Skip to content

Top Navigation

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
SUBSCRIBE
Pin FB

Explore Cooking Light

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 31-Day Healthy Meal Plan

      Our 31-day calendar of meals and tips shows you how to cook more and love it with fun, family-friendly meals that come together quickly and deliciously. Read More
    • Dinner Tonight: Quick and Healthy Menus in 45 Minutes (or Less)

      Hundreds of delicious recipes, paired with simple sides, that can be on your table in 45 minutes or less. Read More
    • Our Favorite Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

      Who ever said that chicken wings, doughnuts, and pizza couldn't be healthy? Read More
  • Recipes

    Recipes

    See All Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Recipe Makeovers
    • Quick & Healthy
    • Diabetic
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cooking Light Live
  • Cooking 101

    Cooking 101

    See All Cooking 101
    • Essential Ingredients
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Meet the Chef
    • Cooking Resources
    • Budget Friendly
    • Smart Choices
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living

    Healthy Living

    See All Healthy Living
    • Weight-Loss
    • Health
    • Fitness
    • Home
    • Travel
    • Nutrition 101
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Recipes
  3. 20+ Healthy Summer Dinner Recipes

20+ Healthy Summer Dinner Recipes

By Cooking Light May 09, 2019
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Credit: Ann Taylor Pittman
Celebrate summer with these healthy 20-minute dinners that shine with seasonal fresh produce.
Start Slideshow

1 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chicken and Bulgur Salad With Peaches

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Chicken and Bulgur Salad With Peaches

A quick-cooking whole grain, bulgur is perfect for time-crunched weeknight cooking. If you can’t find it on the grains aisle, you can substitute quinoa or whole-wheat couscous.

1 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chicken and Cucumber Salad With Parsley Pesto

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Chicken and Cucumber Salad With Parsley Pesto

This hearty supper salad is a lean-protein powerhouse thanks to chicken, chickpeas, and edamame; the parsley pesto delivers bone-boosting vitamin K. Pick up frozen shelled edamame to make this meal extra speedy.

2 of 22

3 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Gnocchi With Spinach and Pepper Sauce

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Gnocchi With Spinach and Pepper Sauce

Our shortcut version of Spain’s beloved romesco sauce boasts all the smoky flavor of the original with a fraction of the prep time.

3 of 22

Advertisement

4 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Meatball and Tomato Salad

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Meatball and Tomato Salad

Use ground beef or bison here. Available in most grocery stores, bison is eco-friendly and has fewer calories and less sat fat than beef. Try these meatballs with spaghetti, or pile them on a whole-wheat hoagie for a wholesome take on the classic meatball sub.

4 of 22

5 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Extra-Crispy Veggie-Packed Pizza

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Extra-Crispy Veggie-Packed Pizza

Our taste testers loved this pizza’s crunchy crust and zingy zucchini salad, but the real hero was the halloumi—a dry, salty cheese similar to feta.

5 of 22

6 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pork Chops With Corn Relish

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Pork Chops With Corn Relish

Call on your grill and farmers market bounty to make summer dinners simple. Keep this relish recipe handy for adding fresh flavor to grilled fish or pasta salad.

6 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Shrimp and Leek Spaghetti

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Shrimp and Leek Spaghetti

Light and lemony, this pasta provides nearly a third of your daily fiber goal. Thanks to prepeeled shrimp and frozen peas, it’s the epitome of weeknight-fast. Dress it up with a glass of crisp white wine.

7 of 22

8 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Creamy Chicken-Tomato Skillet

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Creamy Chicken-Tomato Skillet

Yes! You can make chicken and rice in 20 minutes. When a craving for comfort food hits and you need it in a hurry, this fast take on chicken and rice hits the spot. Stirring chopped baby spinach into warm brown rice is a smart way to get more vegetables and jazz up an otherwise plain starchy side.

Our pro tips for speedy cooking: Cut chicken into bite-size pieces so it cooks in just a few minutes, use precooked rice and heat it in the microwave, then use the hot rice to wilt the spinach for you while you finish the chicken. Fresh thyme, chopped basil, or parsley are all good stand-ins for the rosemary. Round out the meal with a glass of sauvignon blanc.

8 of 22

9 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bacon, Arugula, and Egg Wraps

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Bacon, Arugula, and Egg Wraps

Precooked potatoes make these wraps quick and easy to whip up; eggs and whole-wheat tortillas deliver protein and fiber to keep you full all morning.

9 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Black Bean Tostadas With Cabbage Slaw

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Black Bean Tostadas With Cabbage Slaw

Look for salty crumbly fresh Mexican cheese—queso fresco—near other fresh cheeses. Swap crumbled feta or shredded Jack cheese in a pinch. Look for crunchy premade tostada shells near the taco shells. Use up the extra shells as a base for a batch of after-school nachos, or break them into pieces and use in place of tortilla chips. For even more veggie goodness and an extra punch of flavor, try adding a few slices of creamy avocado and a sprinkle of charred corn kernels.

10 of 22

11 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pork and Charred Pineapple Sliders

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Hawaiian Pork and Charred Pineapple Sliders

Hawaii’s traditional Kalua pork requires a beach pit, a whole hog, and a day’s worth of smoking. Our weeknight version delivers all the flavor with a fraction of the effort—no shovel required. Pineapple pulls double duty in this recipe—caramelized rings add smoky sweetness, while the just-tangy-enough pineapple juice makes the slaw a tasty stand-alone side dish. Save time by picking up a peeled and cored pineapple in the produce section—the flavor is far superior to canned rings.

