99 Sizzling Summer Dinner Ideas to Keep Your Cool on Hot Days

Summer dinners shouldn’t require a lot of stove or oven time, and that’s not necessarily a limitation. To prove it, we compiled dozens of summer dinner ideas that are full of flavor and use peak summer produce. Add at least a few of them to your weekly menu to make dinnertime this summer simpler and cooler.

Quick and Easy Summer Dinner Recipes

Let’s face it: There are better ways to spend a summer evening than to stand over a hot stove for an hour. These easy dinners come together in no time flat.

Linguine with Cherry Tomato Sauce

This easy dinner recipe requires a little chopping and minimal cooking. The result is an Italian-style pasta dish that practically screams summer.

Fancy Tomato Sandwiches

Sandwiches for dinner? You bet! Fresh summer tomatoes are the show-stopping centerpiece of these tasty vegetarian sandwiches, perfect for a light summer dinner.

Speedy Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches

While banh mi might seem intimidating to make, these sandwiches are ready in just 30 minutes. Glazing the pork just before roasting it adds flavor and helps keep the meat tender. Quick-pickled vegetables and Sriracha mayo complete this classic Vietnamese meal.

Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Broccoli

This adaptable sheet pan dinner features fresh broccoli florets and onions, and employs shortcuts like store-bought pesto and gnocchi. For a more filling meal, add cauliflower and some cooked Italian sausage. Try a pizza-inspired version by using marinara sauce instead of pesto and swap the feta for mozzarella.

Crockpot Pulled-Pork Tacos

A slow cooker can be a busy cook’s best friend in the summer. This make-ahead dinner takes just 5 minutes to pull together in the morning and then simmers all day while you’re out having summer fun.

Salmon with Creamy Cucumber Fennel Salad

Salmon is an easy weeknight dinner—especially when paired with this refreshing make-ahead salad. Elegant and healthy, this low-carb winner is ready in just 20 minutes.

Red Pesto Fettuccine

Two pantry staples pull double duty to help you get this family-friendly summer dinner on the table in just 25 minutes. Strips of sun-roasted tomatoes form the basis of a rich, red pesto, while a few tablespoons of oil reserved from the jar are used to cook a garlic-walnut combo stovetop, which also goes into the pesto. In addition to a pesto ingredient, reserved walnuts serve as a garnish alongside Parmesan to complete this easy, satisfying pasta dish.

Cheesy Chicken Nachos With Avocado and Radish

Summer is the perfect time to have something fun for dinner. This dish, which comes together in under 20 minutes, makes the perfect accompaniment for outdoor movie night.

Salmon Burgers With Pesto Cream Sauce

Canned salmon helps these burgers come together in just 20 minutes. The salmon mix is seasoned with dried basil for a perfect complement to the store-bought pesto slathered on brioche buns. All you need to do is mix, shape, and sear the patties for a crisp crust, and then assemble.

Udon With Seared Beef & Zucchini

Udon—thick Japanese noodles—tossed with thin slices of seared beef, zucchini, and shiitake mushrooms create this 30-minute meal that’s filling and satisfying. Mint adds freshness, while toasted sesame seeds bring the crunch. To make this dish vegetarian, use sliced tofu instead of beef.

Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos

Jarred salsa verde helps you get this easy weeknight dinner on the table in 25 minutes. Just simmer seared chicken thighs in the mild, zesty sauce until they’re pull-apart tender, and then warm the tortillas. Top each taco with chopped onion, cilantro, and crumbled cotija cheese, and dig in!

Pasta With Shrimp and Spicy Butter

How about a restaurant-quality dish on the dinner table in 30 minutes? Its secret lies in a dressed-up butter enhanced with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, and a spoonful of gochujang—a Korean chili paste that’s delightfully spicy. To sop up the flavorful sauce, opt for a wide, flat noodle with rippled edges like mafalda, or swap in pappardelle or fettuccine.

Sheet Pan Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

We don’t blame you for questioning a roast chicken-and-sweet potato dish on the quick-and-easy list, but this recipe will make you a believer. From start to finish, this meal takes just 30 minutes with only 10 minutes hands-on. Line your baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup, too.

Egg Salad Toast with Fresh Herbs and Capers

Since when is toast considered a meal? Since you’re too hot and tired to cook, and you find this recipe that’s quick, easy, and satisfying. That’s when. If you hard-boil the eggs in advance, there’s no cooking at all for this summer dinner, unless you consider toasting as “cooking”.

Crispy Chicken Cutlets With Artichoke Dressing

Yes, asparagus is a spring crop where most of us live, but why not take advantage of grocers who carry it all summer long? Roasted in a hot (450°F) oven with lightly breaded chicken cutlets, this dynamic duo makes for a light meal in just 25 minutes. That includes whipping up a lemony artichoke dressing that pushes this dish’s flavor over the top.

Southwestern Beef Chili With Corn

Chili in summer? It may not be the first dish you think of, but this recipe showcases plenty of summer produce: sweet corn, carrots, peppers, and onion. (No one would complain if you threw in a few fresh tomatoes, too.) Top with cheddar cheese and serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, and your other favorite chili accompaniments.

Spanish Omelet With Potatoes and Chorizo

Breakfast for dinner is always a viable option, but especially so in summer when you want something quick and easy. This meat-and-potatoes omelet pairs with a simple green salad for a full, satisfying meal in just 30 minutes.

Sheet Pan Cod and Potatoes

It’s summer, so you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen before or after dinner. Enter the sheet pan supper! Roast the potatoes, cod filets, and chard all on the same baking sheet lined with foil. After dinner, toss the foil, go back outside, and enjoy the rest of your evening.

Saucy Shrimp and Noodle Stir-Fry

Nothing says quick like shrimp or stir-fry, and together, they’re a summer cook’s best friends. This dish coats shrimp, bok choy, mushrooms, and rice noodles in a killer sweet-and-spicy sauce that gets you in and out of the kitchen in just 20 minutes.

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

How do we pack enough flavor for a curry dish in just 35 minutes? A rotisserie chicken gives us a good head start, and a Greek yogurt-based curry sauce helps, too. Serve with store-bought naan for that authentic Indian takeout experience at a fraction of the cost.

Shrimp Lo Mein

In less time than it takes to have it delivered, you could be enjoying this easy home-cooked Chinese-inspired dish. It features lo mein noodles (or spaghetti) and shrimp in a sweet-and-spicy sauce. Fold in sautéed vegetables—bell peppers, scallions, mushrooms, and fresh baby bok choy—or whatever else is on hand, and dinner’s ready!

Pasta With Turkey and Broccoli

In the time it takes to boil pasta, you can make this Italian-style pasta dish table-ready. Ground turkey sautéed with fennel seeds lightens up this meaty dish while fresh broccoli florets pack in the nutrients. Toss in olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan, and watch it disappear.

Green Curry With Halibut and Corn

A cross between a curry dish, fish soup, and corn chowder, this soup is both light and satisfying. It combines flavorful green curry paste, summer-fresh corn, and halibut chunks in a coconut-milk broth. Add cooked white rice and top with lime juice, basil leaves, and jalapeno slices to complete this summery soup in just 30 minutes.

Crispy Pork Cutlets With Fennel-Chickpea Slaw

Crispy cutlets, a refreshing slaw, and ready in 30 minutes is everything you could want in a simple summer supper. And that 30 minutes includes homemade bread crumbs, too.

Broiled Salmon on Rice With Broccoli

Salmon, rice, and broccoli are standard to the point of being—dare we say—boring. But two simple ingredients—brown sugar and soy sauce—take this ordinary combo from blah to rah. Here’s how: Baste the salmon and onions with half the mixture during their last minute in the broiler, and then dribble the rest over the plated dish before serving.

