Are you looking for the best healthy summer dinner ideas for hot days? I’ve got here 18 great dinner ideas for hot summer nights that will surely become a family favorite. Enjoy these easy summer dinner recipes for family and friends!
Summer is a great time to go to the beach and just have a good time. You know what would make it better? Food! In this article, we are going to talk about some of the best summer dinner ideas we’ve come up with over the weekend.
Now, summer is pretty far off but we just couldn’t wait. We love summertime. We can’t wait to share with you guys the summer meals we will be gathered on during our vacation. So, we decided since we can’t do that just yet, we can at least give you some pointers on the best healthy summer recipes and delicious recipe ideas you can prepare for your own parties.
18. Grilled Peach Caprese Naan Pizza – The Ultimate Easy Summer Meal
This may be a bold statement, but I’m pretty sure this Grilled Peach Caprese Naan Pizza is about to be your new favorite summer dinner.
This pizza has everything you will love: red onion, fresh herbs, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and olive oil. This recipe can also be partnered with hearty summer salads made of simple ingredients and summer vegetables.
Get the recipe here
17. Feta, aubergine, pomegranate, and harissa salad
Make 1 day ahead for a transportable lunch; keep chilled. You can easily store this in a foil packet or any sealed container to keep the freshness in.
One of the best things about this recipe is you can pair it with other dishes, such as white fish.
Get the recipe here
16. Spaghetti Squash with Asparagus, Ricotta, Lemon, and Thyme
Fresh stalks of asparagus mingle with a healthy dose of lemon juice (or lime juice) and thyme to hint at spring’s arrival, while this vegetarian supper is anchored with a favorite winter staple. Instead of lemon juice, you may also add cilantro lime dressing as an alternative!
This is one of the best pasta salads and can be eaten in any perfect time of the day! Whether it’s during winter or sunny days, this dish will always be a crowd pleaser. This is one good reason to eat with friends and family from time to time.
Get the recipe here
15. Broccoli Salad Recipe
This is the best Broccoli Salad Recipe I have tasted. It has all the best tasting ingredients in it and it is always a hit when we got to picnics or family get-togethers.
For this Romaine salad, you may add Italian dressing, blue cheese, and some hard-boiled eggs for more texture. The flavorful sauce will make this delicious summer dinner.
Get the recipe here
14. Loaded Vegetarian Nachos
Loaded Vegetarian Nachos: your new favorite party appetizer slash dinner slash quick & heat-free summer meal! NO processed cheese sauces to be found here!
This is also best to pair with pico de Gallo, which is another healthy summer dinner recipe to try. If you are looking for a healthy meal, this is one easy summer dinner ideas to try for your family!
Get the recipe here
13. 30 Minute Homemade Chili Cheese Dogs
You can’t go wrong with chili cheese dogs for easy summer dinners, tailgating or barbecues. Homemade chili served up on hot dogs in just 30 minutes!
All you need for this recipe are hot dog buns. You may add sour cream, sun-dried tomatoes or fresh summer tomatoes, and fresh basil for added taste. These chilli dogs are indeed one of the best healthy summer dinners you can serve for your friends and family.
As a side, you may have sweet corn, sweet potato chips, or sweet potato fries to balance the flavor.
Get the recipe here
12. Simple Delicious Beet Gazpacho
Beet Gazpacho- a simple, delicious chilled beet soup with cucumber, creamy avocado, and fresh dill – healthy and low calorie! Vegan and Gluten-free!
This is one of the best healthy dinner recipes to eat in a hot day. You may also pair it with some lettuce wraps, an Italian pasta salad, or even add feta cheese for a more cheesy treat! Your taste buds will surely love this dish.
Get the recipe here
11. Cucumber Gazpacho with Yogurt & Cilantro
Cool and refreshing Cucumber Gazpacho with yogurt, cilantro, coriander, and lime. Top this with shrimp or keep it vegetarian! So simple and tasty.
This simple salad is one of the most favorite summer dinner recipes that is great to pair with refreshing salads, such as a Mediterranean quinoa salad.
