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Easy summer dinner ideas

17 recipes in this collection.

A large oval cream-speckled stoneware platter on a white marble counter holding four slices of grilled sourdough bread topped with thick juicy slices of ripe red and yellow heirloom tomatoes, generous pillows of torn burrata cheese with creamy centers spilling slightly, scattered fresh basil leaves of various sizes, a generous drizzle of green-gold olive oil pooling at the edges, flaky sea salt flakes, and cracked black pepper. A small clear glass cruet of more olive oil, a small dish of flaky salt, a halved lemon, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel sit beside the platter. Soft summer afternoon light from the kitchen window.

Summer dinner, for me, is less about cooking and more about assembling. When it’s warm out, I want food that tastes like the season and asks almost nothing of me in return. A cold soup poured over ice. Good bread, ripe tomatoes, a ball of burrata. Salmon that roasts while I set the table.

These are the dinners I actually make from June through August, grouped by how much heat they ask for. Start with the no-cook nights when it’s too hot to think, take it to the backyard when the grill is calling, move to the light mains when you want something warm, and keep that galette in your back pocket for the weekend the strawberries finally look right.

No-cook and cold nights

For the evenings when turning on the oven feels like a genuinely bad idea.

A wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl of cold cucumber dill soup on a white marble counter: a pale spring-green soup with visible flecks of fresh dill, a drizzle of olive oil pooling on the surface, a scatter of crunchy diced cucumber, finely chopped fresh dill and mint, a small dollop of thick white skyr, a few thinly sliced radish rounds, and a flake of flaky salt. Beside the bowl: a small clear glass cruet of olive oil, a small bunch of fresh dill, a lemon halved cut-side up, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel. Soft midday summer light.

Cold cucumber and dill soup with skyr

A summery Swedish-style cold soup with cucumber, skyr, dill, mint, and lemon. Ten minutes of blending, no cooking, and the most refreshing lunch you'll have this month.

Two slices of grilled dark rye bread on a small cream-speckled stoneware plate on a white marble counter, each piled high with creamy cottage-cheese tuna salad showing visible flakes of tuna, small curds of cottage cheese, scattered bright green capers, finely chopped fresh dill, a thin slice of red onion, a few cracks of black pepper, and a flake of flaky salt. A small lemon wedge rests on the plate beside the toasts. A small clear glass jar of capers, a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel, and a small bunch of fresh dill sit on the marble beside the plate. Soft midday light from the kitchen window.

Cottage cheese tuna salad on grilled rye

Tuna salad with cottage cheese instead of mayo: lighter, brighter, and quietly delivering 35 grams of protein. Piled on grilled dark rye with dill, capers, lemon, and cracked pepper.

A large oval cream-speckled stoneware platter on a white marble counter holding four slices of grilled sourdough bread topped with thick juicy slices of ripe red and yellow heirloom tomatoes, generous pillows of torn burrata cheese with creamy centers spilling slightly, scattered fresh basil leaves of various sizes, a generous drizzle of green-gold olive oil pooling at the edges, flaky sea salt flakes, and cracked black pepper. A small clear glass cruet of more olive oil, a small dish of flaky salt, a halved lemon, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel sit beside the platter. Soft summer afternoon light from the kitchen window.

Tomato burrata salad with basil and grilled bread

Peak-summer tomatoes, torn burrata, fresh basil, and slices of grilled sourdough rubbed with garlic. Twenty minutes of assembly and you've got the kind of lunch that needs nothing else.

A large cream-speckled stoneware serving bowl of herby summer pasta salad on a white marble counter: fusilli spirals glossy with lemon dressing, halved red and yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, big torn pieces of white feta, bright pink quick-pickled red onion, and a heavy scatter of chopped fresh dill and parsley. A halved lemon, a small bunch of dill, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel rest beside the bowl. Soft bright midday light.

Herby summer pasta salad with lemon and feta

A no-mayo pasta salad loaded with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, feta, quick-pickled red onion, and a whole lot of dill and parsley in a bright lemon dressing.

A long oval ceramic platter of cucumber tomato salad on a white marble counter, seen from nearly overhead: red tomato wedges and halved baby tomatoes, thin cucumber rounds, paper-thin slivers of red onion, and a heavy scatter of fresh dill, all glossy with a light vinegar dressing pooling at the edges of the platter. A small bunch of dill and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel sit beside it. Soft bright midday light.

Cucumber tomato salad with dill and red onion

The classic cucumber tomato salad, Nordic style: crisp cucumber, ripe tomatoes, thin red onion, and a lot of fresh dill in a sharp little vinegar dressing. Ten minutes, no stove.

A wide shallow ceramic bowl of watermelon cucumber salad on a weathered wooden backyard table, seen from a three-quarter angle: deep pink watermelon cubes and pale green cucumber half-moons glossy with lime dressing, scattered with big crumbles of feta and torn mint leaves, with glasses of iced water and dappled afternoon shade around it.

Watermelon cucumber salad with feta and mint

Cold watermelon, crisp cucumber, salty feta, and torn mint with a honey-lime dressing. A 15-minute no-cook salad for the hottest days of summer.

From the grill

For the nights the kitchen stays closed and dinner happens in the backyard.

Four grilled salmon fillets with crisp charred skin on an oval stoneware platter outdoors, pats of lemon dill butter melting over them, with charred lemon halves and fresh dill alongside.

Grilled salmon with lemon dill butter

Charcoal-grilled salmon with crisp skin and a lemon dill butter that melts into every fillet. A 30-minute summer dinner straight from the kettle grill.

