Easy and Simple Summer Side Dishes

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It’s summertime, the grill is heating up, and we’re cooking delicious and simple summer side dishes from grilled vegetables to salads, summer party platters, baked beans, and more.

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We love summer cookouts. And while the BBQ heats up for tasty burgers and ribs… the side dishes make the meal… in my opinion!

We’ve gathered our favorite, delicious yet simple summer side dishes for your next cookout.

Easy Recipes for Summer Side Dishes

Make your cookout, picnic, or alfresco dinner unforgettable with easy summer side dishes like potato salad, coleslaw, and more!

1

Grilled Zucchini Recipe

"Zucchini is one of our favorite vegetables to grill in the summer. Why? It's healthy, it's easy, and it cooks SO FAST. This recipe takes just 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish."

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2

Best Grilled Summer Squash With Lemon-Scallion Dressing

Grilled veggies is the perfect summer BBQ side!

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3

Potato Salad with Mustard Sauce and Watercress Recipe

"Peewee Dutch Yellow Potatoes are the perfect tiny potato for this recipe, but if you can’t find them, just use the smallest fingerling or Yukon Gold potatoes you can buy."

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4

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Feta and Toasted Pecans

A simple summer salad with fresh greens, like spinach, and fresh berries, like strawberries. Simple, healthy… and yum!

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5

The Best Easy Italian Pasta Salad

"A stupidly easy Italian pasta salad with rotini, juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, red onion, salami, olives, herbs, and a drench of quick homemade Italian dressing."

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6

Watermelon Strawberry Caprese Salad

The fruit salad everyone loves in the summer. Cool, refreshing, easy… and delicious.

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7

Easy Mexican Corn Salad

Simple summer ingredients, huge flavors. A go-to summer salad everyone loves.

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8

Melon Caprese Skewers

"It’s the perfect combo of salty and sweet and I’ve been making these Melon Caprese Skewers on repeat."

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9

Shredded-Carrot-and-Cabbage Coleslaw

Cayenne pepper adds an earthy kick to the honey mustard vinaigrette in this fresh side dish.

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10

Basil Parmesan Grilled Corn

"This Basil Parmesan Grilled Corn was inspired by one of my favorite street food finds, Elote! Rather than slathering the corn with mayo this time around, I brushed it with basil vinaigrette and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. It’s a side dish that’s packed with flavor and you’re for sure going to be obsessed."

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11

Classic Potato Salad for Delicious Summer Cookouts

Just like grandma used to make, this summer classic always has a place at the table.

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12

Smokey Instant Pot Baked Beans

Smokey Instant Pot Baked Beans recipe is the perfect side for summer BBQs or game time food. And cook in a fraction of the time. Smokey, sweet, and tender beans cooked with bacon and pure maple syrup.

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13

Simply Coleslaw: The Perfectly Easy Summer Side

A summer classic dish and a perfect accompaniment for fried fish, pulled pork, ribs, fried chicken — actually, anything!

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14

Skillet Quick and Easy Baked Beans

A quick and easy skillet baked beans using canned beans. A crowd favorite, always!

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15

Summer Easy Pasta Salad with Shredded Carrots

This family recipe always has a place at our summer table. It's easy and the kids always love it!

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16

Simple Cucumber Salad with Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing

The flavors of summer in a simple and summer side.

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17

Olive Oil Galette With Spicy Greens Recipe

"While butter is the usual choice for galette or pie dough, a combination of olive oil and yogurt gives this crust a flaky texture and a golden brown color when baked. If the dough is a little crumbly when rolling it out, don’t worry: Just patch it back up."

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18

Tomato Basil Pie with Garlic Butter Crumb Crust

A delicious and easy pie to take to summer picnics and backyard BBQs.

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19

Jalapeno-Lime Corn on The Cob

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20

Mexican Street Corn Salad – Love and Lemons

This 10-ingredient Mexican street corn salad is fresh, spicy, and lightly creamy! It’s the easiest summer side dish – you’ll love making it again and again.

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21

Grilled Corn on the Cob Foil Packets

Grilled Corn on the Cob in Foil Packets is a favorite 3 ingredient summer side dish that is sweet and juicy and smoky with herbs and spices.