11 of 22

12 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Your favorite appetizer just got upgraded to the dinner menu. These reinvented tacos check every craving box with less than a third of the sodium and half the fat of traditional Buffalo wings.

12 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Warm Pasta Salad With Tomatoes and Eggplant

Credit: Victor Protasio
View Recipe: Warm Pasta Salad With Tomatoes and Eggplant

Congratulations—You just found your new go-to pasta salad! This veggie-packed beauty is nice and filling, thanks to meaty eggplant. If you can’t find burrata, simply tear 6 ounces of fresh mozzarella into bite-size pieces.

Heading to a potluck? Feel free to make this recipe ahead of time; just be sure to let it come to room temperature and toss with an extra drizzle of vinegar and oil before serving. Add a few tablespoons of chopped fresh basil leaves for an extra layer of flavor.

13 of 22

14 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Feta Panzanella

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Feta Panzanella

This salad comes together in just 20 minutes. But spring for heirloom tomatoes—their rich flavor and vibrant color add a huge wow factor. Beans bulk it up with fiber and protein.

14 of 22

15 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Fig and Arugula Salad With Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Fig and Arugula Salad With Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Chickpeas, goat cheese, and walnuts pump up the protein in this arugula salad, making it a hearty meatless main. Dried figs add a big fiber boost—more per serving than any other fruit.

15 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken and Leeks

Credit: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken and Leeks

Chicken cutlets get great flavor from a lemon-rosemary marinade while the leeks cook into a silky, caramelized vegetable side dish. If you’ve never enjoyed the darker green leek tops, give them a try in this recipe. 

16 of 22

17 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Garlic-Miso Pork Noodle Bowl

Credit: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Garlic-Miso Pork Noodle Bowl

Pick up unpasteurized miso—fermented soybean paste—for the best probiotic boost. Look for it near the refrigerated tofu products at your grocery store.

17 of 22

18 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Spicy Scallops With Watermelon Salsa

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Spicy Scallops With Watermelon Salsa

Here we season quick-cooking scallops with inspiration from Caribbean pepper pot recipes. To get a nice sear on the scallops without any sticking, be sure to thoroughly pat your scallops dry and preheat the skillet until it’s nice and hot.

The spicy scallops are cooled by the sweet, minty watermelon salsa. Ask for “dry” sea scallops at the fish counter. Other scallops have been treated with a sodium solution that prevents them from browning nicely and can make the texture of the meat less pleasant.

18 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Zucchini-Pesto-Sausage Pizza

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Zucchini-Pesto Sausage Pizza

What’s the secret to getting this zucchini pizza on the table quickly? Use pre-baked crusts. Cut the zucchini and mozzarella as thin as possible to guarantee tender zucchini and expertly melted cheese in under 10 minutes. If you like to make your own pizza crust and have one on hand, pre-bake your crust for about 8 minutes before flipping it over and adding the toppings.

19 of 22

20 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Corn and Crab Pita Nachos

Credit: Greg DuPree
View Recipe: Corn and Crab Pita Nachos

This dish is inspired by the crab melts that New England che Ana Sortun’s mother made her when she was growing up in the Pacific Northwest.

20 of 22

21 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Grilled Vegetable Stacks With Herb Vinaigrette

Credit: Christopher Testani
View Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Stacks With Herb Vinaigrette

Harness the abundance of summer vegetables and pair these stunning vegetable stacks with your favorite grilled protein. This show-stopping, yet simple, side dish combines grilled vegetables, fresh tomatoes, creamy goat cheese, and a bright, herby vinaigrette. The herbs are also interchangeable with other “soft” herbs of your preference—basil and dill would both work well.

21 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Lemon-Dill Salmon Pasta Salad

Credit: Ann Taylor Pittman
View Recipe: Lemon-Dill Salmon Pasta Salad

This fresh, citrusy pasta salad features chickpea pasta for a gluten-free fiber boost. Canned wild sockeye salmon is worth seeking out; it contains not only healthy omega-3 fatty acids but also a large amount of vitamin D—two nutrients that can help tamp down inflammation.

22 of 22

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Cooking Light

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 22 Chicken and Bulgur Salad With Peaches
    2 of 22 Chicken and Cucumber Salad With Parsley Pesto
    3 of 22 Gnocchi With Spinach and Pepper Sauce
    4 of 22 Meatball and Tomato Salad
    5 of 22 Extra-Crispy Veggie-Packed Pizza
    6 of 22 Pork Chops With Corn Relish
    7 of 22 Shrimp and Leek Spaghetti
    8 of 22 Creamy Chicken-Tomato Skillet
    9 of 22 Bacon, Arugula, and Egg Wraps
    10 of 22 Black Bean Tostadas With Cabbage Slaw
    11 of 22 Pork and Charred Pineapple Sliders
    12 of 22 Buffalo Chicken Tacos
    13 of 22 Warm Pasta Salad With Tomatoes and Eggplant
    14 of 22 Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Feta Panzanella
    15 of 22 Fig and Arugula Salad With Walnuts and Goat Cheese
    16 of 22 Grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken and Leeks
    17 of 22 Garlic-Miso Pork Noodle Bowl
    18 of 22 Spicy Scallops With Watermelon Salsa
    19 of 22 Zucchini-Pesto-Sausage Pizza
    20 of 22 Corn and Crab Pita Nachos
    21 of 22 Grilled Vegetable Stacks With Herb Vinaigrette
    22 of 22 Lemon-Dill Salmon Pasta Salad

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Cooking Light

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise

    Connect

    MeredithCooking Light is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Cooking Light may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Cooking Light. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.cookinglight.com

    View image

    20+ Healthy Summer Dinner Recipes
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.