Shrimp and Spinach Pasta with Leeks

Interested in a creamy seafood pasta dish ready in 20 minutes? Of course you are! This one tastes lemony, is nutrient-packed with leeks and baby spinach, and features gemelli (but fusilli or any other short pasta would do).

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs With Salsa Verde

If you love chicken fajita tacos, you’ll love this recipe. In just 30 minutes, it transforms roasted chicken, onions, jarred salsa verde (or make your own), and crumbled cheese into a fiesta-ready platter. Serve with warm corn tortillas, lime wedges, and a Corona.

Fishermen’s Soup

You’re probably not shocked to learn this dish features halibut and mussels, but you may be surprised by the flavor it manages to coax into the broth in just 35 minutes. Thanks to leeks, fennel, diced tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and dry sherry, this recipe for summer turns simple seafood into a bowl of delish.

Chicken and Dill Souvlaki

This recipe—essentially a Greek-inspired taco—is light, refreshing, and healthy. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up the lemony olive oil dressing and then fold in rotisserie chicken, cucumbers, onion, and dill. All that’s left is to spread the mixture onto flatbread (or pita) and top with a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt.

Linguine With Shrimp and Artichokes

What sets this shrimp-and-pasta recipe apart is a sprinkle of seasoned sautéed panko breadcrumbs that adds texture and flavor. For even more flavor, add some of the artichoke jar’s marinade to the pot to cook the linguine.

Slow-Cooker Chipotle Short Ribs With Tangy Cabbage Slaw

Load the slow cooker with short ribs in the morning and let it do the cooking while you enjoy your summer. While you’re at it, make the slaw in the morning too, so it can marinate in the fridge all day. Come dinnertime, all that’s left to do is cook some white rice and serve.

Herby Chicken Salad Tartines

This tartine—a French term for an open-face sandwich—sounds fancier than your standard chicken salad sand, and it tastes fancier, too. It starts with a rotisserie chicken (or any leftover cooked chicken) that’s treated to a sweet mayo-Dijon-vinegar dressing. Add to that toasted sourdough slices for a base, chopped almonds for crunch, and sliced radishes for color for this light, easy summer meal.

Coconut-Marinated Shrimp With Cucumber and Jicama

If you’re looking for a no-cook, low-carb, easy-yet-fancy summer dinner solution, stop right here. Allot an hour for the cooked shrimp and Fresno chilies to marinate in a coconut milk-lime juice mixture. After that, it’s only 15 minutes to prep and assemble the rest. For a heartier meal, serve over rice noodles.

Vegetarian Summer Dinner Ideas

Whether you’re planning for Meatless Mondays—or, as vegetarians call it, “everyday”—these meat-free summer dinners are healthy and satisfying.

No-Bake Summer Veggie Lasagna

This fresh take on lasagna requires no oven time and is packed to the brim with tasty summer ingredients like cherry tomatoes and chopped zucchini. Silky ricotta and a sauce infused with fresh oregano and garlic add flavor and texture, while boiled lasagna sheets hold everything together. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and enjoy!

Toasted Israeli Couscous with Corn and Herbs

Give your tired pasta salad a break and make this modern dish instead. Atop a toasted couscous base are juicy summer corn kernels showered with fresh herbs—think basil, chives, and dill—plus caramelized onions. If you’re headed to a summer picnic or potluck, this dish is bound to be a hit.

Spring Green Salad

This salad has spring in its name, but it’s great for summer, too. Packed with romaine lettuce hearts, chopped cucumber, snap peas, edamame, pistachios, chives, and mint, it’s as healthy as it looks. Its creamy avocado-and-yogurt dressing, which boasts a Caesar-esque twist thanks to an anchovy filet, is not to be missed.

