Sizzlin' Summer Nights Call For Cold Dinners! Give These 50 Recipes a Try (2024)

The homemade creamy honey mustard dressing in itself will have you craving this fresh blueberry chicken salad every night of the week.

Get the recipe: grilled chicken salad

Whether you choose to have it as a side dish or a full meal, this macaroni salad made with pickle brine dressing and tuna won't disappoint.

Get the recipe: macaroni salad

Not only is this summer salad fresh and delicious, but it's healthy to boot. All it requires is shrimp, vegetables, and zesty citrus flavors!

Get the recipe: shrimp ceviche

Packed with protein and good-for-you veggies, this poke bowl will take your taste buds to a beachside paradise. Top off your fresh fish with a spicy mayo sauce if you really want to give it a kick.

Get the recipe: spicy ahi tuna poke bowl

Believe it or not, these stuffed avocados can be whipped up in less than 15 minutes! With a mixture of shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, and more, you'll be noshing on these every night of the week.

Get the recipe: shrimp-stuffed avocados

Fresh, crunchy, and absolutely delightful, these yogurt bowls feature chickpeas that are spiced with simple seasonings that make them pop when roasted. They're complemented by a tangy Greek yogurt that's seasoned with fresh dill.

Get the recipe: spiced chickpea yogurt bowls with spiralized cucumbers

This quinoa bowl is loaded with flavorful Jamaican jerk chicken and colorful fruits and veggies. Each flavor balances out one another while still giving the spiced-up chicken room to shine.

Get the recipe: Jamaican jerk chicken quinoa bowl

Made with Yukon gold potatoes, chives, parsley, Persian cucumbers, pickles, and hard boiled eggs, this potato salad will be your go-to side dish.

Get the recipe: classic potato salad

This easy lemon orzo salad features cucumbers, radishes, and crumbled feta cheese along with fresh basil and parsley. Make it as a side dish or enjoy it as a full meal.

Get the recipe: lemon orzo salad

Sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, avocados, and pickled red onions make this salad a dream. Serve it with freshly grilled chicken or fish to make it a dinner that everyone will enjoy.

Get the recipe: cucumber, tomato, and avocado salad

Imagine: tender butter lettuce, blushing radishes, fresh cucumber, creamy avocados, and roasted chickpeas all mixed into one dreamy salad. That's what you get when you indulge in this hearty dish.

Get the recipe: radish salad with yogurt dill dressing

Watch out! The best summer veggies of all teamed up to make this colorful and healthy salad. With crumbled feta cheese and chopped cilantro, you'll be scraping your bowl for more.

Get the recipe:: cucumber tomato avocado salad

This refreshing cucumber quinoa salad is a little like a heartier version of tabbouleh; packed with fiber, protein, and vitamin C, it's an ideal light lunch for a hot day.

Get the recipe: cucumber quinoa salad

Colorful, healthy, and packed with flavor, this rainbow salad will make anyone fall in love with just one bite. Did we mention how good the honey-citrus vinaigrette is?

Get the recipe: rainbow quinoa salad with honey-citrus vinaigrette

Juicy shrimp and sweet strawberries marry together to make this mouthwatering salad. Top it off with sliced nuts or even a hint of basil.

Get the recipe: shrimp salad with jicama, strawberries, and avocado

The perfect barbecue side, this grilled chicken and corn salad will make hot dogs take the back seat. Top it off with crumbled feta, if you so please.

Get the recipe: grilled chicken and corn salad

This ravishing salad is about as gorgeous as they come. With light cucumbers, hearty chickpeas, and juicy tomatoes, you'll want to eat this for every meal of the day.

Get the recipe: Greek chickpea, cucumber, tomato, and farro salad

Watch out! The best summer veggies of all teamed up to make this colorful and healthy salad. With crumbled feta cheese and chopped cilantro, you'll be scraping your bowl for more.

Get the recipe: cucumber tomato avocado salad

With a nod to one of summer's favorite ingredients, this grilled corn salad is even better than it looks. Dig in!

Get the recipe: grilled corn and barley salad with blueberries and goat cheese

Imagine: juicy grapes, tangy arugula, and a black pepper vinaigrette with a bite. Top it off with grilled chicken if you're looking to add extra protein.

Get the recipe: arugula salad with grapes, farro, and black pepper vinaigrette

Having a barbecue? Not without this salad, you aren't! With lime juice, cilantro, and chili powder, it's the side dish of everyone's dreams.

Get the recipe: Mexican grilled street corn quinoa salad

If Brussels sprouts are on your list of favorite veggies, you need to make this salad ASAP! It features candied pancetta, pears, and blue cheese, so you already know it's going to be a hit.

Get the recipe: chopped Brussels sprouts, kale, and chard salad with candied pancetta, pears, and blue cheese

Take your taste buds to the tropics when you whip up this delightful salad. It has a lovely coconut-lime dressing that will make you forget about every other kind.

