Tired of the same old recipe rotation? Change things up with these easy summer dinner ideas! They include grilling recipes, quick pastas, and more.
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If you’re looking for new summer dinner ideas, you’re in the right place! Below, you’ll find 45 of my best summer dinner recipes. They include easy weeknight pastas, fresh summer salads, quick grilled meals, and more.
These recipes are the meals I make on repeat throughout the summer. I love them because they’re packed with the best produce the season has to offer—tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, basil, and more. Using these fresh ingredients is a simple way to add bold flavor to summer meals. I’ll be cooking with them as often as I can this season, and I hope you will be too!
Our Best Summer Dinner Ideas
Lemon Pasta
This 20-minute pasta is one of the easiest summer dinner recipes I know, but it still feels elegant. A lightly creamy, zesty sauce coats twirls of al dente pasta. Top it off with a shower of fresh basil!
Mushroom Tacos
If your favorite summer dinner ideas involve grilling, you’ll love these mushroom tacos. I fill them with meaty, smoky grilled mushrooms, avocado salsa, and pickled red onions for pop. Serve them with a side of my Mexican street corn salad!
Best Veggie Burger
These veggie burgers freeze perfectly, so I love keeping them on hand for quick dinners throughout the summer. Add a side of air fryer French fries or corn on the cob for an easy meal!
Peach Salsa Halloumi Bowls
These refreshing bowls are one of my favorite summer dinner ideas. Peach salsa, black beans, grilled halloumi, and avocado top a bed of coconut rice. My zesty cilantro lime dressing ties it all together!
Pesto Pizza
Loaded up with basil pesto, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, and MORE basil, this gorgeous pie is bursting with summer flavor.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
You can never have enough summer dinner ideas with zucchini, right? This recipe is one of my favorites. A flavorful mixture of tomatoes, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese fills juicy, tender zucchini boats.
Creamy Corn Pasta
I’m obsessed with all summer dinner ideas that use sweet corn, and this corn pasta is one of the best. I puree some corn kernels to make the creamy, silky sauce and leave more whole for crunch!
Chickpea Salad
When it’s too hot to turn on the oven or the stove, I make this lemony chickpea salad for dinner. Leftovers pack up perfectly for lunch the next day!
Banh Mi Sandwich
My veggie riff on a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich! It’s filled with seared tofu, pickled veggies, fresh cilantro, and spicy mayo. I like to marinate the tofu and pickle the veggies in advance. That way, this recipe is quick and easy to assemble on a weeknight.
Easy Gazpacho
This gazpacho recipe is everything I want for dinner on a hot summer night. It’s a breeze to make, and it’s deeply cooling and refreshing.
Caesar Salad
This hearty salad is a classic for a reason! Instead of topping mine with grilled chicken breast, I sprinkle on roasted chickpeas for plant-based protein and crunch.
Cherry Tomato Pasta
When you go overboard on cherry tomatoes at the farmers market (me every week), this recipe is here to help you use them up. Half the tomatoes cook down into a fresh, tangy sauce. The rest stay whole to add bursty bites to the pasta.
Stuffed Peppers
You can make these stuffed peppers two ways. Top them with cheese, or serve them with guacamole and chipotle sauce for a vegan variation. You can’t go wrong—both versions are delicious!
Healthy Taco Salad
Shiitake walnut taco meat, black beans, and crispy tortilla strips fill this salad with tasty taco flavor. Douse it all in cilantro lime dressing for a perfect summer meal!
Sweet Corn Pizza
Corn on pizza?! Don’t knock it till you try it. I love its texture here. The crisp, juicy kernels play off a chewy crust, creamy ricotta cheese, and dollops of pesto.
Easy Black Bean Burger
These smoky, spicy black bean burgers come together in 30 minutes flat! Serve them with a side of grilled veggies for a tasty weeknight dinner.
Niçoise Salad
This vegetarian spin on a Niçoise salad is one of my favorite summer recipes. I could eat it for dinner every night! To make it vegetarian, I use creamy white beans and briny artichoke hearts instead of the traditional tuna.
Vegetarian Lasagna
When you think of summer dinner ideas, lasagna may not be the first thing that comes to mind. This lasagna, though, is a must-try summer recipe. Between all those noodles and marinara, you’ll find a fresh, flavorful medley of roasted summer veggies.
Grilled Vegetable Skewers
With the right fixings, simple grilled veggies can be a satisfying summer dinner! Serve them with a hearty, flavorful sauce like tzatziki or romesco sauce and lots of pita bread.
Caprese Sandwich
If Caprese sandwiches aren’t already in your summer dinner rotation, now’s the time to add them! They’re fresh, filling, and SO quick to make.
Fresh Spring Rolls
Just add peanut sauce for a tasty summer meal!
Greek Salad
This Greek salad is one of my go-to cookout side dishes, but I also love it for dinner on hot summer nights. The juicy vegetables and tangy dressing make it so refreshing, and the briny olives and feta make it a satisfying meal.