Japanese Cabbage Pancake

Savory pancakes for dinner? Yes, please. This Japanese dish, also known as okonomiyaki, has eggs like a frittata but is bolstered with sautéed cabbage and flour. Topping the pancake with a Sriracha mayo-and-Worcestershire ketchup kicks up the flavor.

Watermelon Poke Bowls

This classic Hawaiian dish—a fusion of sushi and a burrito bowl—usually features ahi tuna. This vegan-friendly version (provided you use vegan mayo) swaps seafood with marinated watermelon, resulting in a refreshing, summery dish.

Vegetarian BLT with Shiitake Bacon

For a fast and easy summer dinner idea, try this vegetarian take on the classic sandwich. Instead of bacon, this recipe uses roasted shiitake mushrooms, which take on an umami goodness reminiscent of crispy bacon. Make your own mayo for extra points.

Crispy Peanut Tofu With Sugar Snap Peas and Peppers

For a meat-free dinner that’s delicious in every season, give this dish a whirl. Bookmark this recipe’s spicy sauce—made of peanut butter, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and Sriracha—because you’ll want to put on everything. Serve over rice or noodles to complete the meal.

Vegetarian Tacos with Goat Cheese

The filling of these tasty tacos takes just under 10 minutes of cooking time. If you have it, sub in fresh corn to make the perfect vegetarian summer dinner even more perfect.

Black Bean and Eggs-Over-Easy Tostadas

This 30-minute recipe elevates a humble can of black beans to a protein-packed, Tex-Mex-inspired dinner. They’re spiced and layered onto tostadas, and then topped with sliced avocado, fried eggs, romaine, radishes, and a drizzle of sour cream.

Linguine With Broccoli Mint Pesto

For this dish, broccoli and a handful of fresh mint are added to a pesto mixture for a major veggie boost that clings to long pasta. And don’t skimp on the toppings: Chopped almonds add crunch while olive oil, grated pecorino cheese, and flaky salt add even more flavor.

Spicy Summer Squash Stir-Fry

Grab plenty of in-season summer squash and eggplant to make this stir fry, which riffs off Kung Pao thanks to a cornstarch-soy sauce that thickens around crisp vegetables. Serve over white rice for a complete meal.

Lemony Lentil Soup

Soup doesn’t often come to mind as an appropriate mid-summer meal, but this one should. Its bright, lemony flavor melds carrots, onions, garlic, and spices for a light-yet-satisfying meal. Need more? Pair it with our parm-crusted grilled cheese.

White Pizza With Artichokes, Rosemary, and Olives

This recipe starts with pizza dough that you can make yourself or buy. (Take it easy on yourself, it’s summer!) Whichever you choose, cover it with a layer of creamy ricotta and then top with briny artichokes, olives, onion, and Parmesan. Finish with a sprinkle of rosemary and black pepper.

Eggplant and Tomato Masala With Chickpeas

What turns a can each of chickpeas and fire-roasted diced tomatoes into a fresh, Indian-inspired summer meal in just 25 minutes? This recipe does. It calls for Japanese eggplant—which is longer, thinner, and sometimes less bitter—but regular eggplant works, too.

Tex-Mex Gazpacho

Doesn’t a cold, spicy soup sound perfect for a hot summer evening? This recipe whirls fresh tomatoes and cukes—along with a red bell, poblano, and onion—in a blender for a veggie-rich puree that chills for 15 minutes in the fridge. Garnish with sour cream, pepitas, and cilantro, and serve with warm tortillas.

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This vegetarian take on chicken salad hits all the right notes: quick, easy, protein-packed, and loaded with flavor. Its mayo-based filling is piled between two slices of toasted seven-grain or sourdough, which is all the cooking this recipe requires.

Whole Grain Spaghetti With Kale and Tomatoes

Celebrate summer with this veggie-forward pasta dish. It skips the jarred tomato sauce in favor of grape tomatoes and kale sautéed in onions, garlic, and olive oil. Grated pecorino cheese sets off this wholesome, tasty dish.

