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. 12 Sides That Highlight Summer's Best Produce

12 Sides That Highlight Summer's Best Produce

May 04, 2018
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Credit: Caitlin Bensel
Make the most of seasonal produce with these easy recipes.
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Peach and Celery Salad

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Peach and Celery Salad

The flavors of peach and celery meld beautifully in this no-cook side. Pistachios amp up the crunch factor.

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Blistered Peppers and Tomatoes

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Blistered Peppers and Tomatoes

Popping up in more grocery stores these days, shishito peppers are a mild, thin-skinned pepper that have a secret—about one in eight has a surprising kick of heat. For a milder dish, substitute mini bell peppers.

2 of 12

3 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cucumber-Fennel Salad

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Cucumber-Fennel Salad

Any cucumber will do in this salad, but we love the thin-skinned English variety—no peeling or seeding is required.

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chile-Lime Charred Squash

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Chile-Lime Charred Squash

Charring the squash in a skillet quickly adds smoky flavor without having to fire up the grill. Best served right away, this side pairs well with grilled chicken and brown rice.

4 of 12

5 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Spicy Tomato-Cucumber Salad

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Spicy Tomato-Cucumber Salad

This tomato cucumber salad is summer in a bowl. Sunshine-yellow and ruby-red wedges of juicy tomato anchor this cucumber salad recipe with a hefty dose of lycopene, a heart-helping, cancer-fighting antioxidant. Remember—summer tomatoes are extra juicy, so plan to serve this salad soon after making it for the most concentrated flavor.

5 of 12

6 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Oven-Fried Smashed Okra

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Oven-Fried Smashed Okra

Forget frying—this oven-fried version delivers the must-have crunch of fried okra without the hot mess of oil and all the calories that come with it. The secret is gently smashing the okra pods—you can use a skillet or rolling pin if you don’t have a meat mallet—it opens them up and provides more surface area (i.e., more opportunities for extra-crispy action). For the best results, pick out smaller okra pods; the larger they grow, the tougher they get.

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Fruit and Arugula Salad With Fig Vinaigrette

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Fruit and Arugula Salad With Fig Vinaigrette

There’s only one thing better than the juicy watermelon and peaches in this salad—the outstanding fig vinaigrette. Jammy and sweet with a subtle savory essence, fig preserves provide a flavor foil for tart vinegar and act as an excellent thickener for this dressing, which helps it cling to all the ingredients in this salad.

Peppery arugula adds the perfect spicy bite that stands up to the sweet summer fruit. Make a double batch of the vinaigrette and use it to marinate chicken or brush over salmon before grilling.

7 of 12

8 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Squash-Ribbon Salad with Herbs

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Squash-Ribbon Salad with Herbs

Ethereal squash ribbons plus a simple vinaigrette combine for a salad that takes the edge off soaring summer temperatures. Customize this no-cook side with a generous handful of your favorite herbs—we love the combination here, but sneaking in some cilantro or tarragon would add a flavorful twist. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, toss the squash mixture with some cooked whole wheat penne for a summery pasta supper.

8 of 12

9 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Squash-Chickpea Crumble

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Squash-Chickpea Crumble

For an Italian-inspired version, use cannellini beans in place of the chickpeas and chopped fresh basil instead of chives. Eating fish? Serve with broiled salmon or grilled shrimp. Or, if you want to keep it vegetarian, spoon over whole-wheat linguine and top with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a grating of fresh Parmesan.

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

Here are two tricks for crunchy baked sweet potato fries: Toss them with cornstarch to absorb moisture, and don’t crowd the pan—so they’ll crisp instead of steam.

10 of 12

11 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Nectarine and Bulgur Salad

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Nectarine and Bulgur Salad

No nectarines? Sub in your favorite stone fruit, such as peaches or plums. You can make this side dish gluten-free by using quinoa in place of the bulgur.

11 of 12

12 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Early Summer Succotash

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Early Summer Succotash

In this fresh take on succotash, we use a pan-steaming technique (no steamer basket required) to cut down on cooking time and keep the beans and corn crisp-tender rather than ultra-soft. For succotash, fresh corn always tastes more delicious than frozen, but thawed frozen corn would certainly be a good stand-in here in a pinch. If you are using fresh corn, after you cut the kernels off, run the dull side of your knife down the kernel and scrape some of the corn “milk” into the pan, too. This recipe makes a small portion but can be doubled or even tripled to serve a crowd.

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 12 Peach and Celery Salad
    2 of 12 Blistered Peppers and Tomatoes
    3 of 12 Cucumber-Fennel Salad
    4 of 12 Chile-Lime Charred Squash
    5 of 12 Spicy Tomato-Cucumber Salad
    6 of 12 Oven-Fried Smashed Okra
    7 of 12 Fruit and Arugula Salad With Fig Vinaigrette
    8 of 12 Squash-Ribbon Salad with Herbs
    9 of 12 Squash-Chickpea Crumble
    10 of 12 Spiced Sweet Potato Fries
    11 of 12 Nectarine and Bulgur Salad
    12 of 12 Early Summer Succotash

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Cooking Light

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    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

    12 Sides That Highlight Summer's Best Produce
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.