These are the best easy summer dinner recipes to make the most of produce like tomatoes, corn, zucchini, peaches and more. Including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
If you're like me, you'll do everything you can to eat as much summer produce as possible when it's in season.
I'm talking zucchini, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, summer squash, and of course all of the juicy seasonal fruit.
I try to sneak as much of this delicious summer produce into breakfast, lunch, and dinner all season long. So in today's post, I've rounded up all of my go-to easy summer dinner recipes for you to enjoy all summer long!
Best Summer Dinner Recipes for All Diets
When it comes to dinner during the summer, I have a few criteria for my meals. They've got to be:
Veggie-packed
Quick & easy
Mostly heat-off (i.e. don't require lots of oven/stove time)
Summer Pasta Recipes
First up on our list of easy summer dinner recipes is pasta. Pasta is the perfect summer meal because it's quick to make and can use so many different veggies inside. Plus you can eat it like a salad, or swap zucchini noodles for your spaghetti to make it even lighter.
Creamy Hummus Pasta Salad
This recipe is a simple chilled pasta salad that has fresh veggies like cucumbers and tomatoes, that you toss in a simple hummus dressing. The dressing adds extra protein and makes it so creamy!Also try: Healthy Soba Noodle Salad
The ultimate tomato dish! This pasta recipe features sweet, juicy little cherry tomatoes that are roasted to perfect and turned into an amazing vegan tomato sauce. Tomatoes are the definition of summer!
This amazing creamy lemon broccoli pasta uses just one pot and 6 ingredients. Broccoli is in season all summer long and is full of helath benefits. This pasta recipe is easy to make, delicious, and vegan!
These raw avocado pesto zucchini noodles make a satisfying swap for traditional pasta thanks to a creamy avocado sauce loaded with flavor, protein, and healthy fat!Also try:Zucchini Pasta with Garlic Scape Pesto
Bowl meals are a favorite of mine because they're easy to eat and typically simple to prepare. It's also a great option for meal prep. Just cook up your favorite veggies, protein and sauce/dressing and you've got a healthy meal for days!
Mediterranean Quinoa Hummus Bowls
These quinao bowls have it all. Sweet, plump tomatoes, crispy chickpeas, spicy arugula and tender roasted eggplant. And we finish off with a dollop of hummus and a drizzle of tahini dressing to add creaminess!
Want something that's light, low carb and packed with veggies? These cauliflower rice bowls are going to be your jam! They are low-carb thanks to the cauliflower rice and full of umami flavor.
Taking less than 20 minutes to make, this is an Asian-inspired recipe that is packed with protein and veggies. We've got crispy tofu mixed with sauteed cabbage and scallions.
Soup in summer? Usually a “no” for me, but when it's a chilled soup made from fresh, local veggies? I can definitely get down. These are a few of my favorite summer soup recipes!
Spicy Tomato Gazpacho
This is my spin on gazpacho and I think it has just the right amount of heat and sweetness from tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and garlic. Plus, it's naturally gluten-free and super light because it doesn't contain the bread like traditional gazpacho sometimes does.
A not-so traditional summer soup that has the absolute best texture. It's silky-smooth and creamy, but also 100% dairy-free! The secret? Ripe avocados! Bonus: they add healthy fat to make this soup nice and filling.
Salads are probably the most classic of our summer dinner recipes and these ones do not disappoint. Each salad is filling, healthy, and packed with summer veggies!
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Sometimes having a salad full of raw veggies gets a little boring to eat. That's why this is the ultimate green salad – topped with a variety of grilled veggies, it's tasty, delicious and keeps well for meal prep.
Got an abundance of summer squash and zucchini in your garden? This is a simple and delicious way to eat it. Topped with toasted pine nuts for crunch! Feel free to also add some goat cheese for a bit of tang.
“Caprese” Quinoa Salad
A spin on caprese salad, but without the cheese. We're swapping the cheese with chickpeas for added protein and to keep it more filling, then tossing the whole salad in a delicious balsamic dressing!
If you love fruit on your salads, this summery quinoa salad is sure to hit the spot. With sweet strawberries, tangy feta and fluffy quinoa, it's light, flavorful and summer in every bite!
Pizza might not feel like a summer-specific dinner, but I love how easy it is to make pizza summer-y! It's all about the toppings and keeping things light and flavorful.
BBQ Quinoa Pizza with Chickpeas
This quinoa pizza crust is nutty, crispy, and only uses 5 ingredients. Then we top it with sweet and smoky BBQ sauce, cherry tomatoes, shallots, and chickpeas for protein.
Another recipe that uses my classic quinoa pizza crust but topping it with something a little different. Rather than tomato sauce, I used hummus which is super creamy. Then we top it with sliced tomato, zucchini and cheese!
Let's take the classic pizza crust and swap it out with one made from zucchini! It's still crispy and holds up to toppings, but is low carb and super light. Another great way to use up zucchini you might have in your garden!
We're getting to my favorite dinner category: tacos! Tacos are a great option in the summer because they take very little preparation. You just have to get your protein cooked up (which I love to grill), cut up your toppings and then serve them up. They're great for a backyard BBQ as well!
Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa
Whether you want to grill or bake your salmon, these tacos are one of my favorites. They're topped with a sweet mango salsa, seasoned to perfection, and definitely serve a crowd!
Not a fan of salmon? You'll love these crispy fish tacos. The fish is breaded in a gluten-free coating, the pan seared to perfection making them a much healthier option to deep-fried.
A classic vegetarian taco made with black beans and quinoa for protein. These tacos are a cinch to make, can easily be used for meal prep and the filling also goes great on top of a salad!
Shredded chicken that's been tossed in a sweet barbeque sauce is what fills these tacos. Then we use fresh tomatillos to make a simple salsa. They're quick, easy and delicious!
What would a list of summer dinner recipes be without some BBQ? We're rounding out this list with some of my favorite BBQ recipes. These are all vegan, but feel free to swap the tofu in each of these recipes with your favorite form of protein.
BBQ “Pulled Pork” Lettuce Wraps
There's no pork in these wraps! They're made with jackfruit and plenty of crunchy veggies for a low-carb and vegan summer dinner recipe.Also try:Tropical Quinoa Lettuce Wraps
Are you looking for a plant-based option to serve at your summer BBQ? This balsamic grilled tofu is so delicious. It's a bit sweet from a thick balsamic glaze that seeps into thick slabs of extra-firm tofu but also has that beautiful charred flavor. Pairs well with pretty much any side you can think of!
This is a quick kebab-style vegan dinner you can throw on the grill at the next cookout. The pineapple adds a really nice sweetness, that complements the tofu and veggies perfectly. Great for your plant-based eaters, but the tofu can also be swapped with chicken or shrimp!
Grilled Pork Chop with Sweet Potato Red Quinoa Salad
The might be the only grilled meat recipe we've got on this list, but it's for good reason. This is a fast back-pocket summer dinner recipe complete with a hearty quinoa salad!
Let us know which one on this list you would choose by leaving a comment below! And if you add one of these recipes to your meals this summer – we'd love to hear which one!