Green Gazpacho With Grapes, Honeydew, and Cucumber

To make this summery soup, pull out the blender and give your stove a break. The recipe starts with a loaf of ciabatta bread, which pulls double duty as a thickener for the soup as well as its accompaniment for serving. To make this refreshing meal, add cucumber, honeydew, and seedless green grapes to your grocery basket.

Peanut Butter Ramen

Peanut butter fans rejoice: It’s what’s for dinner! Punch up a humble package of ramen noodle soup with creamy peanut butter, gochujang (or Sriracha), and soy sauce for a super speedy dinner. Fortify it with tofu or leftover roasted vegetables for a more filling meal.

Meatless Meatball Subs

These savory meatballs credit eggplant and mushrooms for their umami flavor and meat-like texture. But don’t relegate these versatile orbs to just this easy sub recipe. Make an extra batch to serve later with pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, or corn on the cob.

Mole-Spiced Black Bean and Quinoa Bowl

Think we expect you to spend hours in the kitchen making mole from scratch? Not this summer. Just grab a jar from the grocer to flavor this veggie-and-grain bowl, and then add creamy crumbled Mexican cheese and crunchy pepitas.

Summer Nachos

This recipe loads a classic Tex-Mex appetizer with fresh summer veggies for a dish the whole family can get around, literally. A topping of creamy avocado-yogurt dollops makes this sheet-pan meal hearty enough to stand alone as a main course.

Mushroom White Pizza

This specialty artisan pizza requires no app, no ordering, and no tip. What it does require is a baking sheet, store-bought pizza dough, ricotta and mozzarella, a pound of mushrooms, and 35 minutes. Serve with a dressed green salad to complete your meal.

Cauliflower Tartine With Romesco Sauce

This open-face sandwich on hearty sourdough has a sweet secret ingredient—raisins—that set off this sandwich’s roasted-and-pickled cauliflower combo filling. The spread is whirled in the blender from almonds, roasted red peppers, and tomato paste for a smooth, rich romesco sauce.

Spicy Coconut Noodles

“Spicy” refers to this recipe’s chili powder and chili paste (if you like extra heat), and “coconut” is the milk that forms the base of its sauce. It also calls for rice “noodles”, but they could also be fettuccine, ramen, or even udon. What the title doesn’t mention are bean sprouts and basil leaves, which give this noodle bowl a fresh spin.

Grilled Summer Dinner Recipes

Summer is prime time for grilling, and these easy grilled summer dinner recipes help you bypass a hot kitchen and a lot of cleanup.

Grilled Turkey-Zucchini Burgers

Fire up the grill to cook these healthy burgers made of zucchini, lean ground turkey, and an egg. Garlic powder and cumin help flavor the burgers from within, while a honey mustard-and-mayo topping adds irresistible creaminess. Serve with sweet-potato chips and you’re good to go.

Grilled Chicken With Blueberry-Peach Salsa

A fresh fruit salsa made with in-season blueberries and peaches takes ordinary chicken to the next level. Juicy thighs—seasoned with chili powder, brown sugar, and lime—are grilled to perfection, while chewy farro rounds out the meal.

Grilled Halloumi Cheese Salad

This recipe gives grilled cheese an unexpected twist. It features halloumi—a flavorful firm cheese that can take the heat—to add richness to a simple salad. With a dinner this light, you can afford to splurge on dessert.

Grilled Steaks With Potato Skewers

Meat and potatoes get the summertime treatment in this recipe, which pairs grilled tender strip steaks with potato-and-shallot-filled skewers, tied together with a tangy tarragon mayonnaise. Serve with a light red wine or a tart white wine, and you’re good to go.

Grilled Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

If you never thought to grill a quesadilla, think again! It’s easier than cooking on a stove, gives the tortillas a satisfying crunch, and creates tantalizing grill marks. This light, summer dinner comes together fast on the grill, thanks to rotisserie chicken and pre-shredded cheese.