Get the recipe here
10. Chilled Avocado Soup with Grilled Chili Spiced Shrimp
Silky smooth, cool and creamy Chilled Avocado Soup topped with mango relish and grilled chili spiced shrimp is a summertime masterpiece. A great way to beat the heat on a hot summer day!
Get the recipe here
9. Green Garlic and Spinach Soup with Tarator
This delicious soup from Simon Bryant’s book, ‘Vegetables, Grains, and Other Good Stuff’, is beautiful enjoyed hot or cold. The tarator tempers the garlic with its smooth nuttiness, while also working to baffle the intense greenness of the Spinach soup.
Get the recipe here
8. Seared Salmon with Tomato & Avocado Salsa – Keto & Low-Carb
Keto salmon fillets are pan-seared until perfectly golden brown then covered in a simple, vibrant and rich lime tomato and avocado salsa. Simply irresistible!
Get the recipe here
7. Strawberry Soup Made in 5 Minutes!
This chilled Strawberry Soup recipe is silky, sweet and creamy and wonderfully refreshing. It is made with strawberries, coconut milk and vanilla yogurts all in the blender! This Strawberry Soup makes a fabulous starter, festive side or make ahead dessert that will have you slurping up summer one smile at a time.
You may also make a strawberry spinach salad to pair with this soup. This is a great way to spend your hot summer days with your family, or even different people!
Get the recipe here
6. Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles
This delicious spiralized zucchini with garlic, parmesan, and fresh tomatoes recipe is both satisfying and delicious. And the most amazing is that they make a perfect low carb side dish!
This busy weeknights dish has healthy vegetables, which makes it a perfect summer time healthy eating recipe. You may add in ground beef or pair it with pork chops if you wish.
Get the recipe here
5. Coconut-lime Fried Shrimp with Fiery Mango-peach Jalapeño Sauce
It’s the perfect summer snack, appetizer or accidental meal. And I say accidental meal because every time I have served coconut shrimp as an app people end up eating all the shrimp and not even bothering with dinner.
This dish has tons of health benefits given the different vegetables being mixed in the dish. This is also easy to prepare you will still have enough time to do other things in the kitchen.
Get the recipe here
4. Grilled Corn & Zucchini Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
This recipe is for all of my grilled vegetable lovers out there. It’s simple to make – just grill veggies and blend dressing (literally) – and requires just 30 minutes from start to finish.
Get the recipe here
3. White Gazpacho
This version has a completely different taste than all the other gazpachos that we’ve tried. The grapes, lemon, and cucumber make it very light, citrusy and fresh, while the almonds add richness to it. You can make it in five minutes (well almost), you only need a few ingredients, it’s raw, it’s vegan and it’s the perfect food to fight the heat with.
Get the recipe here
2. Lobster Blts.
They are entirely too simply, albeit costing an arm and a leg if you can find some lobster and even adding another arm and a leg if you want to do two tails per sandwich… can you say super high maintenance?
Get the recipe here
1. Vegan BBQ Tofu Burger
Ever had a vegan BBQ tofu burger with some Asian flavors? I like having pickled cucumbers in a typical vegan Asian burger.
Get the recipe here
Ideas for Summer Dinner Party
I remembered just last year, I went to a fancy resort with my besties. We surfed, built sandcastles, played volleyball. We even rode a motorboat to see one island to another. It was loads of fun.
But since we all love parties, all the good times didn’t end during the day. It went on until evening. Let me just share with your some of our ideas for summer dinner party. I know for a fact that some of these meals will come in handy when you throw your own summer dinner party!
- Delicioso Adobo Grilled Chicken
Have I ever told you I love chicken? There could be multiple choices on the menu but chicken will always be my number one option. This is one of the best chicken recipes to enjoy. You may use chicken breasts for a more scrumptious meal.
- Lobster Rolls
Dinner parties can last an entire night. Having a few lobster rolls will give you and your friends something to munch on without having to put on more rice calories. If not, you can also use it as a snack before the main appetizer.
- Gazpacho
It was my friend who ordered this and I had absolutely no idea what it was. I thought it was some kind of fillet. But when the waiter served it, I realized that this just pertained to the no-cook soup. If you’re like me then you are probably used to hot soup but Gazpacho is excellent for summer parties because the last thing you need during this time is more heat.
