I’ve all the time thought-about myself a fall woman—give me cozy blankets, consolation meals, and a steaming mug any day. However after an extended winter of hearty meals and heavier dishes, I’m craving one thing brisker. With hotter days lastly right here, I’m leaning into mild summer season dinners that really feel nourishing, easy, and seasonal. From honey-glazed fish to recent tomato pasta, these simple recipes are good for these scorching July nights while you need one thing flavorful, but fuss-free.
24 Mild Dinner Concepts for All Your Summer season Events
Don’t get me unsuitable—there’s a particular place in my coronary heart for soups and heartier dishes, however these summer season specials are precisely what I gravitate towards in the course of the hotter months. Constructed from seasonal elements and proteins on the lighter facet, these dishes will fulfill each craving with out leaving you stuffed.
When you’re in search of mild dinner concepts for summer season which are fast and simple whereas nonetheless packing loads of diet and taste, look no additional. Forward, we have now dinner recipes to fulfill each craving.
Pastas and Salads
Why We Love It: Hearty salads with loads of protein are certainly one of my go-to mild summer season dinner concepts. I’m formally tired of lackluster facet salads (who’s with me?). As a substitute, I need to incorporate extra filling dishes with loads of vitamins into my summertime menus. This mixture of smoky and spicy cauliflower topping a plate of recent greens is perfection.
Hero Ingredient: Sriracha turns up the warmth!
Why We Love It: Whereas root veggies might flourish in the course of the autumn months, this squash and farro salad remains to be a summer season kicker with a wide range of tasty toppings and recent elements that you could find year-round. The mix of textures is nourishing whereas nonetheless being mild and satisfying with the assistance of grains like farro and an abundance of recent herbs.
Hero Ingredient: Goat cheese can elevate nearly any recipe.
Why We Love It: In case your thought of a lightweight summer season dinner includes vibrant and tangy flavors, this grapefruit avocado salad has you coated. Not solely does it possess a pop of colour from a plethora of fruits and citruses, however this recipe additionally incorporates a turmeric-honey dressing that may improve nearly any dish. Double up on the dressing and thank me later.
Hero Ingredient: Roasted chickpeas give this salad an additional little bit of protein and crunch.
Why We Love It: Salads made strictly from greens aren’t all the time sufficient for a full meal. Our answer? This spring rice salad. Rice, eggs, and avocado pull this salad collectively to create a surprising entree that’s not overly filling.
Hero Ingredient: Think about this recipe an excuse to good your soft-boiled egg abilities.
Why We Love It: Pasta has a repute as a filling entree, however we’re right here to vary your perspective on the grain. (As are all of those mild pasta recipes.) This vegan recipe packs an abundance of plant-based goodness curated right into a creamy and spicy sauce that pairs completely with the pasta of your selection.
Hero Ingredient: The mix of soaked uncooked cashews and dietary yeast makes this pasta dairy-free and creamy. Proof which you could have all of it.
Why We Love It: The tomato and basil taste mixture is timeless, and this creamy pasta recipe does it justice. Professional tip: improve the flavour of your walnut-based sauce with a squeeze of miso paste for added umami. It’ll style similar to a basic Italian sauce—possibly even higher.
Hero Ingredient: Cherry tomato ladies, stand up.
Why We Love It: Summer season squash is all the time on repeat in my kitchen in the course of the summer season months. And this savory zucchini pasta recipe isn’t any exception. Pine nuts and freshly grated parmesan cheese assist deliver out the savory, nutty parts, whereas purple pepper provides the right bit of warmth.
Hero Ingredient: Summer season squash of any kind will work on this recipe, however, in fact, zucchini is the highest decide.
Why We Love It: It will probably really feel inconceivable to pack in all of your day by day vitamins in a single meal, however this inexperienced sauce pasta makes that problem a bit simpler. Apart out of your pasta and seasonings, you solely want 5 elements—spinach, olive oil, lemon, parmesan, and basil.
Hero Ingredient: A very good high quality olive oil is essential in elevating this pasta’s taste.
Tacos and Pizza
Why We Love It: Mild summer season dinner concepts are an ideal alternative to combine fish into your weekly menu, conserving your meals from changing into too filling. Impressed by Camille’s meal at Contramar in Mexico Metropolis, these tuna tostadas are the final word summer season entree. Bonus: customizable toppings permit everybody to make the meal their very own.
Hero Ingredient: For lovers of a bit warmth, recent jalapeño is a must have topping.
Lime-y Hen Tacos with Jicama, Avocado, & Mint
Why We Love It: Tacos aren’t only a mild summer season dinner—they’re additionally a fast and simple solution to please a bigger crowd. These Fresa’s-inspired hen tacos are wrapped in a corn tortilla and sprinkled with a cooling chipotle aioli. It’s a taste pairing that may’t be beat.
Hero Ingredient: Don’t skip the recent mint.
Why We Love It: Shrimp tacos are the right pool get together entree. They aren’t too onerous to digest after a day within the solar, and so they require solely a brief ingredient record. The end result? You’ll save money and time with out compromising taste.
Hero Ingredient: Honey within the shrimp marinade provides only a contact of sweetness. Excellent for curbing these tacos’ citrusy warmth.