Grilled Sriracha Pork Chops with Sesame Smashed Cucumbers

When it comes to grilling, many of us overlook pork chops in favor of steak or chicken, but we absolutely shouldn’t. These pork chops are marinated in a spicy sesame-soy sauce, which adds flavor and helps tenderize the meat. Honey in the marinade helps give the chop a caramelized crust, which pairs perfectly with the side of vinegary cucumbers.

Grilled Asparagus and Hot Honey Flatbreads

If you’ve never had grilled pizza (or a similar grilled flatbread), you’re missing out. This flavorful recipe tops grilled naan with grilled asparagus, ricotta cheese, hot honey, and pistachios. There’s something for everyone in this dish that’s packed with sweet, spicy, creamy, and crunchy components.

Chicken Tortilla Crunch Salad

A simple dressing made with mayonnaise, salsa, and sour cream dresses a refreshing napa cabbage-and-red bell pepper mixture, while a fajita spice mix (homemade or store-bought) seasons chicken thighs before they hit a hot grill. Top with tortilla chips for a surprising crunch in each bite.

Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Arugula Salad

For a dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes, this protein-heavy meal fits the bill. It pairs perfectly seared pork chops with a salad of peppery arugula and stone fruit. Don’t have peaches? Use plums or nectarines instead.

Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Wings

Who doesn’t love chicken wings? In this recipe, grilled wings are tossed in Parmesan followed by a garlicky parsley-lemon sauce. If you don’t have a grill, use your broiler instead.

Grilled Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella Melts

Grilled components of this open-face veggie sandwich—thick eggplant, bread slices, and melty mozzarella—keep you out of the kitchen on a hot summer night. Top each with a juicy tomato slice and fresh basil leaves, and then serve with a simply dressed green salad.

Spicy Grilled Chicken With Shaved Zucchini Salad

The “spicy” in this recipe is credited to Aleppo pepper—a chili pepper native to Syria—in the chicken’s pre-grill rub. (If you can’t find Aleppo, sub with crushed red pepper.) The spicy chicken breasts are paired with zesty zucchini ribbons drizzled with a garlic-and-herb dressing.

Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad With Avocado

Prepare the grill for corn on the cob and chicken breasts to make this Southwestern-inspired salad. They’ll sit on a bed of baby spinach coated in a homemade lemon vinaigrette that’s topped with chunks of creamy avocado and salty Parmesan shavings. Margaritas anyone?

Steak-and-Potato Skewers With Orange Salsa

Chunks of hanger steak and seasoned potatoes grilled on a stick is great and all, but what takes this dish over the top is the orange salsa. It takes just minutes to whip up, but you’ll be thinking about that citrusy salsa for days afterward.

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks With Romesco and Manchego

Cauliflower steaks provide a hearty vegetarian option for the grill. This recipe pairs them with a peppery arugula-radish salad and tangy romesco sauce thickened with almond butter. Shaved Manchego and chopped almonds top off this light summer treat.

Chicken Kebabs With Tomato Salad

This summer supper is as simple to make as it looks, yet belies the flavor packed into it. Chunks of chicken breast are seasoned with garlic and thyme before lining up on skewers, and fresh cherry tomatoes benefit from a dressing spiked with orange zest. Gently charred sweet corn rounds out this trio, bested only by a tall glass of freshly made lemonade.

Grilled Swordfish and Asparagus With Parsley-Caper Salsa

An investment of just 35 minutes rewards you with this flavorful fish-and-veg meal cooked exclusively on the grill. To start, brush the grates with oil to prepare them for seasoned swordfish steaks. When they’re done, replace them with lightly oiled and salted asparagus spears and two lemon halves. (Grilling lemons adds smoky, earthy notes and intensifies their citrusy flavor.)

