28 Veggie-Packed Dinners That Have Us Looking Forward to Summer

a plate with vegetables and a fork

Summer brings tons of seasonal perks—sunny days, summer vacation, frozen cocktails and so many colorful veggies. Make the most of the summertime bounty with these dinners that are packed with eggplant, zucchini, corn, tomatoes and more. Healthy recipes like our Summer Vegetable Gnocchi Salad and Sheet-Pan Shrimp Fajitas are so tasty, you'll be craving them on every hot summer night.

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EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan

EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan

Here we bake breaded eggplant for crispy results with fewer calories to boot. This makeover of the classic recipe was originally developed by our Test Kitchen in 1995 and got an update in 2020 for our 30th anniversary issue.

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Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp

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Cut some carbs and use spiralized zucchini in place of noodles in this zesty pesto pasta dish recipe. Top with Cajun-seasoned shrimp to complete this quick and easy dinner.

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Tater Tot Casserole with Beef, Corn & Zucchini

Skillet Beef, Corn & Zucchini Tater Tot Casserole
Jason Donnelly

Casseroles can be for summer too! We packed this one with peak-season vegetables—corn, zucchini and tomatoes—then topped it with crispy tater tots and gooey melted cheese, making it a dinner winner.

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Zucchini, Corn & Egg Casserole

Zucchini, Corn & Egg Casserole

This healthy casserole is essentially a crustless quiche, brimming with fresh summer vegetables. Bake it up for an elegant summer brunch or a casual backyard barbecue.

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Summer Vegetable Gnocchi Salad

a plate with vegetables and a fork

This riff on pasta salad is best served warm while the gnocchi are nice and tender. Plus, the grilled veggies taste extra-good fresh off the fire in this easy gnocchi recipe.

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Caprese Sandwich

Caprese Sandwich
Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely

This caprese sandwich is fresh from the basil and hearty from thick, crusty ciabatta. The sun-dried tomatoes deepen the flavor. Topping the bread with a layer of basil leaves and using toasted bread helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy if you need to make it a few hours ahead.

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Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna

Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna
Greg DuPree

Thanks to jarred marinara sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles, this labor-of-love kind of meal can be ready in about an hour.

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Sheet-Pan Shrimp Fajitas

Sheet-Pan Shrimp Fajitas
Photographer / Brie Passano, Food Stylist / Annie Probst, Prop Stylist / Holly Raibikis

Fajitas make an excellent weeknight meal. These come together faster than ever, using quick-cooking shrimp and veggies all on one sheet pan so you can focus on family rather than cleanup.

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Sheet-Pan Poblano-&-Corn Chicken Fajitas

Sheet-Pan Poblano-&-Corn Chicken Fajitas
Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Christine Kelly, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin

These sheet-pan poblano-and-corn chicken fajitas are seasoned with mild ancho chile powder, paprika and cumin. The chicken and vegetables cook on a sheet pan under the broiler so you can forget working over a hot stove or grill to get dinner on the table fast. Plus, with only one pan, cleanup is a breeze!

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Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower "Rice" Tabbouleh

spice grilled chicken

Chicken breasts on the grill have a smoky flavor that's enhanced with an easy spice rub. We chose flat-leaf parsley in this salad because it has a stronger herbal taste than its sometimes-bitter curly counterpart.

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Instant Pot Summer Corn & Crab Chowder

a bowl of soup with corn and crab

Sweet corn and tender lump crabmeat go together wonderfully to make this rich, hearty chowder. This colorful, quick and easy Instant Pot soup makes a great starter for a summertime meal.

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Prosciutto Pizza with Corn & Arugula

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This grilled prosciutto and arugula pizza makes the perfect summer dinner. If you have time, let the dough stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to make rolling it out easier in this 20-minute healthy pizza recipe. Thawed frozen corn works in place of fresh, just pat it dry before sprinkling it on the pizza.

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Cucumber Sandwich

Cucumber Sandwich
Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Ruth Blackburn

This creamy, crunchy cucumber sandwich recipe strikes a lovely balance between decadent and light. The cream cheese-yogurt spread complements the crisp refreshing cucumber while the hearty flavor and texture of the whole-wheat bread holds everything together. Removing the crusts makes it more delicate than your average sandwich.

