Best Summer Side Dishes
With vegetables like corn, tomatoes and zucchini, and even stone fruit, the best summer side dishes include a mix of seasonal ingredients. You can serve them at barbecues and picnics and for dinners at home.
No meal is complete without a selection of vegetarian side dishes. Summer is the perfect time to make them with grilled, roasted and raw fruits and veggies. Half of these are vegetable-based sides and the others start with grains.
I am such a fan of sides that any of them can be turned into vegetarian mains. If you want to go that way, just serve a larger portion or make your meal a spread of a few sides.
Vegetable Side Dishes
Parmesan Roasted Zucchini
Looking for a simple side? Try this parmesan roasted zucchini that’s seasoned in a mix of onion powder and garlic powder and red pepper flakes before it goes into the oven and bakes to a golden brown.
Grilled Corn and Avocado with Cilantro Pesto
We all should be celebrating corn season! Try this grilled corn and avocado with cilantro pesto. It’s one of those sides that you can think of like a salad, too. And it’s really good with tortilla chips.
Grilled Zucchini, Summer Squash and Corn
The warmth from the grilled zucchini, summer squash and corn gently wilts the arugula. Feta, fresh herbs and lemon juice finish this side. And you can’t go wrong with feta!
Roasted Tomato Pesto Potato Salad
Pesto is my favorite sauce. And this roasted tomato pesto potato salad really explains why. The fingerling potatoes and cherry tomatoes end up herby and garlicky. Pesto is amazing on more things than just pasta.
Grilled Lemon Pepper Cauliflower
With fresh and smoky grilled lemon juice, this grilled lemon pepper cauliflower is a simple side dish. It’s finished with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Grain Side Dishes
Peach Corn Farro
Leaving the peaches and corn raw in this herby peach corn farro with pistachio parsley pesto makes this simple vegan side dish so crisp and fresh. And yes, I know—another recipe with pesto!
Mushroom Tomato Farro
Fragrant with garlic and scallions, this mushroom tomato farro is a simple mix of grains and vegetables plus chopped kale for hearty greens.
Tomato Corn Barley
Keeping summer leftovers like grilled corn and roasted cherry tomatoes on hand makes it easy to come up with a spontaneous dish like this tomato corn barley.
Grilled Apricot and Corn Harissa Couscous
Taking inspiration from the flavors and spices of a Moroccan tagine, this grilled apricot and corn harissa couscous also has chopped pistachios, parsley and arugula.
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