Grilled Flatbread with Asparagus, Burrata & Bacon

Imagine a cross between a balsamic-dressed, shaved asparagus and arugula salad with a grilled pizza, and you have a good idea of what this light dinner recipe is all about. Layering starts on the grates with a par-cooked pizza dough topped with bacon and mozzarella. Next come chunks of burrata, grilled until warm but not melted. Off the grill, pile on the salad, slice, and enjoy!

Summer Dinner Salad Ideas

When the weather is hot, salads that are heavy on veggies and other light ingredients make really cool summer dinners.

Japanese-Style Shrimp Salad

Ditch your standard summer salad for this Japanese-inspired dish, which features crunchy romaine and cucumbers, juicy shrimp, healthy avocado chunks, and a creamy soy-mayo dressing. For an easy shortcut, make this salad with pre-cooked shrimp, though we suggest poaching your own using the recipe’s simple instructions (at least once).

Summer Squash With Scallions, Chile, and Parsley

A dish filled with fresh summer squash is about as summery a salad as you can get. Vinegar adds the right acidity to pair it with almost any meat, while roasted almonds add crunch and parsley brings the freshness.

Roasted Eggplant and Olive Pasta Salad

This Mediterranean-inspired salad makes a great picnic side or the perfect summer dinner on a hot day. For this recipe, roast eggplant pieces with olives, and then toss them with salty feta, fresh tomatoes, and just enough pasta in an oregano-spiked vinaigrette.

Steak and Blackberry Salad

Don’t want to heat up your kitchen? Cook the hanger steak on your grill instead for this fast and easy summer dinner. Spoiler: The blackberry vinaigrette is a keeper.

Grilled Chicken and Pepper Salad

Garlicky herb-filled yogurt pulls double duty in this recipe as both a marinade for the grilled chicken (keeping it flavorful and moist) and as a savory dressing that tops the entire meal. You’ll also find plenty of greens, toasted torn pita pieces, charred mini peppers, and red onion. What’s not to love?

Torn Pita and Eggplant Salad with Parsley and Green Tahini

The broiler makes fast work of cooking the ingredients for this fresh Mediterranean-inspired dinner salad, which mimics the flavors of baba ghanoush. In lieu of traditional salad greens, this recipe calls for parsley leaves.

Niçoise-Inspired Summer Salad

A fresh take on the classic French salad, this one calls for sugar snap peas in lieu of green beans and smoked trout in place of tuna. It’s an easy summer dinner recipe that comes together super quickly, especially if you have pre-cooked hardboiled eggs.

Charred Broccolini With Tahini Caesar and Crispy Chickpeas

Chickpeas make up the protein-packed base of this salad, and a rich tahini dressing with Parmesan, garlic, and Dijon mustard ties everything together. You can add more protein to this dish by topping it with rotisserie chicken, but it’s not necessary.

Tuna, Chickpea, and Cherry Tomato Salad

Chunks of oil-packed canned tuna and tender chickpeas mingle with buttery olives, briny feta, juicy cherry tomatoes, and crunchy pita chips in this 15-minute dish. The best part about it is you don’t even turn on an oven or stove, which is ideal on hot summer days.

End-of-Summer Salad

Mark the end of summer with this shrimp salad that also stars some of the season’s best produce: tomatoes, green beans, and corn. Cornichons and fried onions add plenty of savory crunch, while an umami-rich dressing made with miso and apple cider vinegar ties the whole meal together.

Zucchini and Bean Salad With Bulgur

Not familiar with bulgur wheat? It’s a whole grain with a chewy consistency—similar to couscous or quinoa—and an earthy, nutty flavor. And it’s so easy to cook: Add it to boiling water (off the stove), let it stand covered for 12 to 15 minutes, drain, and serve with zucchini salad topped with goat cheese.

Antipasto Salad

This recipe transforms two classic Italian appetizers—prosciutto-wrapped melon and antipasto platter—into a salad worthy of a main course. Top with creamy burrata or mozzarella, and then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a no-cook, no-fuss, Italian-style summer meal.