- Olive-and-Spice-Rubbed Leg of Lamb
I consider lamb to be a bit exotic and it is precisely why I love it. Nothing beats going to a distant place and eating all the meat you’ve never tasted before.
Summer Dinner Ideas on the Grill
I know I just said that I love chicken but do you know what would make me love it a little more? Grilled!
Grilled food is just a whole lot better compared to boiled or fried ones. And I know that none of our summer plans would be complete without our good old griller friend.
I can’t begin to tell you how much grilled food we had on the table last summer. There were chicken (naturally), shrimp, squid, fish, and a lot more.
They were just so good! Let me share with you some of my favorite summer dinner ideas on grill from last summer.
- Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Oh yeah! I remember this one! I had no idea who ordered this and I was only a few moments away from complaining about the vegetable on the table. Can you blame me? Who orders grilled potatoes anyway? But it tasted splendid! The only potatoes I eat are mashed potatoes and potato salad. I had to add one more to the list.
- Grilled Chicken Wings
If you ask me, these chicken pieces are perfect when you are passing the time and just want something to munch on. This chicken dish is an all time favorite summer recipes.
- Jalapeño Popper Burgers
This is certainly one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted! I love eating one of these burgers right before bed. It’s as good as pineapple bun burgers, which is something you should not miss out on! Another twist to this is to make cheeseburger cabbage wraps, instead of using buns!
- Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant
These are the best! You may not believe me now but go ahead and try them for yourself. I love dipping them in soy sauce.
Healthy Summer Dinner Recipes
If we had to eat all grilled food, we would end the summer catching a cold or worse some kind of fever. It’s just not very healthy.
Even though it’s summertime and we are all just having a good time, it would still be best to be mindful of what we eat.
If you ask me, the best thing to do would be to vary the food choices. Of course, we have our good old fried meals and then we should also have a set for healthy food.
With that in mind, I have some ideas for healthy summer dinner recipes that you might just like.
- Ahi Poke Bowl
If you haven’t been to Hawaii before, you should know that Ahi Poke Bowl is one of the most popular meals there. You should definitely try it out. When I tasted this last year, it immediately made me realize that Hawaii was the place I wanted to visit next. So, I guess that is where I am headed this summer.
- Salsa Verde Shrimp with Cilantro Rice
You should never leave vacation until you try this wonderful meal!
- Zucchini Enchiladas
I swore to God that I would only take one slice but I ended up eating half of the plate. There were a lot of us on the beat so we had to order one more plate.
- Buddha Noodles
See also vegan buddha bowl recipes.
Trust me! It tastes better than it looks!
What Should I Make for Family Dinner?
Now, what if you didn’t go to the beach with your besties? What if you went with your family instead? I am pretty sure the narrative would be different. But not too different.
Let me share with you some recipe ideas that you will be proud to serve to your loved ones!
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
This one is a classic! No one can resist pasta regardless of age!
- Turkey Tacos
I didn’t bring my family to the beach but I was having loads of fun eating tacos as I was waiting for the rest of our meals to be served. Shrimp tacos are also not one to miss!
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
This one is another classic. Every family loves fried chicken. It is something you can feed your parents as well as your own kids. Everyone loves it.
This is only the beginning. We have a whole bunch of summer dinner ideas to share with you, not the same ones you will find on the internet. Below are some summer dinner ideas that we crafted ourselves.
18 Healthy Summer Dinner Ideas for Hot Days!
Are you looking for the best healthy summer dinner ideas for hot days? I've got here 18 great dinner ideas for hot summer nights. Enjoy these easy summer dinner recipes for family and friends!
Ingredients
- Grilled Peach Caprese Naan Pizza
- Spaghetti Squash
- Broccoli Salad
- Vegetarian Nachos
- Chili Cheese Dogs
Instructions
- Choose any summer dinner recipes from the post that you like.
- Click on the link below the photo to get the full recipes and instructions.
- Try the best summer dinner recipes and share your photo under my pin on Pinterest!
