There’s never been a better time of year to simplify your meals than *now*. (more lifeFor that matter!) Warmer weather sees us enjoying late evening meals outdoors, featuring fresh and vibrant main dishes and summery side dishes that inspire. Outdoor DiningHaving a stock of delicious and easy-to-make side dishes is the easiest way to liven up any meal. From refreshing dips to tangy salads and fruit salads, the possibilities are endless. We’re here to share a selection of delicious summer side dishes that are sure to please any crowd.
15 Summer Side Dishes Your Guests Will Love
Whether you are planning a Beach PicnicBackyard barbecues, or a casual get-together with friends on the patio, these summer side dishes are perfect for any occasion. Each recipe makes the most of all the fresh, seasonal ingredients you have at your fingertips. And what’s more, they celebrate the essence of summer – bringing an explosion of color and crisp flavor to your table. With your grocery list ready, let’s take a look at all the best summer side dishes to pair with your summer feasts.
Spicy Watermelon Feta Salad
Why we like it: When summer arrives, I think of dishes that balance sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. It’s hard to create a recipe that accomplishes this trifecta—but this Watermelon Feta Salad does just that. The rich, salty flavor of the feta contrasts well with the sweet, juicy watermelon. And the tangy spice of the jalapeño is all I need to confirm: this is the official side dish of summer.
Hero Ingredient: Basil leaves are perhaps my favorite summer ingredient. The aromatic herb enhances the overall flavor of this salad, tying all of its elements together.
Kale Pea and Ricotta Spread
Why we like it: I’ve never met a spread I didn’t like – and I started diving in crudité-first. Not only is this spread packed with fresh summer flavor (peas, garlic, lemon juice and a little heat from the red pepper flakes), but it’s also super easy to make. Get out your food processor and you’re already halfway there.
Hero Ingredient: I love sprinkling a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg into my creamy dips. It’s warm, nutty, and along with the cloves and tobacco, adds a lovely complexity to this seemingly simple summer dish.
Bhutta Street Corn Guacamole
Why we like it: It’s an unwritten rule: Guacamole is a must-have on any summer table. And though people like to keep it simple, I’m here for this Indian-inspired spin. Corn (freshly shredded from the cob) is a summer classic. When combined with avocado, jalapeño, cilantro and a vibrant mix of unexpected spices, you have a summer side dish that’s right at home with your favorite tacos, protein of choice or as many tortilla chips as you can manage.
Hero Ingredient: Chaat Masala – Final stop. It adds a complex blend of tangy, spicy, salty and pungent flavors that give this dish the title of the most interesting guacamole in the world.
Snap Pea Salad
Why we like it: When the temperature reaches triple digits, the oven is overheating. Close And we need side dishes that taste fresh to everyone. This snap pea salad satisfies with an addictive crunchy texture. Goat cheese and feta, as well as creamy white beans, keep things interesting and make this salad more filling than your typical summer salad.
Hero Ingredient: This mustard-like Champagne Vinaigrette has quickly become a staple on all of my salads. You’ll love its tangy tang and slight sweet flavor.
Crispy Torn Halloumi Salad
Why we like it: When you want something to eat in the summer that will satisfy you, this torn halloumi variation is perfect for you. It has a mix of simple ingredients that complement and contrast each other and make a really fun dish. And I love that when you tear the halloumi, it has all these beautiful, jagged corners and crunchy bits that give a lot of satisfying texture.
Hero Ingredient: Halloumi will always be a hero ingredient in my heart. It tastes mellow but not boring at all, and it lends itself to all sorts of cooking methods. Although it is typically expensive, I believe it deserves a mainstay in your kitchen.
Simple tomato salad
Why we like it: My relationship with tomato salad: The simpler, the better. Tomato season is at its peak in the summer (I would argue you should never buy tomatoes other than June through September), so of course, you want to let their vibrancy shine. With only six ingredients, this tomato salad follows my rules perfectly—and reaps the delicious benefits as a result.
Hero Ingredient: Tomatoes, of course. All the other ingredients (salt, lemon juice, sunflower oil, garlic and onion) just serve to enhance the flavor of your tomatoes. Choose fresh tomatoes, purchased from the farmers market – you’ll be glad you did.