Chickpea-Tuna Salad

This is not your mother’s tuna salad. This mayo-free recipe packs extra protein with chickpeas, briny flavor with kalamata olives and capers, and robust color with radicchio. It suggests serving atop cooked faro or arugula, but the possibilities to swap in your favorite grain or leafy greens are endless.

Spicy Street Corn Salad

Filling and festive, this tasty no-cook salad exudes summer with fresh corn kernels and peppery arugula. Add crumbled cotija and pinto beans, and then toss with a zesty jalapeno-mayo dressing. For a heartier meal, top with hard-cooked eggs or leftover cooked chicken, and serve with crusty bread and compound butter.

Baby Kale and Chicken Caesar Salad

Shredded rotisserie chicken helps put this salad on the table in just 25 minutes, which includes homemade croutons. The recipe adheres to a classic Caesar dressing with anchovies, Parmesan, and garlic, but uses mayo instead of the traditional raw egg yolk. For a break from romaine, its greens consist of thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and baby kale.

Lemony Chopped Salad With Pita

If your idea of heaven includes a dinner salad where bread gets top billing, this recipe is your dream come true. It claims lots of other assets besides pita: crispy roasted chickpeas, fresh summer veggies, crumbly cheese, and lemon vinaigrette, just to name a few.

Peach and Arugula Salad With Burrata

For culinary bliss, pair this colorful salad with a hot evening and a refreshing summer cocktail. This dish’s titular ingredients join prosciutto, burrata cheese (or mozzarella), almonds, and an herby olive oil dressing for a light, no-cook dinner.

Tapas-Style Pasta Salad

If one were to turn tapas—an appetizer/snack of Spanish origin similar to our sampler platter—into a dinner salad, one would probably come up with something close to this recipe. It calls for savory dried chorizo, salty herb-dressed olives, fried almonds, and Manchego cheese tossed with short pasta in an anchovy-forward dressing.

Crunchy Salad With Chicken and Ginger

A minty orange-ginger-soy mixture plays double duty in this satisfying salad: as a marinade for juicy boneless, skinless chicken thighs and as a dressing to coat shredded cabbage, carrots, and red bell peppers. Top with crunchy sliced almonds and dinner’s ready in 30 minutes.

Peanut Noodles With Edamame

Spaghetti and peanut butter aren’t your usual salad ingredients, but if you’re craving something different on a hot summer evening, this cold noodle salad recipe fits the bill. Use the fresh vegetables it suggests—snow peas and red cabbage—or use what’s on hand like shredded carrots, cucumber slices, or halved cherry tomatoes.

Hoisin-Serrano Meatballs and Rice Noodle Salad

With make-ahead meatballs and dressing, this cool summer meal comes together in a snap. Serrano chiles bring just enough heat to the dish to remind you that it is, in fact, summer. Crunchy carrots, cucumber, lettuce, and cilantro leaves add freshness, and crunchy peanuts round out the dish.

Greek Salad with Chicken, Feta “Croutons” and Tahini Dressing

Once you’ve topped a salad with feta croutons, you won’t want to eat another one without them. They’re just chunks of feta that are brushed with olive oil and broiled (alongside marinated chicken cutlets, in this case). The result is creamy cubes, soft and crisp around the edges, that bring a briny, textural element to a plain green salad. But don’t call this one plain: A tahini-honey dressing makes this salad craveable!

Baby Wedge Salad with Crispy Spiced Chickpeas

A traditional wedge salad is topped with blue cheese dressing, but this innovative take transports halved heads of Little Gem or baby romaine lettuce to the Middle East. The recipe features roasted (or air-fried) chickpeas doused in a shawarma spice blend and a store-bought ranch dressing spiked with harissa paste. Bookmark these elements to add Middle-Eastern influence to a wide range of dishes.