5 Summer Side Dishes (Healthy, Simple, and Delicious!)

I’ve developed some new side dishes recently that are both healthy and refreshing, perfect for summertime! What each of these dishes have in common is how healthy and simple they are to make. You can add these as side dishes at your next summer barbecue, or throw them together for an easy weeknight meal. Regardless of when you use them, these flavor-packed recipes are sure to impress!

 

Spinach, Avocado, & Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

¾ cup julienned spinach leaves

1 large avocado

6 oz grape tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil (more to taste if needed)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

It’s amazing that just a few simple ingredients can pack such a punch with flavor. That’s the case with this salad, which is hearty, filling, and refreshing all at the same time. You can easily turn this into a meal on its own by adding chicken or even bacon to the mix. Perfect for an on-the-go meal!

Wash and dry spinach leaves, removing any excess stems. Stack and roll the spinach leaves, then cut into thin strips (julienne). Halve the grape tomatoes and add them to a bowl with the spinach. Score the avocado into 1-inch cubes, and scoop the chunks into the salad bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper, and gently mix until the salad appears creamy. Adjust seasoning if needed, then serve! (Note: If you are making this dish in advance, add a couple teaspoons of lemon juice to help prevent the avocado from browning.)

Serves: 4

 

Lemon Herb Zucchini

Ingredients:

2 zucchini

1.5 lemons

2 tbsp Herbs de Provence

Salt to taste

 

This French-inspired, no-cook (yes, you read that right, NO COOK!) side dish is one of the most simple and delicious ways to enjoy zucchini in my opinion. I adapted this from a recipe that my mother-in-law learned while visiting France. It has since become a staple in our home!

Using a mandoline (or some of your own excellent knife skills if you so choose), slice zucchini as thinly as possible, no thicker than 1/8^th inch thick. Once sliced, arrange zucchini slices into layers in a rectangular dish. After each layer, season with a pinch of salt, sprinkle of Herbs de Provence, and lemon juice (about 1 tbsp per layer). Repeat until all zucchini has been layered and seasoned in the dish. Set the zucchini aside to marinate for at least 30-minutes, or as long as overnight. As the zucchini marinates, the acid from the lemon juice will essentially “cook” the zucchini, leaving it tender and full of flavor. Gently mix the zucchini before serving.

Serves: 4

 

Grilled Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

1 lime

2 white peaches

2 nectarines

2 kiwis

½ cup kumquats

1 cup strawberries

1 tbsp honey

 

What’s a summer barbecue without a fruit salad? Put a twist on the old classic by grilling the fruit before serving! Grilling allows the sugars in the fruit to caramelize and gives you an end product that is sweet, juicy, and exploding with flavor.

Cut the strawberries, peaches, and nectarines into large chunks—no need to be fancy with this! Halve the kumquats or leave them whole, your choice. Then, Halve the lime and kiwis and place them face-down in a grilling rack for the barbecue. Add the rest of the fruit and grill them over medium heat for about 10-minutes, or until slightly charred and juicy. (Note: If you don’t have a grilling rack, you can use skewers and grill the fruit like kabobs. Just make sure the chunks are plenty big if you do it this way…the fruit will shrink up as it cooks.)

Remove the fruit from the grill and allow it to cool slightly before transferring the fruit to a serving bowl. Using a small spoon, scoop the kiwi fruit out of its skin and add it to the bowl (this is so much easier than peeling the kiwi beforehand!). Squeeze half of the lime over the fruit, add honey, and gently mix. Taste the fruit salad—if desired, the other half of the lime juice can be added. Then, serve!

You can swap any of the fruits I used in this recipe for fruits of your choice. Charred grapes would be delicious in this salad, and any type of stone fruit (apricots, plums, etc.) would work well, too. I suggest saving the leftover fruits and juices (if there is any!) for other recipes. Add them to a smoothie for extra sweetness, or if you’re in the mood for dessert, serve the leftovers with some ice cream or whipped cream. It’s delish!

Serves: 4

 

Lemon Garlic Kale

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Tuscan Kale (approximately 6-8 large stalks)

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Zest of 1 lemon (for garnish)

 

This recipe is my recent obsession. I make it at least twice a week, and I think I could eat it every day and never get tired of it!

This simple recipe has a trick to it that should become part of your veggie-cooking arsenal. As backwards as it may seem, all of the seasoning happens before the kale is even added to the pan. Seasoning the dressing allows for the flavor to spread evenly throughout the kale leaves as they cook. Try this trick for all of your sautéed veggies moving forward!

Wash and dry the kale, and remove the leaves from the stalks. Slice leaves into 1-inch strips and set aside. In a medium sauté pan, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Heat the pan over medium-low heat until the garlic is fragrant, but not browned, and the salt has dissolved into the oil/lemon juice mixture. Then add in the sliced kale and gently mix until the kale is evenly covered in the dressing and it has begun to wilt. Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with lemon zest (if you’re feeling fancy that is…I usually can’t wait long enough to make it look pretty before I start devouring this dish!). This 5-minute side dish is packed with flavor and is the perfect accompaniment to any meal!

Feel free to substitute the kale with other hearty greens like chard, or repeat this process with spinach if you prefer.

Serves: 2

 

Pickled Onion and Kumquat Relish

Ingredients:

1 cup pickled red onion, thinly sliced

½ cup thinly sliced kumquats

4 tbsp cilantro, chopped

½ tsp sugar (optional)

 

This simple dish is packed with flavor and brightens up any plate with both its color and flavor. This relish can be served on its own, or can be served over chicken, pork, or even fish. It is so simple to make, but will surely impress any crowd.

If you don’t have pickled red onions on hand, don’t fret. They are super easy to make and are a great staple to have in the fridge! I used this recipe from Budget Bytes to make mine and they turned out great. The pickling itself took less than an hour, too!

While onions are pickling, cut the kumquats into thin slices. Taste your kumquats to gauge their flavor…if you’ve got a sweet batch, lucky you! More often than not, kumquats tend to be pretty tart. If they are too tart for your liking, sprinkle ½ tsp of sugar on them to sweeten them up.

Combine your red onion, kumquats, and cilantro in a bowl and mix well. And…that’s it. It’s really that simple, but oh so impressive. And what a unique combination of flavors to showcase at your next summer barbecue!

Serves: 4

 

Which of these recipes will you feature with your next summertime meal? Let me know in the comments below!