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22

Grilled Corn Salad with Feta

This easy Grilled Corn Salad is a delicious salad recipe, perfect for summer BBQs and picnics. A simple lime vinaigrette enhances the bright, sweet, and refreshing flavors of this chilled salad. 

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23

German Potato Salad Recipe

This German Potato Salad is a simple hot potato salad recipe with fork-tender potatoes, savory bacon, and fresh parsley tossed in a delicious tangy dressing you will love.

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24

Easy Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

This Mediterranean-inspired Pasta Salad is a favorite with salami, peppers, broccoli, zesty Italian dressing, and Feta cheese.

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25

10 Minute Greek Salad

Greek Salad is a perfect healthy side dish, ready in 10 minutes, and packed with 6 Mediterranean inspired ingredients. Easy and delicious!

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26

Mediterranean Salad Recipe

This Mediterranean Salad is a delicious, healthy, 15-minute dish with vegetables, chickpeas, feta, and Greek olives tossed with lemon herb dressing.

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27

Caprese Pasta Salad

Caprese Pasta Salad brings a taste of the Mediterranean to your table. It consists of four ingredients tossed with pasta and a pesto-based vinaigrette that adds vibrant flavor to this easy take on classic caprese salad.

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28

Mediterranean Chopped Salad Recipe

Enjoy a crisp and healthy Mediterranean Chopped Salad with fresh veggies, chickpeas, olives, and feta. Perfect for picnics, lunches, and summer dining.

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29

Easy Grilled Vegetables with Burrata

Easy Grilled Vegetables with Burrata is a centerpiece of summer grilling. With a simple balsamic glaze drizzled over delicious and slightly charred vegetables, it's a feast for the eyes and the palate.

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30

Smashed Cucumber and Watermelon Salad

Savor the essence of summer with a quick and easy watermelon salad. Sweet and juicy watermelon, cool cucumbers, and flavorful herbs in minutes.

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31

5 Minute Cold Cucumber Soup Recipe

This Cucumber Soup is a delicious and bright creamy soup, perfect for a hot summer day. It's packed with healthy ingredients pureed in a blender in 5 minutes or less, plus chilling time.

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32

Easy Fruit Salad

This Fruit Salad with mint dressing is refreshing and delicious for summer dining, garden parties, or when you need to bring a dish!

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33

5 Minute Gazpacho Recipe

This Gazpacho Recipe is an easy, utterly delicious, fresh Spanish chilled soup recipe that takes about 5 minutes to whip up, plus chilling time. And is inspired by authentic recipes served in Seville.

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34

Simple Cucumber Salad with Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing

A simple Cucumber Salad with Creamy Greek Yogurt is a salad you’ll fall in love with. Distinctly crisp, refreshingly… and almost sweet. It’s a bit like a yogurt tzatziki that often accompanies spicy dishes.

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35

Tomato Salad Recipe

This tomato salad recipe is ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and red onions, all tossed together in a garlic and herb dressing.

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36

Rustic Heirloom Tomato Tart

This Rustic Heirloom Tomato Tart recipe is an easy addition to any summer picnic, teatime, or meal. But it's delicious enough to be the main event.

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37

Parmesan Corn and Zucchini Pasta

Parmesan Corn and Zucchini Pasta is a quick and easy, healthy, summer pasta dish to love all year. It's utterly simple to make with fresh summer vegetables, like corn and zucchini, along with flavorful herbs and pasta.

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38

Easy Garden Pasta

This ratatouille-inspired incredibly easy Garden Pasta recipe is a quick, healthy, and utterly delicious meatless meal packed with in-season vegetables like zucchini, squash, eggplant and tomatoes, along with fresh herbs, that's ready in minutes!

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39

Honey Cornbread Recipe

Try this irresistible cornbread recipe made with creamed corn. It's sweet, moist, and ready in just 30 minutes. Perfect for any occasion!

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40

Easy Grilled Flatbread Recipe

This Grilled Flatbread recipe is a delicious, seasoned dough that's easy to make in under an hour. Scrumptious with or without toppings!

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