and dietary yeast makes this pasta dairy-free and creamy. Proof you can have all of it.
Why We Love It: The tomato and basil taste mixture is timeless, and this creamy pasta recipe does it justice. Professional tip: improve the flavour of your walnut-based sauce with a squeeze of miso paste for added umami. It’ll style similar to a basic Italian sauce—possibly even higher.
Hero Ingredient: Cherry tomato women, stand up.
Why We Love It: Summer time squash is at all times on repeat in my kitchen throughout the summer season months. And this savory zucchini pasta recipe isn’t any exception. Pine nuts and freshly grated parmesan cheese assist carry out the savory, nutty components, whereas pink pepper provides the proper bit of warmth.
Hero Ingredient: Summer time squash of any type will work on this recipe, however, after all, zucchini is the highest choose.
Why We Love It: It could really feel inconceivable to pack in all of your each day vitamins in a single meal, however this inexperienced sauce pasta makes that problem a bit simpler. Apart out of your pasta and seasonings, you solely want 5 elements—spinach, olive oil, lemon, parmesan, and basil.
Hero Ingredient: A great high quality olive oil is vital in elevating this pasta’s taste.
Tacos and Pizza
Why We Love It: Gentle summer season dinner concepts are an ideal alternative to combine fish into your weekly menu, preserving your meals from changing into too filling. Impressed by Camille’s meal at Contramar in Mexico Metropolis, these tuna tostadas are the last word summer season entree. Bonus: customizable toppings enable everybody to make the meal their very own.
Hero Ingredient: For lovers of slightly warmth, contemporary jalapeño is a must have topping.
Lime-y Hen Tacos with Jicama, Avocado, & Mint
Why We Love It: Tacos aren’t only a gentle summer season dinner—they’re additionally a fast and simple method to please a bigger crowd. These Fresa’s-inspired hen tacos are wrapped in a corn tortilla and sprinkled with a cooling chipotle aioli. It’s a taste pairing that may’t be beat.
Hero Ingredient: Don’t skip the contemporary mint.
Why We Love It: Shrimp tacos are the proper pool social gathering entree. They aren’t too laborious to digest after a day within the solar, and so they require solely a brief ingredient listing. The end result? You’ll save money and time with out compromising taste.
Hero Ingredient: Honey within the shrimp marinade provides only a contact of sweetness. Good for curbing these tacos’ citrusy warmth.
Why We Love It: Filling but gentle tacos will be robust to search out whenever you’re sticking to a vegan or vegetarian weight loss plan. Thankfully, these tacos are made with vegan chorizo, contemporary avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice for the proper plant-based choice.
Hero Ingredient: Ever heard of chorizo oil? Jon Oh, culinary director at The Nicely in Austin, shares all of the secrets and techniques for making this standout kitchen staple.
Chili-Rubbed Salmon Tacos With Cashew-Broccoli Slaw
Why We Love It: These tacos are all the pieces to me. Significantly, I’ve been recognized to make this recipe as soon as per week, each week. There’s one thing concerning the savory and spicy salmon and creamy coleslaw taste combo that retains me coming again.
Hero Ingredient: A touch of lime, please!
Why We Love It: Fish tacos are a lightweight summer season dinner concept that at all times crosses my thoughts because the climate warms up. Rising up in Florida, these flavors at all times remind me of eating seaside with salty air and sunny skies. Serve with a lighter aspect dish like contemporary guacamole or avenue corn for the last word expertise.
Hero Ingredient: DIY chimichurri is on my summer season bucket listing.
Why We Love It: You’re solely 5 elements away from probably the most scrumptious fajitas of your life. Whereas Tex-Mex typically will get a foul rap for being greasy or heavy, these fajitas lean on a number of straightforward swaps to make them slightly lighter. Corn tortillas hold them gluten-free whereas contemporary, flavorful toppings pack taste with out weighing them down. Lastly, making these within the oven on a sheet pan enables you to use approach much less oil than if you happen to had been making them in a skillet. Good.
Hero Ingredient: Two tablespoons of taco seasoning or chili powder pack these with unimaginable, smoky warmth.
Why We Love It: Potatoes on pizza is a sizzling take—and one which we will absolutely get behind. This gentle summer season dinner recipe packs the proper number of textures and flavors. Nutty gruyere, crunchy arugula, and candy caramelized onions. The listing goes on.
Hero Ingredient: Once more: you may’t skip the caramelized onions.
Why We Love It: Flatbreads are one other entree choice I flip to once I’m searching for a satisfying dinner that gained’t weigh me down. Topped with a lighter, sweeter cheese like ricotta and freshly sliced eggplant, it’s laborious to say no to this dinner a number of occasions per week. (Significantly—the leftovers are so good!)
Hero Ingredient: Toasted or candied walnuts add the proper crunch.
Why We Love It: I’m unlikely to ever flip down a pizza recipe, particularly one that appears like this mouth-watering mix of savory and candy. A herby pesto, contemporary mozzarella, and candy in-season peaches? This pizza couldn’t get significantly better if it tried.
Hero Ingredient: Drizzling balsamic on pizza is a behavior I’ve but to interrupt.
Meat and Fish
Why We Love It: When you aren’t completely hooked on salmon but (belief us, we’re), this recipe will change your thoughts. With crunchy coconut and a spicy sizzling honey glaze, that is the explanation you’ll hold coming again to {the summertime} staple.
Hero Ingredient: My love for this coconut crunch is unmatched. Garlic, jalapeño, and unsweetened coconut flakes are this dish’s reigning trifecta.
Why We Love It: The gorgeous factor about gentle dinner concepts for summer season is that they’re typically easy, and because of this, really easy to throw collectively. Working example, these candy potato falafel veggie burgers. Only a handful of elements (of which many are spices) yields unimaginable taste and a crunchy burger with a smooth inside. Stated in another way: perfection.
Hero Ingredient: Is there something candy potatoes can’t do?
Why We Love It: From the second I laid eyes on this five-ingredient recipe final summer season at Camille’s home, I used to be obsessed. Grilling salmon on a cedar plank can also be a easy method to infuse your fish with smoky flavors with out compromising any texture or moisture.
Hero Ingredient: This chili-lime seasoning is a game-changer for salmon—completely zesty with a kick of warmth. If this hasn’t grow to be certainly one of your pantry staples but, add it to your cart.
Why We Love It: When you’re looking for a hassle-free fish recipe on the lighter aspect, this baked salmon is all you want. Shiny citrus flavors are a simple approach to make sure that this fish stays flavorful and moist throughout the baking course of.
Hero Ingredient: Contemporary herbs infuse this salmon with a singular and balanced taste throughout the baking course of.
Why We Love It: In case your predominant supply of protein comes from poultry, this grilled hen recipe is the sunshine summer season dinner you’ll be craving all season. Marinating hen breasts or thighs in yogurt is a fast and simple method to infuse your protein with taste whereas sustaining moisture.
Hero Ingredient: Go for full-fat plain Greek yogurt for this marinade.
Why We Love It: These hen burgers supply a lighter choice for these trying to get pleasure from a variation of the yard grilling favourite. The standard beef patty is swapped for floor hen, lettuce wraps are used instead of a bun, and a pop of Asian-inspired herbs and spices are added for a taste combo that pulls this meal collectively.
Hero Ingredient: Serve with freshly sliced avocado and crunchy cucumber.
This publish was final up to date on July 9, 2025 to incorporate new insights.
