• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Laura Fuentes
  • Healthy Eating
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • About
  • #MOMLIFE
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
×

Best Summer Side Dishes

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

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!

large tray of vegetable kabobs

Grilled Vegetable Skewers

This recipe shows you how to mix and match your favorite veggies onto skewers and grill them to perfection.

Make This Recipe 
large bowl of sweet potato salad

Sweet Potato Salad

A healthier potato salad made with sweet potato, fresh veggies, and light, creamy dressing! 

Make This Recipe
bowl of baked beans

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. 

Make This Recipe
loaded deviled eggs

Loaded Baked Potato Deviled Eggs

All the loaded baked potato toppings we love but in the center of a deviled egg! 

Make This Recipe
antipasto platter

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. 

Make This Recipe
Baked spinach balls on a platter with ranch dressing

Baked Spinach Balls

Spinach, breadcrumbs, cheese, and garlic butter all rolled up and baked to perfection, what’s not to love?

Make This Recipe

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 in a large bowl

Watermelon & Feta Salad

Sweet watermelon with tangy feta cheese tossed in a citrusy dressing is a combination you want to try! 

Make This Recipe
large bowl of panzanella salad

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. 

Make This Recipe
large bowl of quinoa bean salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Cooked quinoa replaces chopped lettuce and gets tossed with southwest flavors of black beans, corn, salsa, and chili spices. 

Make This Recipe
kale salad before mixing

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. 

Make This Recipe
large blue bowl of carrot raisin salad

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. 

Make This Recipe
large bowl of avocado salsa

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! 

Make This Recipe

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 and tomato salad bowl

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. 

Make This Recipe
spiralized zucchini salad

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. 

Make This Recipe
Green Bean Fries on a plate with ranch dressing

Parmesan Green Beans

Crispy baked green beans with Parmesan cheese and a side of ranch- this hits the spot! 

Make This Recipe
guacamole bowl

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. 

Make This Recipe
two broccoli tater tots on a cooling rack

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! 

Make This Recipe
hummus cups

Bacon & Tomato Hummus Cups

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. 

Make This Recipe
zucchini waffles on a tray with Parmesan cheese

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. 

Make This Recipe

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.

large bowl of cobb pasta salad

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. 

Make This Recipe
two bowls of jabalaya pasta salad

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. 

Make This Recipe
bowl of pizza pasta salad

Pizza Pasta Salad

You’ll want to double this recipe because pepperoni pizza toppings with pasta and a zippy vinaigrette will disappear quick!

 Make This Recipe
thai chicken pasta salad in a bowl

Thai Chicken Pasta Salad

Crunchy veggies, tender chicken, and pasta in a tangy peanut sauce- love at first bite! 

Make This Recipe
Print

No-Fuss Summer Sides

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 20 reviews

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!

  • Author: Laura Fuentes
  • 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

  1. Add the basil, olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, and black pepper to a lidded jar. Seal the lid and shake to combine. 
  2. In a large bowl, add the corn, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and shallot. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. 
  3. Layer one lettuce leaf over another to create a ‘cup’.
  4. Serve the corn and tomato salad in the lettuce cups. 

Equipment

meal prep ebook displayed on a tablet

Meal Prep’d

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

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @MOMables on Instagram and hashtag it #momables

More Side Dishes

  • Salads without Lettuce
  • Vegetable Side Dishes
  • Easy Roasted Frozen Vegetables
  • Garlic Chicken and Green Beans

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Eliana

    June 19, 2017 at 9:16 am

    I made this over the weekend for Father’s Day and it was SO FRESH AND DELICIOUS!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Sue

    June 15, 2017 at 9:03 pm

    This was delicious for dinner. I used leftover of the salad to top a bed of salad greens the next day.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Toby

    June 15, 2017 at 8:57 pm

    this was great!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Marie

    June 15, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Melissa @ Insider The Kitchen

    June 09, 2017 at 10:26 pm

    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

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Melanie Molnar

    June 08, 2017 at 1:40 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. Cara

    June 07, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    My favorite is either roasted or grilled veggies. I love grilled broccoli with a little Parmesan cheese and garlic!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Laura.
I inspire moms to live a healthy lifestyle while juggling their family and work with fresh recipes and practical advice.

More about me →

Let's Be Social!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram YouTube
Download The Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthier Life

Fresh Favorites

  • Authentic New Orleans Chicken Gumbo
  • Fluffy Chocolate Chip Pancakes
  • 20+ Low Carb Lunch Ideas
  • Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs

Trending Now

  • Teen Girl Gift Ideas for New Drivers
  • Paleo Chili Recipe | All Meat Veggie Chili
  • How to Roast Vegetables
  • Benefits of Intermittent Fasting for Women

Footer

^ back to top

Browse

  • Recipe Index
  • Weekly Meal Plan
  • Clean Eating Program

Download the Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthy Life

laura holding meal plan guide in front of prepped food

Useful Links

  • Contact
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT © 2023 LAURA FUENTES · DESIGN BY FUENTES MEDIA