Literally Just 18 Recipes Packed With Summer's Best Flavors
Grilled corn on the cob covered with crumbled cotija cheese and drizzled with aioli. A light, refreshing spinach salad sprinkled with diced watermelon and walnuts. After a winter of subsisting on pantry meals and less-than-fresh produce shipped in from who knows where, we’re ready to feast on and indulge in all of the fresh, local produce we can get our hands on this summer.
From strawberry salad to sweet corn pie, your summer isn’t complete without these lunch, dinner and dessert recipes featuring summer’s most popular flavors, from melon, peaches and blueberries to zucchini, okra, cucumbers and more.
More from SheKnows
Peach Caprese Grilled Chicken
There’s no denying that this dish is bursting with bright flavors. Grilled chicken is paired with juicy fresh peaches, grilled corn, prosciutto, balsamic glaze, and creamy mozzarella to create a dish you’ll crave even on the hottest summer days.
Click here to read the full article.
Get the recipes from From a Small Kitchen.
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
Strawberry season is finally here, which means we’re looking for all sorts of ways, savory and sweet, to add them to our favorite dishes. This strawberry salad pairs the fresh berries with tangy goat cheese, creamy avocado, and peppery arugula for a memorable meal.
Get the recipes from Sweet Tea + Thyme.
Lemon Chicken Marinade
Nothing screams summer more than lemons and grilling. That’s why we are in love with this easy and delicious marinade recipe from Eats by April. It requires just four ingredients and adds tons of mouthwatering flavor to your grilled chicken.
Get the recipe from Eats by April.
Cherry Pie Bars
These ooey, gooey cherry pie bars drizzled with vanilla glaze are so tasty they’ll make you feel like a kid again, especially topped with ice cream (but they’re great paired with iced coffee, too!).
Get the recipes from Gastrosenses.
Easy Asian Cucumber Salad
Crunchy, sweet, salty, and refreshing, this cucumber salad is delicious as a side dish for your favorite grilled meats, and it’s a great sandwich topper, too.
Get the recipes from Kid Tested Recipes.
Smashed Avocado Chickpea Sandwiches
Not only are these cool and creamy sandwiches vegan, they’re also the perfect vehicle for adding more summer veggies to your meals. Add diced radish and cucumber, grated carrots, fresh raw sweet corn, or thick slices of heirloom tomato to customize them.
Get the recipes from Feasting At Home.
Peaches and Cream Shortbread Bars
The flavor of peaches and cream just screams summer, making these shortbread bars the perfect dessert to bring to bbqs and picnics all season long.
Get the recipes from Lovely Little Kitchen.
Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad
If you’ve ever tried growing cherry tomatoes, you know they explode with sweet tomatoes in late summer, which means we always have lots of ripe tomatoes ready to be used. If that’s true for you, we highly recommend giving this easy and delicious salad a try. It’s the perfect side dish for just about any summer meal.
Get the recipe from 12 Tomatoes.
Watermelon avocado spinach salad with poppy seed dressing
Does it get any lighter and more refreshing than this watermelon avocado salad? Loaded with feta cheese, almonds, red onions and drenched in poppy seed dressing, you’ll crave this every day of the week.
Get the recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod.
Pickled Watermelon Rinds
After you’ve used up your watermelon for that watermelon avocado salad, don’t toss the rinds! Pickle them! They are a great snack or addition to salads, sandwiches and wraps.
Get the recipe from Leite’s Culinaria.
Five-minute strawberry dessert
Short on time but want to indulge in a batch of fresh strawberries? Slice ’em in half and lay ’em out over a spread of ladyfingers coated in a generous layer of cool whip and Danish dessert.
Get the recipe from One Sweet Appetite.
Okra & green tomato fritters
On summer nights when you’re willing to heat up some oil in a skillet, make these okra and green tomato fritters first. Mix coarsely chopped okra, cornmeal, flower, tomato, onion and garlic powder into a batter; then, fry one tablespoonful-worth of batter at a time until crispy brown.
Get the recipe from Southern Bite.
Blueberry dump cake
Dump cakes are basically the lazy cook’s go-to dessert, and if you have yet to make one, then turn to this blueberry cobbler dump cake, which requires just five ingredients and takes all of 35 minutes to make.
Get the recipe from Cake Whiz.
Sweet corn & zucchini pie
The most summer-appropriate savory pie has to be one loaded with sweet corn and zucchini — and this pie from Pinch of Yum has just that, plus yellow onions, sliced mushrooms and a heap of mozzarella and Swiss cheese baked into it.
Get the recipe from Pinch of Yum.
Grilled peach avocado salad
You can never have too many avocado-fruit salads, and I Heart Umami’s grilled peach avocado salad combines two popular summer flavors, as well as fresh arugula and salty prosciutto, tossed with a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Get the recipe from I Heart Umami.
Roasted poblano & sweet corn chicken salad
Healthy, filling and flavorful, the Creative Bite’s chicken salad is equal parts hot (thanks to the poblano peppers and cayenne pepper) and sweet. Plus, the chicken salad substitutes mayonnaise for Greek yogurt, so you won’t feel too guilty for eating more than one lettuce cup.
Get the recipe from The Creative Bite.
Creamy cucumber salad
On sweltering days, this 10-minute, creamy cucumber salad made with Greek yogurt, fresh dill, lemon, fresh herb, honey, vinegar and sliced red onions will cool you right off.
Get the recipe from Joyful Healthy Eats.
Prosciutto, melon & mozzarella salad
Sweet and salty, this prosciutto, melon and mozzarella salad is the perfect opportunity to stock up on fresh produce at the farmer’s market. Be sure to also have EVOO, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar on hand, too.
Get the recipe from Dreams and Epiphanies.
In search of more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has plenty:
Watch: How to Make Watermelon Mango Salsa
A version of this article was originally published July 2019.
Best of SheKnows
Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter.
For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