Samosa Chaat Sweet Potato Fries
Why we like it: While sweet potato fries may not sound like a typical homemade summer side dish, they might just be one of my favorites on this list. Why? 1) Hello, French fries. 2) This recipe only calls for five ingredients, not including salt. So when you’re in a pinch and want to serve something special, these sweet potato fries are always there for you.
Hero Ingredient: I’m a toppings girl at heart. Give me yogurt, mint, cilantro, red onion and jalapeño. Oh—and a squeeze of lime for good measure.
Simple Potato Salad with Smoked Chile Aioli
Why we like it: Summer is incomplete without potato salad. And while potato salads in the old days seemed more like a mess than a delicious summer side dish, this recipe gets the job done perfectly. Yukon Gold potatoes roasted in olive oil paired with soft boiled eggs and a smoky-spicy aioli ties everything together. This recipe will give you a hint to stay away from the low-quality grocery potato salads.
Hero Ingredient: I would happily eat the smoked chilli aioli straight off the spoon.
Avocado Caprese Salad
Why we like it: I’m all for the trend of considering any salad made with tomatoes and mozzarella a caprese – and this avocado spin is my new favorite. I love how the avocado brings a creamy texture and rich, buttery flavor to the salad’s fresh components. The result is so satisfying, and I’m captivated by all the colors in this salad.
Hero Ingredient: Camille opted for the burrata here, and I go by the rule that burrata makes everything better.
The best simple green salad
Why we like it: Of course, you don’t need a recipe for a green salad. But—An herby, crisp, green salad tossed with the best shallot vinaigrette of your life? For that, you need Camille’s secrets. I love the variety of greens in this salad, and the mixed herbs add so much fresh flavor.
Hero Ingredient: Toasted, buttery, finely chopped walnuts reign supreme.
Burrata, Fig, and Arugula Salad
Why we like it: Use this as a PSA for incorporating fruit into your salads. When figs are cut in half lengthwise, they display a beautiful ornate cross-section that is very interesting to look at. Flavor-wise, they add a fruity element to the mix – a blend of strawberries and dates – and their jam-like quality makes a creamy burrata perfection.
Hero Ingredient: Candied nuts provide a perfect crunch, and if you make extra, the leftover nuts can make a perfect afternoon snack.
Strawberry Caprese Salad
Why we like it: To reiterate: fruit should be in your summer salad. This salad is a must-make when strawberries are at their freshest—in the summer. You’ll mash the strawberries to bring out their natural flavor and intensify their fruit flavor. With freshly picked basil and burrata (bless you), this salad is summer personified.
Hero Ingredient: How about writing poems about fresh strawberries in the summer without calling them the main ingredient in a salad?
Green Salad with Sesame Dressing
Why we like it: When you keep your salad simple, it’s all about the dressing. Take, for example, this summer green salad with a ginger-infused tahini vinaigrette. And while the salad only requires four ingredients — baby greens, freshly grated Parmesan, roasted and salted pistachios, and furikake — it delivers so much flavor and texture that all your guests will surely be satisfied.
Hero Ingredient: Furikake (a Japanese condiment made from toasted sesame seeds, nori, salt and sugar) is an unexpected—though obsessive—topping. Get the big bottle: you’ll put it on everything.
Fennel salad
Why we like it: Everyone needs a quick and easy salad in the summer. While it’s a pain to whip up some coleslaw mix and add a quick dressing, this fennel salad is just as quick to make—and probably requires fewer ingredients.
Hero Ingredient: Fennel should start getting the praise it deserves. While some people are put off by a fennel-like flavor, I love its fresh, pleasantly sweet flavor. It all adds up in this simple dish – the herbs, citrus, and slight sweetness from the honey give this wonderful vegetable the star treatment.
Bitter Greens, Citrus and Prosciutto Salad
Why we like it: Can we just agree now that bitter flavors should have a place in our daily diet? Bitter ingredients make the perfect base for creamy things. A few examples: coffee with cream, lemon with butter, and arugula with olive oil. As Camille says in this recipe: It’s all in the balance. And balance, this salad is perfect. I’m impressed with the spectrum of colors, flavors, and textures in this salad. It’s salty (prosciutto), it’s crunchy (pistachios), and it’s one of the best summer side dishes you’ll make this year.
Hero Ingredient: This salad is a collection of underrated ingredients. Consider it a tribute to balsamic vinegar that lends a rich, complex sweetness to every bite.
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