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Smoky Shrimp, Corn & Pea One-Pot Pasta

Smoky Shrimp, Corn & Pea One-Pot Pasta
Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Sammy Mila

Make your sauce and pasta all at once with this fast weeknight pasta dinner recipe. By using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta--no colanders here--the starch that cooks off into your pasta water, which you usually drain away, stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.

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Eggplant Gyros

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Eggplant's meaty texture is a delicious vegetarian stand-in for the lamb that typically fills a gyro sandwich. The vegetable absorbs the lemony-herby-spicy marinade like a sponge, so if you have time, let it marinate for the full day.

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Corn Risotto with Tomatoes & Spinach

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Corn and tomatoes make this risotto taste like summer itself, but you can stir in almost any vegetables that your family likes. Make this simple entree vegetarian by swapping in vegetable broth or "no-chicken" broth for the chicken broth.

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Grilled Chicken Thighs with Summer Corn Salad

a grilled chicken thigh with a corn salad on the side

Chicken thighs are easy on the budget and great for grilling because they stay moist in the heat. Here, they are paired with a fresh corn and tomato salad for a simple summer dinner. When grilling skin-on chicken thighs, watch for flare-ups. Move the chicken away from the flames and reduce heat, if necessary, to keep it from charring.

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Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

This mile-high vegetable and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables depending on your mood.

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Vegetable Weight-Loss Soup

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A big bowl of this veggie-packed minestrone will leave you satisfied for hours without consuming a lot of calories, which is helpful when trying to lose weight. Plus, it's an easy way to boost your vegetable servings for the day—something all of us could benefit from. Top with a dollop of pesto before devouring this delicious vegetable soup and consider serving with a hunk of toasted whole-wheat bread to help round out the meal.

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Sheet-Pan Sausage & Peppers

Sheet-Pan Sausage & Peppers

This easy one-dish meal is bound to become a regular in your dinner rotation--it's super simple and comes together quickly. Be sure to preheat your sheet pan--adding vegetables to a hot pan helps start the charring and caramelization, without steaming your veggies. And remember, you are only heating up your sausage, not cooking it from raw in this recipe, but if you substitute with fresh sausage (which you can), you'll need to cook the sausage longer.

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Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn

This vegan chickpea salad sandwich is lemony, bright and surprisingly delicious. It's got all the flavors of a classic tuna salad sandwich—dill, lemon and a bit of garlic—but with chickpeas instead to add a vegan source of protein and a healthy boost of fiber. Celery brings a nice crunch.

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One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

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This one-pot pasta with tangy tomato-basil sauce is a simple, fast and easy weeknight dinner. All of your ingredients go into one pot, and with a bit of stirring and about 25 minutes of cook time, you'll have a healthy dinner the whole family will enjoy.

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Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles

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Enjoy classic shrimp scampi lightened up with zucchini noodles in place of pasta. The tomatoes add some sweetness and color, while the cheese contributes nuttiness and richness.

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Sheet-Pan Caprese Pizza

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This light and flavorful caprese pizza is ready when the tomatoes are just heated through and the mozzarella cheese is slightly melted. If you want a little more on this pizza, it'd be delicious with a few slices of prosciutto. Chef tip: let your dough come up to room temperature before you stretch it--it'll make it much easier to work with.

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Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Leslie Grow | Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Maya Feller, M.S., RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition, upgrades this popular budget-friendly combo. "Adding veggies to a classic sandwich—in this case, broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper—boosts the nutrient-density of the meal," she says. This recipe was part of a feature story, "The Real Cost of Healthy Food."

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Chicken & Zucchini Casserole

Chicken & Zucchini Casserole
Photographer /Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Emily Nabors Hall

This baked chicken and zucchini casserole is creamy, hearty and low-carb! The whole family will love this easy casserole, plus it's a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies (concealed in a delicious cheese sauce!).

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Cheesy Zucchini Quiche

Cheesy Zucchini Quiche

This cheesy crustless zucchini quiche has plenty of leeks and zucchini enveloped in a light custard. Feta and fontina cheeses add a rich depth of flavor. Serve it for brunch or anytime you have extra zucchini on hand.

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Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

falafel salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe--canned chickpeas add too much moisture.

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