The summer season can present itself with many wonderful opportunities. You can get outdoors and soak up the warmth of the sun, and have great adventures with friends and family. You are sure to work up an appetite. But as enticing as a big meal is after a long day outside, something hot and heavy just isn’t appealing. Instead, keeping it light yet fulfilling with a batch of quick summer recipes is the way to go to remain cool and relaxed.

Quick Summer Recipes to Beat the Heat

Stumped on what to eat? Looking for some meal ideas to make use of your outdoor kitchen suite while chilling out in your backyard? There is a good chance that one of these six quick summer recipes for a hot day will catch your eye!

1. Grilled Salmon Salad with Avocado Cucumber Salsa

When looking for something light yet delicious, salmon is always a good option. But this recipe for a grilled salmon salad with avocado cucumber salsa goes above and beyond with the avocado cucumber salsa. If that doesn’t scream summertime cool down, then what does?

You will rub down your salmon with cumin chili powder and salt before placing it on your bbq grill. Sear it for just a couple of minutes on each side. In the meantime, you will combine your cucumber, scallions, lime zest, and cilantro with some olive oil and lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

The salsa goes on top of the salmon that then rests on a bed of romaine covered in a creamy yogurt lime dressing. Maybe it’s the lime. Maybe it is the avocado. Or maybe it is the light crunch of the salad. Whatever it is, it’s a delight on a hot summer day.

2. Stuffed Avocado with Shrimp and Tarragon

If you are looking for a light dish that doesn’t include a lot of time spent in the kitchen, this is it–stuffed avocado with shrimp tarragon. And to make it even more chilled and refreshing – and less hassle – the shrimp can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the kitchen.

Cold, cooked shrimp cut into bite-sized pieces is mixed with things like scallions, radishes, tarragon leaves, celery, olive oil, lemon zest, whole grain mustard, salt, and pepper. Scoop on top of half an avocado and top with a few microgreens. It’s definitely something you can feel good about eating.

Ready for the best part? This dish is easy to take anywhere with you. So wherever your summer adventures take you – even if it is at work – you can have a cool, healthy, and enjoyable meal.

3. Blackberry Basil Salad

The blackberry basil salad is a simple, refreshing salad that looks as amazing as it tastes. You can choose spinach, arugula, or a combination of the two for your greens. Then toss in some juicy sweet (and sometimes tangy) blackberries, basil, red onion, and toasted slivered almonds. If goat cheese is your thing, you can always crumble that in, too. All of this is mixed together with a light maple balsamic vinaigrette.

Seeing the purples and greens all lightly tossed together can elicit feelings of joy you may not have even known you had. So keep your brunch, lunch, or dinner light and chill with this summertime blackberry salad.

And hey, why not top it off with some homemade blackberry ice cream? How is that for a cool down?

4. Tropical Chicken Wraps

It doesn’t matter where you live; in the heat of the summer, just about anywhere can feel like you are on a tropical island. All you need to do is picture the beach and the crash of the waves – and liven up your taste buds with these tropical chicken lettuce wraps. Important note: This is not made with your grandma’s chicken salad.

Jalapenos, lime zest, honey, cubed mango, cilantro, salt, and pepper all bring together the flavor of the tropics. Who knows – maybe the more you eat it, the easier it will be to hear the ocean. Serve this salad on top of butter lettuce leaves with some lightly salted cashews for crunch – and you’ve got a wonderful meal for any time of day.

Make it easy and use a rotisserie chicken.

5. Spring Rolls with Peanut Ginger Sauce

Have you ever tried freshly wrapped spring rolls with peanut ginger sauce? These brightly-colored rolls filled with vibrant veggies are filling yet light – and super easy to eat on the go. And you know what they say about eating a rainbow of vegetables, right? Lots of goodness is to be had when you roll them up in moistened rice paper.

Consider adding carrot, purple cabbage, yellow and red bell pepper, lettuce of your choice, mint, rice vermicelli noodles, roasted tofu, edamame, cucumber, or anything of your choice. Of course, you cannot forget the incredible dipping sauce. This is made of natural peanut butter, ground ginger, maple syrup, soy sauce (or liquid or coconut aminos), sesame seeds, and crushed red pepper flakes.

You dip the rice paper until it becomes transparent, set it on a dry surface, and fill it up. Wrap it like you would a burrito, and it will stick together.

6. Chilled Cucumber Gazpacho

Finally, we couldn’t close out the quick summer recipes for a hot day without including cold, creamy gazpacho. This is a cool, refreshing treat made of some delicious ingredients, like shallot, garlic, English cucumber, cilantro, lime juice, greek yogurt, sour cream, coriander, salt, pepper, and olive oil. For a little bonus kick, throw in some jalapeno, too.

This is all blended up together and chilled in the fridge until you are ready to eat it. And, what is so wonderful about this cool soup on a hot day is that it can be topped any way you’d like. And every time you make it, you can top it differently – giving it a slight new zest. For instance, you can garnish it with:

-Poached shrimp

-Scallions

-Chopped cilantro

-Lime zest

-Microgreens

-Avocado chunks

-Diced cucumber

Make each bowl your own refreshing creation.

Enjoy Quick Summer Recipes this Season

Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy a meal with friends and loved ones. Get creative and make your own versions of these recipes using your cooktop, grill, or range.

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With that said, stay cool, stay fresh, and indulge your senses in one of these quick summer recipes. Enjoy!