212 refresher recipes

Cold cucumber mint soup blended with yogurt, chicken broth, and fresh mint then chilled until refreshing. A light, creamy no-cook summer soup garnished with radishes and diced cucumber.

Lemon pressed cabbage is a quick Japanese-style pickle: savoy cabbage, cloud ear mushrooms, and thin lemon slices salted and weighted for an hour into a crunchy, refreshing side.

Sweet, juicy pears meet crisp cucumber in this refreshing two-ingredient salad with a bright lemon-sugar dressing. Ready in 5 minutes, it's the perfect light side for summer meals.

Bright fruit salad with jicama matchsticks, grapes, pineapple, nectarine, strawberries, and cantaloupe tossed in orange juice with fresh basil. A crunchy, refreshing no-cook side that's ready in 20 minutes.

I love Asian food. These spring rolls were so refreshing and just delicious, and I also loved the texture because of all these fresh veggies. The dipping sauce was terrific.

This light dessert is so refreshing, pavloas is made from egg whites, which is light and fluffy, spiced plum adds the fruity flavor. Perfect dessert after a heavy main dish!

Tropical chicken salad with rice, pineapple, banana, grapes, and coconut in a light yogurt-mayo dressing. No cooking required, just toss and serve for a refreshing lunch in 10 minutes.

Chilled cream of cucumber soup with sour cream, fresh dill, and parsley. A cool, refreshing summer starter that's better made the day before. No fuss, no stove time after dinner.

Phaalse Ka Sharbat is a traditional Indian blackberry summer drink with mashed soaked berries, sugar, and a pinch of salt over crushed ice. Refreshing North Indian sherbet for hot days.

Asparagus vichyssoise made in the microwave with fresh asparagus, potatoes, and skim milk. This light, low-fat cold soup is blended silky-smooth and chilled overnight for a refreshing make-ahead starter.

A refreshing frozen banana ice made with mashed banana, orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon juice in a simple sugar syrup. No ice cream maker needed. Just freeze in ice trays.

Crisp apple and walnut salad with a light curry-lemon dressing served on Boston lettuce. A no-cook, refreshing side that mixes Red Delicious and Granny Smith for sweet-tart contrast.

A chilled Scandinavian-style fruit soup simmered with prunes, raisins, apples, cherries, and citrus, thickened with tapioca and finished with grape juice. Serve cold as a refreshing starter or light dessert.

A no-bake watermelon Jello pie with whipped topping in a graham cracker crust. Pink, fluffy, and refreshing. Swap in any Jello flavor or go sugar-free for a lighter version.

Lemony chicken salad with a vintage twist: cubed chicken, crushed pineapple, and tarragon set in lemon gelatin and chilled until firm. A retro molded salad that's bright, light, and refreshingly cool.

Strawberry granita made from just three ingredients, no ice cream machine needed. Fresh strawberry puree and simple syrup frozen and scraped into glittering, refreshing ice crystals. Pure summer in a glass.