Why We Love It: Filling but mild tacos will be powerful to search out while you’re sticking to a vegan or vegetarian food plan. Fortuitously, these tacos are made with vegan chorizo, recent avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice for the right plant-based possibility.
Hero Ingredient: Ever heard of chorizo oil? Jon Oh, culinary director at The Nicely in Austin, shares all of the secrets and techniques for making this standout kitchen staple.
Chili-Rubbed Salmon Tacos With Cashew-Broccoli Slaw
Why We Love It: These tacos are all the things to me. Significantly, I’ve been recognized to make this recipe as soon as per week, each week. There’s one thing in regards to the savory and spicy salmon and creamy coleslaw taste combo that retains me coming again.
Hero Ingredient: A touch of lime, please!
Why We Love It: Fish tacos are a lightweight summer season dinner concept that all the time crosses my thoughts because the climate warms up. Rising up in Florida, these flavors all the time remind me of eating seaside with salty air and sunny skies. Serve with a lighter facet dish like recent guacamole or road corn for the final word expertise.
Hero Ingredient: DIY chimichurri is on my summer season bucket record.
Why We Love It: You’re solely 5 elements away from essentially the most scrumptious fajitas of your life. Whereas Tex-Mex typically will get a foul rap for being greasy or heavy, these fajitas lean on a couple of simple swaps to make them a bit lighter. Corn tortillas hold them gluten-free whereas recent, flavorful toppings pack taste with out weighing them down. Lastly, making these within the oven on a sheet pan permits you to use method much less oil than in the event you have been making them in a skillet. Good.
Hero Ingredient: Two tablespoons of taco seasoning or chili powder pack these with unimaginable, smoky warmth.
Why We Love It: Potatoes on pizza is a scorching take—and one which we are able to totally get behind. This mild summer season dinner recipe packs the right number of textures and flavors. Nutty gruyere, crunchy arugula, and candy caramelized onions. The record goes on.
Hero Ingredient: Once more: you may’t skip the caramelized onions.
Why We Love It: Flatbreads are one other entree possibility I flip to once I’m in search of a satisfying dinner that received’t weigh me down. Topped with a lighter, sweeter cheese like ricotta and freshly sliced eggplant, it’s onerous to say no to this dinner a number of occasions per week. (Significantly—the leftovers are so good!)
Hero Ingredient: Toasted or candied walnuts add the right crunch.
Why We Love It: I’m unlikely to ever flip down a pizza recipe, particularly one that appears like this mouth-watering mix of savory and candy. A herby pesto, recent mozzarella, and candy in-season peaches? This pizza couldn’t get a lot better if it tried.
Hero Ingredient: Drizzling balsamic on pizza is a behavior I’ve but to interrupt.
Meat and Fish
Why We Love It: When you aren’t completely hooked on salmon but (belief us, we’re), this recipe will change your thoughts. With crunchy coconut and a spicy scorching honey glaze, that is the rationale you’ll hold coming again to {the summertime} staple.
Hero Ingredient: My love for this coconut crunch is unmatched. Garlic, jalapeño, and unsweetened coconut flakes are this dish’s reigning trifecta.
Why We Love It: The gorgeous factor about mild dinner concepts for summer season is that they’re typically easy, and in consequence, really easy to throw collectively. Living proof, these candy potato falafel veggie burgers. Only a handful of elements (of which many are spices) yields unimaginable taste and a crunchy burger with a gentle inside. Mentioned otherwise: perfection.
Hero Ingredient: Is there something candy potatoes can’t do?
Why We Love It: From the second I laid eyes on this five-ingredient recipe final summer season at Camille’s home, I used to be obsessed. Grilling salmon on a cedar plank can also be a easy solution to infuse your fish with smoky flavors with out compromising any texture or moisture.
Hero Ingredient: This chili-lime seasoning is a game-changer for salmon—completely zesty with a kick of warmth. If this hasn’t turn out to be certainly one of your pantry staples but, add it to your cart.
Why We Love It: When you’re looking for a hassle-free fish recipe on the lighter facet, this baked salmon is all you want. Vibrant citrus flavors are a simple method to make sure that this fish stays flavorful and moist in the course of the baking course of.
Hero Ingredient: Recent herbs infuse this salmon with a novel and balanced taste in the course of the baking course of.
Why We Love It: In case your major supply of protein comes from poultry, this grilled hen recipe is the sunshine summer season dinner you’ll be craving all season. Marinating hen breasts or thighs in yogurt is a fast and simple solution to infuse your protein with taste whereas sustaining moisture.
Hero Ingredient: Go for full-fat plain Greek yogurt for this marinade.
Why We Love It: These hen burgers provide a lighter possibility for these seeking to get pleasure from a variation of the yard grilling favourite. The standard beef patty is swapped for floor hen, lettuce wraps are used instead of a bun, and a pop of Asian-inspired herbs and spices are added for a taste combo that pulls this meal collectively.
Hero Ingredient: Serve with freshly sliced avocado and crunchy cucumber.
This put up was final up to date on July 9, 2025 to incorporate new insights.
