Healthy Summer Dinner Recipes

We doubled down--deliciously--on the green in this summer salad with melon, cucumber, basil, arugula and pepitas. Creamy burrata makes this easy salad extra luxurious, so it's perfect for summer parties. It would be lovely with grilled chicken or as part of a cold buffet spread.

Inspired by the classic mojito cocktail, this festive and healthy fruit salad gets zing from rum, lime and mint. The optional piment d'Espelette--a sweet, spicy ground pepper from the Basque region of France--adds a hint of heat that's a nice contrast to the sweet fruit. Look for this spice at specialty stores, well-stocked markets or online. You could also swap in chile-lime seasoning blend (such as Tajín) for a similar subtle kick or omit the spice altogether. Feel free to skip the rum if you prefer an alcohol-free salad. With or without the rum, this salad has summertime backyard BBQ written all over it.

Salty prosciutto, tangy feta, crunchy pistachios, sweet watermelon and bright mint come together wonderfully in this fresh and easy summer salad. Feel free to sub crumbled bacon for the prosciutto, or skip the meat altogether for a vegetarian version of this salad.

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.

A simple relish of summer-fresh tomatoes adds color and vitamin C to this fish entree-for-four. For an amazing selection of high quality ripe heirloom tomatoes, check out your local farmers' market.

Take advantage of local fresh corn and whip up this 40-minute Mexican-inspired summer soup recipe. It's topped with creamy avocado slices and crispy corn tortillas, but you can make it next-level by adding a dollop of nonfat plain yogurt, a bit of grated Cheddar, and/or chopped scallions.

This Middle Eastern dish is most often made with ground meat and eggplant (or potatoes) and topped with a thick béchamel sauce. To reduce fat and calories, our makeover moussaka recipe uses fat-free milk, low-fat yogurt, and light ricotta cheese for the topping, but even with those subtitutions, it still delivers on taste!

Sweet strawberries are paired with aromatic lemon thyme in this beautiful chilled soup recipe that's perfect for special occasions.

A wedge salad is simple to prepare and this one is bursting with color, taste, and texture. The crisp lettuce wedges are topped with zesty radishes, sweet strawberries, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy pecans and drizzled with a strawberry vinaigrette--try it at your next summer dinner party.

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.

In summer, when your garden is producing lots of fresh vegetables and herbs, whip up this fresh and healthy salad. Crisp-tender corn and beans, crunchy cucumber, and sweet cherry tomatoes are combined in a heavenly basil vinaigrette, resulting in a gorgeous and delicious side that works well with any main dish.

Gazpacho is a delicious cold appetizer or side-dish soup. We've added protein to this version to make it more filling.

Traditional gazpacho is made with raw tomatoes and is a delicious cold soup for warm weather. In this recipe, we've tweaked it a bit, by roasting the tomatoes first, blending the roasted vegetables with some crusty country bread to thicken it, and serving it with chilled shrimp.

Zesty radishes, tasty tomatoes and protein-rich chickpeas are a winning combination in this chilled salad recipe that's great for packed lunches or a picnic.

Italian dressing seasons grilled corn, fresh tomatoes, and tender spinach in this side-dish recipe that's an obvious choice to serve at cookouts.

In this healthy and quick recipe, slices of roasted pork tenderloin are served on a bed of baby spinach alongside a colorful salad of fresh corn kernels, jicama, and blackberries.

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.

This diabetic side salad is bursting with colorful lettuce, grilled corn and crisp-tender green beans. The vinaigrette has a tantalizing flavor that's enhanced by the smoky grilled red peppers that are blended in with the oil and vinegar.

No ideas for dinner tonight? This slow-cooker lentil soup is easy to prepare in the morning and will simmer all day while you're at work. Full of aromatic vegetables, brown lentils, diced ham and fresh spinach, this hearty soup will be a real treat after a long day at the office.

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.