15 Light Summer Meals to Keep on Repeat

Salads, sandwiches, pastas, and more for easy, breezy lunches and dinners.

Chili, mashed potatoes, and stews are to comforting winter meals as salads, sandwiches, and simple pastas are to light summer ones. This is a time when we want our food to feel breezy and refreshing, and also require less cook-time (or none at all!). We've put together a list of 15 light summer meal recipes you're sure to have on repeat all summer long.

White Bean and Tuna Salad

This white bean and tuna salad is the perfect protein-packed light meal for when you don't want to do any cooking.

List Link: White Bean and Tuna Salad

Peruvian Tiradito With Aji Amarillo and Lime

Sashimi-style slices of fish are dressed in a chile-citrus sauce for this breezy, refreshing meal.

List Link: Peruvian Tiradito With Aji Amarillo and Lime

Pasta With Burst Cherry Tomatoes and XO Sauce

This easy pasta dish is further proof that all you need to elevate a quick weeknight dinner is the right condiment.

List Link: Pasta With Burst Cherry Tomatoes and XO Sauce

Ensalada de Tomate con Ventresca de Atún (Spanish-Style Tomato and Ventresca Tuna Salad)

Olive oil-packed tuna belly and peak season tomatoes are the keys to this no-fuss, no-cook salad.

List Link: Ensalada de Tomate con Ventresca de Atún (Spanish-Style Tomato and Ventresca Tuna Salad)

Chinese-Style Layered Omelette

With just eggs, salt, scallions, and soy sauce, you can make a luxurious weeknight meal in about 15 minutes.

List Link: Chinese-Style Layered Omelette

Tortilla Española (Spanish Egg and Potato Omelette)

This classic Spanish omelette is made of egg, potato, and onion cooked in olive oil. It doesn't get much better than that!

List Link: Tortilla Española (Spanish Egg and Potato Omelette)

Mayo-Free Mediterranean Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Loaded with Mediterranean flavors, including plenty of fresh olive oil, capers, olives, fennel, celery, and a splash of lemon, this tuna salad sandwich is sure to be a hit.

List Link: Mayo-Free Mediterranean Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Pasta With Swordfish, Tomato, and Eggplant (Rigatoni Con Pesce Spada)

Rigatoni with swordfish, tomatoes, and eggplant is an easy, breezy Sicilian summertime classic.

List Link: Pasta With Swordfish, Tomato, and Eggplant (Rigatoni Con Pesce Spada)

Classic Tomato Sandwich

A Southern tomato sandwich is all about showing off the peak-of-season summer tomatoes.

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The Best BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato) Sandwich

Use the best tomatoes. Put away the fancy bread. And most importantly: Don't mess with it.

List Link: The Best BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato) Sandwich

Classic Panzanella Salad (Tuscan-Style Tomato and Bread Salad)

Dried bread and salted ripe tomatoes make this the best bread salad of the summer.

List Link: Classic Panzanella Salad (Tuscan-Style Tomato and Bread Salad)

Andalusian Gazpacho

Keys to making a better gazpacho: ripe tomatoes, salt, and a freeze-thaw step.

List Link: Andalusian Gazpacho

The Best Caesar Salad

The crowd-pleasing salad of crisp romaine leaves, crunchy croutons, and a little or a lot of anchovy can easily be altered to your liking.

List Link: The Best Caesar Salad

Summer Tomato Tonnato

This simple no-cook salad combines peak summer tomatoes and Italian tonnato (tuna sauce).

List Link: Summer Tomato Tonnato

Caprese Salad

The only trick here is to use high-quality, in-season ingredients... and not adding balsamic.

List Link: Caprese Salad Recipe