I love a good summer meal. It’s always light and fresh, crunchy and savory — and it almost always comes after a fun day in the sun. A big bowl of bright colors for dinner when you’re a little sun-kissed and majorly exhausted? There’s nothing better. And that’s why having a nice big list of no-cook summer dinners is a must to survive this season — and give you something to look forward to at the end of the day.
Now, listen, I firmly believe that sandwiches, Lunchables, a fistful of crackers and a bowl of strawberries all fully count as a good dinner. This list isn’t meant to shame you for your summer dinner choices or suggest that you should be prepping major gorgeous meals every summer evening, but it’s full of inspiration. For the days when it’s too hot to turn on the oven and the days when you simply can not with the stove, you can turn to this list of hearty salads, dips that are big enough for dinner, and even picnic favorites for something super easy and delicious.
I hate when summer’s coming to a close, and I realize I never had a really good watermelon or a vine-ripened tomato in a caprese salad or fresh berries on some kind of appetizer. This list includes all of your summer flavor favorites, and all you need for most of them is a cutting board and a big bowl.
Corn, Avocado, & Quinoa Salad
OK, so technically you have to cook the quinoa, but after that, it’s just piling together all these fresh summer flavors and veggies for a beautiful dinner. From Pinch of Yum, this corn, avocado, and quinoa salad is bright and punchy, and you can absolutely customize the flavors to meet your family’s needs.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Whether you throw some chicken on the grill or tear up a grocery store rotisserie chicken, this strawberry spinach salad from Damn Delicious could not be easier to put together. Not only is it super fresh and the perfect blend of savory and sweet, but it also looks absolutely gorgeous in a big bowl for a summer lunch.
Easy Caprese Salad
A caprese salad is the perfect summer dinner, and this recipe from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs couldn’t be simpler. If you want to add any chicken, feel free, but this bright, happy little salad stands perfectly fine on its own.
Whipped Feta Dip
I’m a big believer in dips for dinner, and I’m obsessed with this whipped feta dip from A Spicy Perspective. You can totally customize it any way you want, and you can serve it with anything from crackers and bread to raw veggies or a protein.
Chicken Salad With Grapes
I love a fresh chicken salad, and this one from Inside BruCrew Life uses a store rotisserie chicken to make a delicious, chunky, super flavorful chicken salad. The grapes are the perfect blend of sweet and crunchy, and the texture is just unreal. Load it up in a wrap or sandwich bread, serve it with crackers, eat it straight out of the bowl with a spoon — the possibilities are endless.
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
Alright, yes, you do have to boil some pasta, but then you can throw all the other ingredients together for this incredibly delicious zesty Italian pasta salad from Foodie Crush. Change up the ingredients a bit if you want or need to, but this is a dreamy mixture of crunch, savory dressing, soft creamy cheese, and so much more. I bring this to every summer party, and it’s always devoured.
Berry & Brie Flatbread
Get your grill ready, but I promise — it won’t take long. For this berry and brie flatbread from Our Best Bites, all you have to do is throw your favorite flatbread on the grill, top it with cheese and berries, and then throw it back on again to get everything all nice and melty. It’s such a great, easy summer dinner.
Turkey Avocado Veggie Wraps
Why is a wrap just so good? This turkey avocado veggie wrap from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe is unbelievably easy, and you’ll lose it over the perfect creamy avocado spread used in this recipe. This is another great recipe to customize for yourself and your family! You can easily take it down to the pool or the beach for a fast, simple dinner.
Watermelon Salad With Whipped Feta
Bright, zippy, punchy — it’s wild how good these flavors are in this watermelon salad with whipped feta from Gimme Some Oven. This is so great for a big sharing platter at a summer party or get-together, but it’s also perfect for a no-cook, easy summer dinner. The creaminess of the feta is just too good with the bite of juicy watermelon.
Texas Caviar
Another dip-for-dinner idea: Texas caviar from Averie Cooks. Loaded up with corn, fresh veggies, and black-eyed peas or black beans (or both!), this no-cook summer meal is full of fiber and flavor and is so easy to make. Serve it with tortilla chips, and it’s a great summer dinner.
Copycat Olive Garden Salad
For the nights when you just want a good salad and a bag of fresh breadsticks, try whipping up this copycat Olive Garden salad from Meatloaf and Melodrama. This is always a family hit, and if you have some protein or other items to serve with it, feel free — but nothing beats a big bowl of salad and a hunk of bread for a summer dinner.
Mango Salsa
I love a bright, zippy salsa, and this mango salsa from Cookies and Cups is so good. If you want to grill some chicken or shrimp to go with it, that would be great, but honestly, you can’t go wrong with a salsa and chips dinner.
Veggie Sesame Noodles
OK, you will need to cook some noodles for this veggie sesame noodles recipe from Cookie and Kate, but then it’s just a matter of mixing everything together for an Asian-inspired, savory, easy summer dinner.
No matter what you do for your summer days, coming home to a nice, easy, no-cook summer dinner is the best. Hopefully something on this list will inspire you — and keep you from overheating in the kitchen.
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