Food & Cooking Recipes Seasonal Recipes Summer Recipes 23 Colorful Summer Side Dishes to Make Right Now Fresh and flavorful, these seasonal recipes are perfect for weeknights and weekend gatherings alike. By Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan Kelly is a former associate digital food editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines and Lindsay Tigar Lindsay Tigar Lindsay is a freelance writer focusing on lifestyle, shopping, food, and more. She reports feature stories for a number of leading publications and websites, including Travel + Leisure, Vogue, USA Today, Fast Company, Reader’s Digest, and more. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 30, 2023 Close Photo: Yuki Sugiura When we think of warm-weather foods, burgers, ice cream, and fruity beverages come to mind. But summer side dishes are just as important—and even have the potential to become the stars of the show. Of course, pasta salad and potato salad are key players, but so are vegetable-based sides that highlight the bounty of summer produce. When it comes to what's fresh right now, we're talking zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, and corn on the cob. We hope you'll consider one of our colorful summer side dishes for a weeknight dinner or weekend cookout. That's right, you don't save these sides for entertaining—they're just right for any night of the week, too. One-Pan Pasta 01 of 23 Dill, Potato, and Egg Salad Petrina Tinslay This mayo-free egg salad, starring potatoes and just the right amount of dill, will hold up at an outdoor summer party. Lemon juice and vinegar give the summer side dish some bite, while sliced cornichons provide crunch. View Recipe 02 of 23 Tomato and Avocado Salad If the vivid colors don't draw you in, then the summer flavors will. All you need for this magnificent salad is three ingredients plus seasonings, so it's the easiest, most irresistible salad around. Use heirloom tomatoes from a local farm (or your backyard) if you really want to wow. View Recipe 03 of 23 Quinoa With Caramelized Corn and Shallots Linda Xiao Sautéed corn and scallions are paired with quinoa for fiber and protein in this healthy summer side. View Recipe 04 of 23 Melon and Cucumber Salad GENTL & HYERS This colorful side dish is both sweet and savory, and very refreshing. It's a simple mix of sliced melons and English cucumber with flaky sea salt, a little olive oil, and fresh mint. View Recipe 05 of 23 Ma Belle Mere's Ratatouille This garden-to-table stew recipe is a great make-ahead recipe; prep it up to three days in advance. Serve it hot or at room temperature (it serves up to 12!). View Recipe 06 of 23 Cucumber-Herb Salad Noe Dewitt Kirby cucumbers are turned into a crunchy make-ahead side salad that's packed with mixed tender herbs like parsley, mint, and chives. View Recipe 07 of 23 Test Kitchen's Favorite Potato Salad Ren Fuller Our food editors love a classic potato salad, one that isn't heavy on the mayonnaise and allows all the other ingredients to shine. This recipe mixes whole-grain mustard and white vinegar with the mayonnaise for a tangy bite. Make it a day ahead to cut down on prep the day you plan to enjoy it, as well as to let the flavors mingle. View Recipe 08 of 23 Succotash Salad Ryan Liebe Beans, zucchini, and corn star in this sunny salad version of the classic vegetable stew. The biggest part of the prep is waiting for salt to draw the moisture out of the zucchini. Cook the beans and corn, then toss with the sliced zucchini, oil, herbs, and vinegar—and viola, the dish is done! View Recipe 09 of 23 Grilled Garlic Bread With Herb Butter Lauren Ross Everyone loves garlic bread—the crunch of crusty Italian bread, the lingering taste of garlic, and the bright, fresh herbs that garnish. When grilled, the bread becomes charred and doesn't get soggy from the melted butter. View Recipe 10 of 23 Tomato-Beet Salad If you've never tried pairing sliced heirloom tomatoes, halved cherry tomatoes, and roasted beets we highly recommend it, especially when they're drizzled with good olive oil and finished with feta and cilantro. This combination tastes as good as it looks! View Recipe 11 of 23 Marinated-Artichoke and Green-Bean Pasta Salad Ren Fuller What's summer without pasta salad? We love using a corkscrew-shaped pasta so it can hold onto the sauce and vegetables. View Recipe 12 of 23 Seasoned Roasted-Corn Salad Cups linda xaio Consider this a vegetable parfait of everything fresh and now. Placing the salad in individual glasses makes it easy to grab a portion, but this salad works just as well served in one large bowl. View Recipe 13 of 23 Zucchini-and-Squash Salad Linda Pugliese This is a no-cook salad that can be made-ahead and holds up well to summer heat, which makes it a sure pick for cookouts, potlucks, or picnics. A zesty lemon vinaigrette plus pine nuts, basil, and Pecorino Romano take this salad into must-have territory. View Recipe 14 of 23 Zucchini Slaw Aaron Dyer Crisp and green, this light slaw is made with thinly sliced apples that add just a hint of sweetness to contrast with the savory celery and tangy zucchini tossed in red-wine vinaigrette. The slaw is delicious alongside grilled fish or chicken. View Recipe 15 of 23 Grilled Summer Squash With Hot Honey and Ricotta Yuki Sugiura Hot honey is a game-changer on grilled vegetables. Whisk it into a vinaigrette that you pour that over summer squashes and zucchini when they're still warm from the grill; then let them marinate for 10 minutes, or overnight. When it's time to eat, serve with creamy ricotta, fresh mint, and toasted almonds. View Recipe 16 of 23 Grilled Corn With Chile-Lime Salt Lauren Ross Brushed with butter and sprinkled with Parmesan and a quick, homemade chile-lime salt, this grilled corn on the cob is completely different than the usual boiled variation. View Recipe 17 of 23 Rice Salad With Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Feta Paola + Murray Rice salad can be a snooze, but not this lively version with plenty of fresh herbs (parsley and mint), cherry tomatoes, and cucumber, and punch feta cheese—it's a sure fire crowd pleaser. View Recipe 18 of 23 Cherry Tomato, Corn, and Halloumi Salad Christopher Testani Halloumi is a semi-hard grilling cheese. It makes for a decadent, creamy taste alongside corn, heirloom tomatoes, and baby arugula. View Recipe 19 of 23 Sweet-Pickled Cucumber Chips Christopher Testani The best part of pickling vegetables is that you can enjoy seasonal produce year-round. We've made traditional pickles even friendlier here with thin slices of cucumber that marinate in vinegar, sugar, and punchy spices. Make them at least a week before serving. View Recipe 20 of 23 New Potato Salad With Red-Wine Vinaigrette Ren Fuller New potatoes are in season throughout July. We love highlighting their particularly sweet flavor in this light version of potato salad—sans mayo. View Recipe 21 of 23 Bloody Mary Tomato Salad Dana Gallagher Everyone's familiar with a tomato salad—but what about one that's a little boozy? We love this fresh and feisty take that uses lemon juice, Worcestershire, and a dash of aquavit to create a surprising taste on your tongue. There's no better way to enjoy the vine-ripe reward of the season. View Recipe 22 of 23 Grilled Corn With Fish Sauce and Scallions Kate Sears Head to Southeast Asia with this simple—and satisfying—Vietnamese-inspired summer side dish. It features the same crunchy, fresh corn that we all associate with this season, but adds dynamic and flavorful toppings like sambal oelek, lime juice, and fish sauce. View Recipe 23 of 23 Pasta Salad With Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Chickpeas Ren Fuller Most of us can get behind a summer pasta salad. Served cold, this cookout staple is a crowd-pleaser. But what if you took it up a notch and added a little Italian remix? This summer side dish recipe calls for fusilli noodles, mozzarella, chickpeas, and lots of fresh Italian herbs cut right from your garden beds. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit