If you’re looking for easy summer dinners, this recipe collection is for you. The dishes feature seasonal ingredients like tomatoes and zucchini, and each dinner contains at least 15 grams of protein per serving, so you’ll feel full and satisfied long after you’ve finished. Flavorful recipes like Shrimp Lettuce Wraps and Burrata Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Spinach can be on the table in just 30 minutes or less.
Creamy feta and tomato pasta
Photographer: Greg Dupree, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist: Emily Hall
This creamy feta and tomato pasta puts a satisfying vegetarian dinner on the table with just five simple ingredients. Cherry tomatoes are a go-to ingredient when tomato season isn’t at its peak, and grape tomatoes are a sweet, juicy alternative that guarantees a satisfying, flavorful meal.
Salmon tacos with pineapple salsa
Serve salmon tacos with this easy-to-make coleslaw on the side for a quick and hearty weeknight dinner. If you want your fish tacos to be a little spicier, just add a pinch or two of chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper to the chili powder.
Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Photographer Victor Protacio, Food Stylist Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist Tucker Vines
Enjoy Shrimp Lettuce Wraps stuffed with crisp vegetables and juicy shrimp sautéed in garlic and soy sauce. This light and flavorful dish is perfect for a weeknight dinner or weekend get-together. Sambal Oelek, a spicy chili paste known for its vibrant red color and intense heat, adds an extra kick of heat. Reduce or omit the spiciness to suit your taste.
Skillet Bruschetta Chicken
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shel Royster
This flavorful Skillet Chicken Bruschetta puts a delicious twist on a traditional dish. Inspired by the Italian antipasto, it substitutes the usual toasted bread for a protein-packed chicken cutlet. It’s topped with bright, juicy chopped tomatoes and finished with a sweet and tangy balsamic reduction. For even more flavor, try topping it with shaved Parmesan or adding chopped olives to the tomato mix for a salty kick.
Mozzarella, basil and zucchini frittata
This veggie frittata recipe is one of the easiest meals to make and can be served for lunch or dinner with a tossed salad and a crusty baguette drizzled with olive oil.
Tuna Poke
Poke (pronounced poke-ai) means “to chop” or “to cut” in Hawaiian and refers to a traditional Hawaiian salad made with diced raw fish simmered in a simple soy-based sauce with punchy seasonings like toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions. This tuna poke bowl is served with seasoned brown rice and fresh vegetables for a healthy, satisfying meal packed with protein and fiber.
Burrata pasta with cherry tomatoes and spinach
This delicious pasta dish is made with burrata cheese, a soft cow’s milk cheese similar to fresh mozzarella but with a creamy, melty interior. You can also use fresh chopped summer ripe tomatoes in place of the cherry tomatoes. If the tomatoes are plump and juicy, they will add moisture and flavor to the pasta, so you won’t need to use all of the pasta water. Serve with garlic bread and a green salad.
Creamy Pesto Shrimp with Gnocchi and Peas
Photographer: Greg Dupree, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist: Emily Hall
This quick dinner recipe combines shrimp, fluffy gnocchi, pesto, and peas in a creamy sauce. You can use other veggies like broccoli or asparagus instead of the peas. If you want it to be a little spicier, sprinkle on some crushed red pepper or serve with grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
Balsamic Chicken Pasta Bake with Zucchini Noodles
Packed with veggies and rich flavor, this chicken pasta bake is inspired by the ingredients in a Caprese salad.
Sheet Pan Salmon and Crispy Quinoa
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
Enjoy a protein-rich dinner with this salmon, roasted tomatoes and quinoa recipe that requires just two baking sheets and is easy to clean up. Toasted quinoa adds texture and crunch to the dish. Once the quinoa is done cooking, fluff it with a fork to release the steam and set it aside to crisp up. Using a package of pre-cooked quinoa makes prep easier, but if you have leftover quinoa, it works just as well.
Tahin Shrimp tacos with cabbage slaw
Greg Dupree
Tajin, a Mexican chili-lime seasoning, adds a spicy-sour punch to sweet, mild shrimp. Choose a low-sodium chili-lime seasoning, or try improvising by mixing chili powder, a little lime zest, and plenty of lime juice. For a quicker preparation, look for pineapple with the skin and core removed.
Pesto Chicken Bake
This Pesto Chicken Bake is easy to make and delicious! The chicken stays juicy and the cheese on top is bubbly and crispy. The combination of pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes is always a hit. Serve the chicken with pasta or your favorite grains.
Fish taco bowl with green cabbage slaw
Fresh salsa verde, green cabbage, and avocado contribute to the vibrant green color of this light and bright fish taco bowl. We love the mild flavor and firm meatiness of halibut, but you could also substitute a firm white fish like mahi-mahi or tilapia. We garnish this flavorful taco bowl with cilantro, but if you want to take it a step further, try toppings like bean sprouts or watermelon radish for an even brighter green color.
Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breast Sandwich
Matthew Francis
These Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts are seasoned, cooked chicken breasts stuffed with the classic ingredients of a Caprese salad – juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar – and can be picked up like a sandwich. The best chicken breasts for this recipe are on the smaller side, but don’t slice them too thin so they can be easily cut into pieces. You can trim regular chicken breasts to the appropriate size, or cut a large 8-ounce breast in half crosswise to make two smaller pieces.
Summer shrimp salad
Loads of colorful tomatoes make this healthy shrimp salad stand out, and cooking the shrimp with fresh herbs and garlic adds flavor without overpowering it, making this a light dinner salad perfect for summer entertaining.
Caprese pasta salad with salami
Both cherry and heirloom tomatoes star in this pasta salad, and this easy summer dinner features flavorful salami, but you can omit the salami or substitute white beans for a vegetarian dish. The recipe is Tomato Love By Joy Howard.
