18 Light Summer Dinners
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 4, 2025
Summer is here! It’s warming up outside, as expected in Kansas City. I’ve rounded up a collection of seasonal dinner recipes like tacos, salads and pastas for you. These main dishes are light, fresh, and full of fresh summer produce like tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers and basil. They’re exactly what I’m craving this time of year.
The only “trick” with these vegetarian recipes (if you want to call it that) is to eat enough to fill you up. I know you can do it. Check out my summer recipe archives if you don’t see exactly what you’re craving below. Cheers to summertime and all that comes with it, like al fresco dining, long days and warm evenings.
Arugula-Almond Pesto Pizza
Homemade pesto pizza recipe with a simple whole wheat pizza crust, topped with fresh summer tomatoes and squash. Feel free to change up the toppings. Recipe below yields two 12-inch pizzas.
Summertime Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Corn and Jalapeño Pesto
This healthy pasta salad features bold summer flavors, including tomatoes, corn and black beans tossed in spicy, fresh pesto! It’s a great vegetarian side dish for potlucks and barbecues. See paragraph above for variations and substitution suggestions! Recipe yields about 8 cups salad, which is enough for 4 main or 8 side servings.
Sweet Corn & Black Bean Tacos
These hearty summer tacos feature lime-marinated fresh corn, jalapeño and radishes on top of warm black beans. Feta and avocado make these complete! Recipe yields 10 tacos (a lot!).
Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
The freshest of tomato sauce recipes, made with barely cooked tomatoes, basil and seasonings. This simple weeknight meal comes together in no time! Recipe yields 2 large (as in, restaurant-sized) portions or 4 more reasonable servings.
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
Thai-style sweet and spicy pineapple fried rice with red bell pepper, cashews and cilantro. This is a healthy and quick, vegetarian weeknight dinner! This dish comes together very quickly, so be sure to have your ingredients (including chilled leftover rice) prepped in advance. Recipe yields 2 large, restaurant-sized portions or 4 more modest portions.
Double Tomato Pesto Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles
This fresh summer recipe features burst cherry tomatoes, cherry tomato and sun-dried tomato pesto, zucchini noodles and spaghetti! It’s light and delicious. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Build-Your-Own Buddha Bowl
This buddha bowl recipe is super fresh, delicious and versatile! The rice and veggies and dressing can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Recipe yields 4 meal-sized bowls.
Favorite Quinoa Salad
This quinoa salad recipe is the best! Everyone loves this healthy quinoa salad made with quinoa, chickpeas, red bell pepper, cucumber, parsley and lemon. It’s vegan and gluten free, too! Recipe yields 4 medium salads or 8 side salads.
Vegetable Paella
The best vegetable paella recipe! It’s loaded with vegetables, chickpeas, and savory, smoky rice. This Spanish dish is perfect for serving at dinner parties, since it’s vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. Recipe yields 6 hearty servings.
Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing
This wild rice salad includes arugula, dried cherries, toasted almonds and feta, tossed in a zippy lemon dressing! It’s gluten free, filling and delicious. Recipe yields 4 medium salads, or 8 small side servings.
Lemony Broccoli, Chickpea & Avocado Pita Sandwiches
These simple broccoli, chickpea and avocado pita sandwiches are a fresh lunch or dinner option. If you would like to have leftovers, store individual components separately, with plastic wrap pressed against the top surface of the mashed avocado to prevent oxidation (or, use hummus instead). Recipe yields 4 pita sandwiches, or 4 large toasts.
Epic Vegetarian Tacos
Truly amazing vegetarian tacos featuring easy-to-make refried beans, quick-pickled onions, and creamy avocado sauce! Your whole family will love these meatless tacos. Recipe yields 8 hearty tacos (about 4 servings).
Caprese Pasta Salad
This Caprese pasta salad recipe is easy, delicious and perfect for summertime! Just cook cherry tomatoes with olive oil to make the perfect pasta sauce. Recipe yields 4 modest servings.
Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl
This homemade black bean burrito bowl recipe features cilantro-lime rice, tender black beans, pickled onions and fresh cilantro pesto! This healthy bowl makes great leftovers, too. It’s vegetarian (easily vegan) and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 hearty burrito bowls.
Favorite Veggie Burgers
These sweet and spicy veggie burgers are both vegan and gluten free. You can bake them, grill them, or cook them on the stovetop! For best results when choosing the grill or stovetop method, prepare the burger mixture in advance and let it chill in the refrigerator (you can let it chill overnight or longer if you’d like). Recipe yields 8 patties.
Green Goddess Tortellini Salad
This vegetarian tortellini salad recipe features cheesy spinach tortellini tossed in healthy homemade green goddess dressing, layered across a platter with lemony fresh greens and seasoned vegetables. Recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.
Margherita Pizza
Make classic margherita pizza at home with this simple recipe! This Neapolitan pizza is fresh, delicious and easy to make. Recipe yields 2 medium (11-inch diameter) pizzas.
Veggie Sushi Bowls
This recipe tastes like vegetarian sushi rolls, but in simplified bowl form! The spicy mayo sauce really takes it to another level. Feel free to play with the toppings to make this bowl taste like your favorite roll. There are a few steps involved, but each one is super simple. Recipe yields 4 sushi bowls, which keep well for leftovers (for best results, slice the avocado just before serving).
P.s. More recipe roundups: 20 Summer Potluck Recipes, 25 Fresh Recipes to Make Before Summer Ends and 25 Summer Cocktails.
Kate! I have been following your recipes for a long time now. You always post delicious food with easy-to-follow, inclusive instructions, and your photos are gorgeous. I really can’t thank you enough for all the effort you put into this blog. Love it!
Lisa, thank you! So nice to hear that you appreciate my recipes. Yay!
I’m loving the sweet corn and black bean tacos. A winning combo!
They are mighty tasty. :)
Awesome list! Thank you for posting this – tons of meal inspiration all at once! Making heart eyes at those quesadillas right now :)
Yum! So many great choices! I made zoodles for the first time last night. So fun!
I am so with you on boycotting the oven!! It’s over 90 here in Denver too…please send some pool boys and ice cream ;)
Did you say pool boys and ice cream? I’m gonna catch the next flight out.
Hi Kate
Could you pleeeeeease consider posting a recipe with garlic scapes? They’re so abundant this time of year!
Cheers!
I never see them here in the middle of the U.S., though! Sad face. I will keep an eye out now that I know you’re interested.
What a great compilation of dishes.
I will share the list with my girl friend.
She will love it.
This is genius! I already have #1 and #8 on my meal plan for this week — adding a couple of the others for next week :)
I love the veggie sushi bowl, black bean avocado bowl and pesto squash noodles! I like to keep my dinners light as well!
Exactly the post I needed today for some summer meal inspiration!
These all look so amazing! Can’t wait to try them asap! Thanks so much for such creative and delicious ideas.
Thank you, Pam! :)
Thank you for sharing. This is awesome!
Recipes look great but what I’d really like to see are wedding photos! :)
Thank you! We are waiting to see all of them too :)
This is an amazing Kathryne and…am so glad to read your posts…this all dinner recipes i will follow this plan in our diet list…Thanks for sharing wonderful recipes….!
You’re welcome, Macy!
Wait – wedding gift? Are you getting married? Or maybe you already have?
I got married early June :)
Awesome! Congrats to you and the lucky guy!
I have trained dogs for 35 years I can give you great training tips and secrets to get your dog to come to you when called.
Love your recipes, this pesto dish looks awesome!
Contact me and I can help you with Cookie!
Cindy
Are you planning on doing another cookbook? I want to try so many of your recipes but I find it easier having a cookbook in front of me and not the computer.
Hi Cindy, thank you for asking! I’m not working on another cookbook currently, but maybe sometime in the future. We are having a baby next month, so I really don’t know when I will have the headspace for such a big project!
Hi, Your article so fantastic. I enjoy your article. Many many thanks for sharing