Get the recipe: tropical quinoa salad with jicama and coconut-lime dressing

The tangy arugula mixed with the sweet dried cherries makes this salad a treat for your taste buds. The lemon dressing really gives it a kick!

Get the recipe: arugula, dried cherry, and wild rice salad with lemony dressing

The ideal summertime dinner side, this black bean salad is filling, hearty, and oh so good. Topped with an orange vinaigrette, it's got just the kick you need.

Get the recipe: black bean quinoa salad with orange vinaigrette

This delicious salad features a homemade green goddess dressing, and talk about healthy. See how many veggies you can top it off with. The more the merrier!

Get the recipe: green goddess quinoa summer salad

You can treat this as a standalone lunch or use it as the base for DIY burrito bowls. The choice is yours!

Get the recipe: quinoa, black bean, and corn salad

Need something both healthy and filling? Throw together this pasta salad, which features a hint of cheddar cheese to give it an extra kick.

Get the recipe: corn, tomato, and avocado pasta salad

The unexpected flavors found in this good-for-you salad come together to create a delicious dish. Serve it with a dressing made of balsamic vinegar, oil, and a touch of orange juice.

Get the recipe: avocado, blue cheese, and strawberry salad

Both crunchy and creamy, this summer salad will wow everyone you serve. Bursting with flavor and an array of herbs such as basil, parsley, and thyme, this creative salad will definitely be a memorable one.

Get the recipe: summer tomato salad with avocado and pecans

Chilled pasta salad, swimming with juicy tomatoes and crispy bacon, practically begs to be eaten next to the pool. You can add extra greens for the lettuce lovers or serve as is for the pickier eaters.

Get the recipe: BLT pasta salad

Classic chicken salad gets a summery update with barbecue sauce, corn, cheddar cheese, and bacon bits. These sliders are perfect served poolside — with a cold beer for you and lemonade for the little ones.

Get the recipe: barbecue chicken salad sliders

Red peppers? Spinach? Carrots? Whatever veggies you have in the fridge, you can clean them out quick with this lo mein, complete with a sweet and salty sauce.

Get the recipe: 15-minute lo mein

Cool down with this refreshing pasta salad, bursting with cherry tomatoes, tender chicken, and fresh sprigs of basil and mint.

Get the recipe: chicken orzo salad

Whole-grain pasta, juicy chicken breast, and fresh tomatoes and cheese make a lean, mean, 30-minute dream team.

Get the recipe: caprese chicken pasta

Full of tomato flavor thanks to slivers of sun-dried tomatoes, a dressing made from the candy-sweet dried fruit, and halved cherry tomatoes, this pasta salad is destined to become a potluck and backyard BBQ staple.

Get the recipe: sun-dried tomato pasta salad

Thanks to ingredients like lime juice, red pepper flakes, and rosemary, this grilled corn salad with cornbread croutons packs a huge flavor punch.

Get the recipe: grilled corn salad with cornbread croutons

On a night when you're craving a hearty meal that's simple and healthy, whip up a batch of zucchini ratatouille. This vegan recipe combines robust tomatoes and garlic with milder flavors like zucchini and cannellini beans.

Get the recipe: zucchini ratatouille with sun-dried tomatoes and white beans

For a lighter dinner, assemble a Greek tzatziki chicken salad. Layered with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients, this sandwich tastes amazing inside toasted pita instead of bread.

Get the recipe: Greek tzatziki chicken salad

This stunning dish includes both fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, laying the groundwork to win the heart (and stomach) of any tomato-lover. Plus, it's durable enough to pack in the fridge for lunches throughout the week!

Get the recipe: pesto pasta salad

These crunchy "noodles" are just as tasty as they are pretty. They pack in flavorful mint, lemon, and ginger, plus health benefits aplenty.

Get the recipe: cucumber mint noodles with ginger dressing

No judgment here if you eat the peanut sauce by itself.

Get the recipe: no-noodle pad thai

This lobster Cobb salad swaps lettuce for zucchini noodles to create a dish that packs more fiber and vitamins than your typical leafy salad.

Get the recipe: no-lettuce lobster Cobb salad with zucchini noodles

Lightly pan-fried instead of deep-fried and served with a honey mustard napa cabbage slaw, bang bang shrimp is less indulgent and far less messy to prepare.

Get the recipe: bang bang shrimp with napa cabbage slaw

This chopped Thai shrimp salad looks like a bowl of edible confetti.

Get the recipe: chopped Thai shrimp salad with garlic lime dressing

Like lobster rolls, but a bit more budget-friendly, these mini shrimp rolls will bring back happy memories of the seashore.

Get the recipe: mini shrimp rolls with dill

If ceviche is your go-to seafood order, try making this naturally low-carb meal in the comfort of your own home. Simply adjust the amount of jalapeño to make it more or less spicy.

Get the recipe: shrimp ceviche

You don't often see shrimp and watermelon together, but this is one combination that works. Even with the fruit and spicy honey dressing, this dish has just 22 grams of carbs per serving, and only takes 15 minutes (with prep time) to make.

Get the recipe: shrimp avocado salad with watermelon