Healthy Summer Side Dish Recipes

We've got a great way to use up your garden zucchini! Zucchini softens while roasting and soaks up the flavor of balsamic vinegar. The sweet flavors are complemented by salty feta cheese sprinkled on just before serving. It's an easy summer side you'll come back to again and again.

In this fresh summer dish, juicy ripe tomatoes are marinated in olive oil, vinegar and garlic with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and parsley added at the end. This is the perfect recipe to make during prime tomato season where there are multiple colors and flavors to choose from.

Slowly cooking summer-ripe tomatoes in a low oven makes them candy-sweet. Turn to this recipe to preserve the summer bounty from your garden or farmers' market; it freezes well for up to 6 months. Tuck these tasty bites into sandwiches; stir them into risotto; or chop them and mix with Kalamata olives, olive oil and fresh herbs to scoop up with pita chips.

This flavor-boosting combo of mint and lime, inspired by the traditional Italian herb-and-garlic gremolata recipe, livens up juicy watermelon. Put a platter out at your next cookout and watch it disappear in an instant.

Grilled corn adds a note of sweetness to this tangy panzanella salad.

Using a variety of greens gives this simple summer salad an interesting mix of textures. The anchovy in the breadcrumbs and sun-dried tomatoes in the vinaigrette are subtle, but key to adding umami.

Cilantro and pumpkin seeds stand in for traditional pesto ingredients in this easy salad recipe. Look for peaches in July and August, when they are at their peak. Serve the salad along with grilled chicken or fish for a healthy dinner that's ready in less than 30 minutes.

Smashing vegetables creates cracks that soak up this savory vinaigrette for an easy and super-flavorful veggie side dish. You can try this technique with other root vegetables, such as parsnips and celery root, as well.

Make use of your entire grill surface the next time you're grilling chicken, fish, or pork. These vegetables are simple to prepare and cook on the grill alongside your main dish. They're topped with a delicious herbed vinaigrette and make a wonderful low-calorie side dish.

When corn stands are full of fresh, tasty corn in late summer, grab a few extra ears for this 35-minute corn cake recipe. Loaded with fresh corn, carrot and green pepper, each patty is cooked until crispy and golden-brown and served with a cilantro-lime yogurt dip.

Try this fun honey-mustard zucchini-wrapped corn on the cob side dish at your next barbeque.

Soaking the corn in its husk in water for up to two hours before grilling is definitely a new approach to cooking corn on the cob, but give it a try! The addition of salt, spices and cheese takes this side dish to new levels.

Rainbow Fruit Skewers are a fun and beautiful way to get in those nutritious fruits. Plus, kids can help string fruit on skewers and drizzle Greek yogurt. Bonus! This snack is an excellent source of vitamin C.

Next time you're preparing meat or fish on the grill, try this grilled salad recipe. Romaine lettuce is a perfect choice for grilling and it's ready in just a few minutes. Slightly charred and wilted, the taste is enhanced with a simple lemon dressing and a sprinkling of feta cheese.

Sautéed in olive oil and seasoned with just a touch of salt and pepper, this nutritious Swiss chard vegetable side dish pairs wonderfully with any protein you're serving.

Whole-wheat couscous is a simple side dish, yet by adding garlic and peppery mustard greens to the cooking liquid, it feels much more sophisticated.

In a hurry? Just a bit of lemon peel, slivered almonds, and fresh chives are all that's needed to season this fresh-tasting 15-minute couscous side dish, which pairs well with any meat or fish.

Orzo may look like rice, but it's actually a type of pasta. In this quick side dish recipe, it's served with cherry tomatoes and feta cheese and is flavored with citrus and herbs.

This simple rice is a perfect side dish for meat, poultry or fish. Fresh mint, cilantro, green onions and lemon peel add to the delicious nutty flavor of the basmati rice.

The lively combination of ginger and apricot nectar creates a noteworthy vinaigrette that tastes incredible on fresh asparagus.