Summer is the perfect month to enjoy easy healthy meals and fresh salads on the patio. With the 11 light summer meals below, you can spend less time indoors cooking and more time outdoors enjoying the glorious weather.
The following recipes deliver tons of flavor, are easy to make, and won’t leave you feeling sluggish.
Table of Contents
Steak Salad
For diehard meat lovers, give steak salad a try! This flavorful recipe is made from juicy, pan-seared steak, fresh vegetables, and a tangy balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It’s perfect for keto, but if you need to make it a full meal, serve it on pasta or wrapped in tortillas.
Sriracha Shrimp
A combination of sweet and spicy, Sriracha Shrimp is packed with flavor. We think this version is even better than Applebee’s, but you’ll have to try it to find out.
Avocado Pasta
A vegetarian dish that can easily be classified as an elegant dinner! It’s creamy, full of flavor, and incredibly satisfying! On your table in 15 minutes, this dish is easy to make and only requires avocados, basil, garlic, lemon, and olive oil with cherry tomatoes for a pop of color.
Shrimp Tacos
These Blackened Shrimp Tacos might just blow your mind and senses! An insanely delicious meal that is made with blackened shrimp, avocado, mango, purple cabbage, fresh lime, and cilantro. Both healthy and flavorful, this is a meal everyone will love.
Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles
In just 20 minutes, you’ll be able to enjoy this light but satisfying garlic parmesan zucchini noodle meal. Made with garlic, tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese, it’s a low-carb meal that you can turn into a vegetarian dish for any occasion.
Baked Sockeye Salmon
If you haven’t cooked sockeye salmon before, don’t worry! Here you can learn to make it moist and flavorful! Grill or bake it, but remember the fillet is thinner and leaner than most other fish so it cooks faster. Pair it with rice or veggies to keep this dish light and fresh for hot summer nights.
BLT Pasta Salad
Full of color and freshness, this BLT Pasta Salad is perfect for a summertime BBQ or party! A simple pasta recipe that is light and ready on your table in 15 minutes! Be sure to get some before it’s gone, though, because your family and friends will ask for it again and again!
Summer Squash Sauté
A one-skillet meal means fewer dishes! This summer squash sauté is an easy one-skillet dish made with yellow squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. It’s the ideal recipe to use up that end-of-the-summer garden squash.
Couscous Summer Salad
Juicy nectarines, yummy avocados, mint, cucumbers, chickpeas, and cherries – this couscous summer salad is refreshing bite after bite! Plus, it’s so easy to make that you can sip lemonade and chop your veggies while your couscous and cherries soak – all in just 5 minutes. It doesn’t get more summery than that!
Healthy Salmon Sushi Bowls
A no-fuss salmon sushi bowl that will satisfy your sushi cravings without you leaving the house. Coming together in just 10 minutes, this recipe uses a rice cooker to make things even quicker and easier. It’s a no-fail, win-win dish.
Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
This recipe is healthy, creamy, filling, and will make the perfect topping for your salads and sandwiches. All you have to do is prep the ingredients, stir them together, and you are left with a bowl of healthy chicken salad goodness.
Easy Light Summer Meal Steak Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound steak sirloin, T-bone, strip loin about 1 inch thick
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 ounces arugula or other greens
- 1/2 large onions peeled and sliced
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup corn
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 avocado cut into chunks
- 3/4 cup goat cheese crumbled
- ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Instructions
Seared Steak
- Season the steak generously with salt and pepper.
- Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute.
- Add oil and the steak.
- Fry for 2-3 minutes and then flip. Fry on the other side for 3 more minutes until nicely browned with an internal temperature of 130°F (54°C).
- Remove steak to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes. Then slice thinly.
Steak Salad
- To a large plate, add other ingredients and then arrange the steak slices atop the salad.
- Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine all ingredients.
- Taste and see if it needs more dressing or any adjustments. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Let the steak rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking
- Make sure to let the steak rest for about 5 minutes before cutting.
- You can add honey to your balsamic vinaigrette dressing if you prefer a sweeter flavor.
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