Looking for fresh and delicious recipes to serve at the next BBQ or cookout? I’ve got you covered with these fresh and easy summer side dishes!
In this post, you’ll find classic summery dishes like grilled vegetable kabobs, pasta salads, and a few recreated classics such as my sweet potato salad and creamy hummus party platter.
No matter the recipe you choose, it will be the first to disappear at any gathering. So grab a glass of iced tea, and let’s get to recipe browsing.
BBQ Side Dishes
These BBQ side dish ideas are perfect for serving alongside your favorite grilled meats. Most of the recipes can be prepped or fully prepared beforehand, so come grilling time, you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time outdoors!
Grilled Vegetable Skewers
This recipe shows you how to mix and match your favorite veggies onto skewers and grill them to perfection.
Sweet Potato Salad
A healthier potato salad made with sweet potato, fresh veggies, and light, creamy dressing!
Italian Baked Beans
Is it really a BBQ without baked beans? These Italian baked beans amp up the traditional recipe with fresh garlic, Italian seasonings, and Parmesan cheese. One bite, and you’ll be a convert.
Loaded Baked Potato Deviled Eggs
All the loaded baked potato toppings we love but in the center of a deviled egg!
Hummus Antipasto Platter
The easiest way to look like the most sophisticated guest? This hummus platter. You can’t go wrong with fresh veggies, crackers, and Italian deli cuts with Greek Hummus.
Baked Spinach Balls
Spinach, breadcrumbs, cheese, and garlic butter all rolled up and baked to perfection, what’s not to love?
Summer Side Salads
These summer side salads aren’t your ordinary lettuce and tomato combination. We’re taking salads up a notch with the fresh ingredients and flavors of watermelon, cucumber, avocado, and the best vinaigrettes you’ve tasted! Let’s take a look at what’s on the menu:
Watermelon & Feta Salad
Sweet watermelon with tangy feta cheese tossed in a citrusy dressing is a combination you want to try!
Greek Panzanella Salad
A simple dressing, fresh garden tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, a little feta, wow! These are all the Mediterranean flavors we love in one delicious salad.
Southwest Quinoa Salad
Cooked quinoa replaces chopped lettuce and gets tossed with southwest flavors of black beans, corn, salsa, and chili spices.
Asian Kale Salad
A super color and delicious salad made with fresh kale, steamed edamame, crunchy carrots, and cabbage in a tangy-sweet sesame ginger dressing.
Carrot & Raisin Salad
The tangy yogurt-based dressing with fresh pineapple, sweet raisins, and crunchy carrots make this salad one you’ll want to enjoy again and again.
Avocado Salsa
A delicious and beautiful salsa that will remind you of guacamole. You can top it over your favorite grilled protein or serve it with tortilla chips!
Summer Vegetable Side Dishes
Have summer veggies you need to use up? Turn your favorite seasonal produce into one of these delicious summer vegetable side dishes.
Corn & Tomato Salad
The fresh flavors of corn and tomato salad with creamy avocado and a sweet and tangy basil dressing make this veggie side dish one your family will love.
Spiralized Zucchini & Tomatoes
A perfect way to use up the abundance of summer zucchini! The spiralized veggies go great with grilled chicken and shrimp, or you could swap it for regular spaghetti in your favorite recipes.
Parmesan Green Beans
Crispy baked green beans with Parmesan cheese and a side of ranch- this hits the spot!
The Ultimate Guacamole Bar
The perfect creamy guacamole does exist, and you’ll find it in this recipe along with countless ways to serve it to a crowd or all by yourself.
Broccoli Tots
These Parmesan Broccoli Tater Tots are baked to perfection with a crispy outside and soft, cheesy middle. Serve them with my Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing or ketchup!
You can fill endive leaves or romaine lettuce with creamy hummus, fresh tomato, and crispy bacon. One bite, and you’ll know why these make a regular appearance at my dinner table.
Parmesan Zucchini Waffles
Fire up your waffle irons because these cheesy Zucchini Waffles are a hit! Dunk them with more ranch dressing or marinara sauce, and you’ve got a good thing going.
Summer Pasta Salad Sides
What’s summer without a good pasta salad? And I’ve got some delicious ideas for you to try out! These recipes are easy to assemble and can be made the day before for a quick side dish or main entrée.
Cobb Pasta Salad
Everything you love in a cobb salad but tossed with pasta instead of lettuce. Be prepared to share the recipe with everyone you know.
Jambalaya Pasta Salad
A little Creole seasoning in the dressing goes a long way to give this simple pasta salad a New Orleans flair. Feel free to add grilled chicken or shrimp for extra protein.
Pizza Pasta Salad
You’ll want to double this recipe because pepperoni pizza toppings with pasta and a zippy vinaigrette will disappear quick!
Thai Chicken Pasta Salad
Crunchy veggies, tender chicken, and pasta in a tangy peanut sauce- love at first bite!
No-Fuss Summer Sides
Need a healthy summer side dish? This corn and tomato salad with avocado is the perfect side dish for grilling season and it comes together in just 5 minutes!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3-5
- Category: Sides
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
-
- ¼ cup minced fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 14 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 14-ounce can corn, drained and rinsed
- 1-pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber
- 1–2 avocados, peeled and diced
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 Boston bibb lettuce, washed, leaves separated
Instructions
- Add the basil, olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, and black pepper to a lidded jar. Seal the lid and shake to combine.
- In a large bowl, add the corn, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and shallot. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Layer one lettuce leaf over another to create a ‘cup’.
- Serve the corn and tomato salad in the lettuce cups.
Equipment
Buy Now →
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 lettuce cups
- Calories: 212
- Sugar: 6.5 g
- Sodium: 210.2 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.3 g
- Fiber: 6.6 g
- Protein: 4.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: summer side dishes, bbq side dishes
Eliana
I made this over the weekend for Father’s Day and it was SO FRESH AND DELICIOUS!
★★★★★
Sue
This was delicious for dinner. I used leftover of the salad to top a bed of salad greens the next day.
★★★★★
Toby
this was great!
★★★★★
Marie
This was THE BEST summer meal I’ve had in a long time. We made our skewers with steak and peppers and they were awesome. The salad super easy and fresh!
★★★★★
Melissa @ Insider The Kitchen
Very light, quick and you can add any number of things to it….I added black beans and cilantro and avocado. Enjoyed by all… Thanks Laura
★★★★★
Melanie Molnar
My favourite way to incorporate veggies is to make veggies mandatory as a side dish, whether it is chopped fresh veggies or steamed. Also if we are having potatoes on the BBQ we like to add mushrooms, carrots, etc. to the foil pouch and throw on the BBQ. Yum!
★★★★★
Cara
My favorite is either roasted or grilled veggies. I love grilled broccoli with a little Parmesan cheese and garlic!