Ratatouille
A late summer classic. Serve this Provençal vegetable stew with a generous drizzle of olive oil and crusty bread.
Fajita Veggies
Summer dinner ideas don’t get much simpler than this! Grill up mushrooms, onions, and peppers, and serve them in tortillas with pico de gallo and guacamole. Yum!
Tomato Galette
Show off peak-season tomatoes in this gorgeous galette! To streamline the recipe, use frozen puff pastry dough instead of making the pie crust from scratch.
Sesame Soba Noodles
Customize this recipe with whatever summer veggies you like. Julienned carrots and cucumber, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, and green beans would all be excellent here.
Falafel
Tuck these flavorful chickpea patties into pita with hummus, tahini sauce, pickled red onions, and your favorite summer veggies.
Eggplant Parmesan
My take on classic eggplant Parmesan! Instead of frying the crispy eggplant slices, I bake them for a lighter—but no less delicious—meal.
Easy Pesto Pasta
Make your own pesto if you have an abundance of fresh basil on hand. If not, substitute store-bought for an even quicker summer dinner.
Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl
Fresh herbs, pickled onions, and an easy yogurt sauce make this simple grain bowl a flavorful summer meal.
BBQ Tofu Sandwich
This saucy sandwich is an EPIC summer dinner! Grilled BBQ tofu steaks, avocado, slaw, and pickles create its insanely flavorful vegan filling.
Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
This stunning salad features cherry tomatoes two ways! I roast some for chewy texture and rich, savory flavor and leave others raw so that they stay sweet and juicy.
Best Vegan Pizza
You won’t miss the cheese on this super-veggie vegan pizza. Sun-dried tomatoes, onions, basil, and a rich cashew cream sauce pack it with plenty of flavor.
Quesadillas
Looking for summer dinner ideas that you can make in a single skillet? Quesadillas are a great option! They cook in minutes, and you can customize the filling with your favorite summer veggies.
Tomato Basil Soup
Roasted and blended plum tomatoes create a lightly creamy, savory base for this 10-ingredient soup.
Vegan Hot Dogs
These vegan carrot “hot dogs” are a fun veggie option for a cookout! I love to top mine with mustard and pickle relish.
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Spice up your rotation of summer dinner ideas with these veggie-packed peppers! I mean “spice up” literally—the poblanos give this recipe a delicious kick.
Panzanella
This panzanella, a Tuscan bread salad, is one of the summer dinner ideas I make on repeat every year. I love how the fresh tomato juices and tangy dressing infuse the bread with flavor.
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Jarred and fresh roasted red peppers both work nicely in this vibrant summer pasta.
Portobello Mushroom Burger
Tamari and balsamic vinegar infuse these juicy mushroom caps with tangy, savory flavor. Serve them on hamburger buns with all the fixings!
Vegan Tacos
If you like to get ahead on dinner, this recipe is for you. You can cook the spicy jackfruit filling up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, warm the filling, whip up the refreshing mango salsa, and dig in!
Zucchini Lasagna
If you have a summer surplus of zucchini, make this fresh lasagna to (help) use it up. I replace half the pasta with zucchini noodles and blend more zucchini into the creamy filling.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
In the summer, I want to spend as much time enjoying the beautiful weather as possible, so I love to make packable salads like this one for dinner. It travels perfectly to the beach or a park for a picnic!
Vegan Poke Bowl
Hot summer days call for refreshing recipes like this one. A plant-based take on Hawaiian poke, it features cooling watermelon, cucumbers, and pickled ginger.
Margherita Pizza
Think of all the summer dinner ideas that revolve around tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella—this pasta, this sandwich, this salad. It’s only natural that we should pile them on pizza, too!
More Favorite Summer Recipes
If you love these summer dinner ideas, check out these favorite summer recipes next:
Summer Dinner Ideas: Stuffed Peppers
rate this recipe: from votesPrep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves 4 to 6Save Recipe Print RecipeThese stuffed red peppers are one of our favorite healthy summer dinner ideas!Ingredients
- 4 red bell peppers
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1½ cups white cheddar cheese
- Avocado slices or guacamole, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Filling
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 jalapeños, diced, more for topping, if desired
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1½ tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 3 cups cooked white jasmine rice
- 1½ cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1½ cups corn kernels
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and membranes, and place on the baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and bake 10 minutes. Tip out and discard any liquid that pools inside the peppers. Set the peppers aside.
- Make the filling. In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, jalapeños, scallions, lime zest, lime juice, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and cilantro. Fold in the rice, black beans, and corn.
- Scoop the filling into the pepper halves and top them with the cheese. Broil for 2 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and browned. Alternatively, continue baking at 450°F for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve with the avocado slices, lime wedges, and extra jalapenos, if desired.
Notes
Vegan version: Skip the cheese. Don’t bake the peppers the second time, and serve them with guacamole or chipotle sauce.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbvVnpinnJyaurC60meaqKVfqMKuucSrZJ2hnqOys3nInZyaq18%3D