1,077 summer recipes

This is one of those recipes that is more of a guideline—I really encourage you to adapt the amounts and ingredients to your tastes. If you like it chunky, don’t puree it. If you like a thinner soup, add more chicken broth. If you don’t like heat, omit the cayenne.

Summer white bean soup with sauteed celery, swiss chard or kale, a splash of rice vinegar, and a hint of liquid aminos. Light, vegetarian, naturally high in fiber and gentle enough for warm weather.

Fresh California tomato summer soup with diced ripe tomatoes, pasta shells, carrots, celery, onion, and basil in chicken broth. A garden-driven minestrone built for peak tomato season. Topped with Parmesan.

Quick vegetarian crêpes stuffed with sautéed zucchini, green beans, fresh corn, ricotta, and Monterey Jack cheese. Topped with a tangy chive-lemon sour cream sauce and ready in under 30 minutes.

Summer soup with potato, leek, watercress, and fresh basil in vegetable stock. A light, peppery vegetarian soup that celebrates green flavors without cream or heavy thickeners.

No-cook summer spaghetti with a cold marinated sauce of Roma tomatoes, green olives, capers, garlic, and fresh herbs tossed with hot pasta.

Summer pandowdy layers juicy nectarines and blueberries under a cream biscuit crust, then dowdies the top by pressing it into the bubbling fruit. Old-fashioned New England dessert.

Summer risotto loaded with chicken, prosciutto, mushrooms, peas, sweet peppers, and tomatoes, finished with Romano cheese. A one-pot Italian rice dinner ready in 30 minutes with fresh seasonal flavors.

Rice cakes topped with reduced-fat cream cheese, mandarin oranges, kiwi, and fresh strawberries. A colorful, low-fat no-cook snack ready in 10 minutes.

Three beans mingle with zucchini, fresh tomatoes, and banana peppers in this Southwestern-spiced vegetable soup. Red wine and cumin add warmth to this hearty, healthy bowl.

Pureed summer squash soup with rosemary and chicken, sauteed in butter and blended smooth. Garnished with paper-thin raw squash slices.

Late-summer soup: a garden-cleanout vegetable soup with yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, and fennel seed. Vegan, naturally gluten-free, and built for the August harvest.

Summer vegetable spaghetti tossed with zucchini, yellow squash and green beans in a light tomato sauce with a pinch of chili powder. Low in fat, no oil needed, and just as good served cold as a pasta salad.

Cool, refreshing big-batch fruit salad with watermelon, cantaloupe, plums, nectarines, and grapes tossed in chilled mint-lime simple syrup. A summer party showstopper.

Summer fruit salad with rice, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, banana, and pineapple tossed in a honey-yogurt-pineapple juice dressing. Light, low-fat, and ready in 25 minutes.

No-bake summer berry pie with fresh raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries set in a strawberry gelatin glaze in a baked pie shell. Topped with whipped cream for a cool, fruity summer dessert.