An oval ceramic platter of grilled boneless chicken thighs with deep golden char marks on a wooden outdoor table, glossy with a lemon herb dressing, scattered with fresh dill and thyme, with two charred grilled lemon halves cut-side up on the platter. A green backyard softens out of focus behind the table in golden evening light.

Grilled lemon-herb chicken thighs (the marinade does the work)

Juicy grilled chicken thighs in a lemon, garlic, and herb marinade that takes five minutes to whisk. Thirty minutes of marinating is enough, and the leftovers are gold.

A rustic ceramic plate stacked with grilled corn on the cob on a wooden outdoor table: the kernels deeply charred in places and golden elsewhere, slathered with whipped feta butter melting down the rows, scattered with chopped fresh dill and flaky salt, with lemon wedges tucked beside the cobs. A green backyard blurs softly behind the table in warm evening light.

Grilled corn with whipped feta butter

Sweet corn charred straight on the grates, slathered with a whipped feta butter with lemon and dill. The upgrade plain butter has been waiting for.

Charred grilled zucchini planks piled on a white platter on an outdoor wooden table, scattered with torn basil, shaved parmesan, and flaky salt, with grilled lemon halves alongside.

Grilled zucchini with lemon and basil

Thick zucchini planks charred hot and fast on the grill, finished with lemon, torn basil, and flaky salt. Ten minutes over the coals, and no soggy zucchini in sight.

Light mains, minimal heat

A little warmth, but quick, and nothing that heats up the whole apartment.

A large piece of warm rye flatbread on a cream-speckled stoneware platter on a white marble counter, spread thick with airy whipped feta and piled with charred grilled zucchini ribbons, blistered cherry tomatoes, strips of grilled red pepper, torn fresh basil and dill, a drizzle of olive oil, and a few flakes of salt. A lemon half and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel rest beside the platter. Bright natural summer light from the kitchen window.

Rye flatbread with whipped feta and grilled summer veg

Warm rye flatbread spread thick with whipped feta and piled with grilled zucchini, peppers, and blistered tomatoes. A bright, shareable summer plate that comes together in half an hour.

A parchment-lined half-sheet pan straight from the oven on a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel on a white marble counter, holding four salmon fillets with deeply golden crispy edges and pale-pink moist centers, surrounded by deeply charred broccoli florets, smashed garlic cloves, and a halved lemon (cut-side up). Scattered fresh dill sprigs and chopped chives across the pan. Beside the pan: a wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl of cooked lemon orzo glossy with butter and dotted with bright green herbs, a small dish of flaky salt, and a small clear glass cruet of olive oil. Soft afternoon kitchen light.

Crispy salmon sheet-pan with broccoli and lemon orzo

Salmon fillets and broccoli florets roast on one sheet pan while orzo simmers in lemony broth. Forty minutes, 35 grams of protein, mostly hands-off.

A cast iron skillet on a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel on a white marble counter, holding four golden seared boneless chicken thighs glossy with pan juices, scattered fresh thyme sprigs and chopped dill, two smashed garlic cloves softened in the pan, and a halved lemon nestled at one edge. Beside the skillet: a wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl of quick cucumber salad with thinly sliced cucumber, fresh dill, a small dish of flaky salt, and a small clear glass cruet of olive oil. Soft late-afternoon kitchen light.

30-minute lemon herb chicken with cucumber salad

Boneless thighs seared in a hot skillet with garlic and herbs, finished with lemon, served with a quick cucumber-dill salad. Thirty minutes start to finish, 28 grams of protein.

A white ceramic baking dish holding eight golden zucchini boats stuffed with sausage and tomato under melted parmesan, scattered with torn basil.

Zucchini boats with Italian sausage

Stuffed zucchini boats with Italian sausage, garlic, and crushed tomato under a parmesan top. A real weeknight dinner with over 20 grams of protein.

A wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl of deep red roasted tomato soup on a white marble counter, the surface drizzled with bright green basil oil in slow swirls, topped with a small handful of crispy torn sourdough croutons, fresh basil leaves, freshly grated parmesan, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Beside the bowl: a small clear glass jar of more basil oil, a wooden cutting board with a half-loaf of crusty sourdough, a small bunch of fresh basil, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel. Soft late-afternoon kitchen light.

Roasted tomato and bread soup with basil oil

A late-summer tomato soup that gets its body from a thick slice of day-old sourdough blended right in. Roasted tomatoes, garlic, basil oil, no cream.

A sweet finish

Because summer fruit deserves at least one buttery crust.

A rustic free-form strawberry rhubarb galette resting on a large light oak wooden board on a white marble counter, the deeply golden brown crust folded up over a heap of bubbling jewel-red strawberry and rhubarb filling with the vanilla bean specks visible, sparkling raw sugar across the crust, a few fresh strawberries scattered on the board, a small ceramic dish of vanilla skyr with a wooden spoon resting in it, a small bunch of fresh wildflowers in a clear glass jar, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel. Soft summer afternoon light from the kitchen window.

Bake1 hr 10 min

Strawberry rhubarb galette with vanilla bean

A rustic free-form summer galette of strawberries and rhubarb, scented with vanilla bean and folded up in a flaky all-butter crust. Generous, forgiving, just sweet enough.

A no-bake cheesecake on a ceramic cake stand piled with glossy macerated strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, with one slice lifted out to show the graham crust and creamy filling.

No-bake cheesecake with summer berries

A creamy no-bake cheesecake in a cardamom graham crust, piled with macerated summer berries. No gelatin, no water bath, no oven. Just an honest overnight chill.