25 Fresh Recipes to Make Before Summer Ends

Make these 25 fresh recipes before summer ends! See them all at cookieandkate.com

Iโ€™m trying to embrace every long summer day before theyโ€™re all gone. Letโ€™s hit the pool and the farmersโ€™ markets and make the most of these hot-weather days.

To that end, Iโ€™ve rounded up twenty-five salads, main dishes, sides and desserts featuring ripe summer produce. Hurry and make these fresh summer recipes while you still can!

I struggled to keep this list at a reasonable number, so be sure to check out my full summer archives and summer recipes Pinterest board for even more summer recipes. Iโ€™ll be back with more new recipes later this week!

This fresh summer recipe features burst cherry tomatoes, cherry tomato and sun-dried tomato pesto, zucchini noodles, and spaghetti! It's light and delicious. cookieandkate.com

1) Double Tomato Pesto Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles

โ€œMade this for dinner tonightโ€ฆ so delicious! I took a shortcut and bought my zucchini already spiralized at Whole Foods. The sauce is amazing, so flavorful! Iโ€™m excited to have some of it leftover to eat during the week :)โ€ โ€“ Halley

Summertime Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Corn and Jalapeรฑo Pesto

2) Summertime Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Corn and Jalapeno Pesto

โ€œJust devoured this for lunch! So good! My toddler loved it too, so Iโ€™m sure we will be making this many times this summer. Thanks!โ€ โ€“ Sarika

An amazing sweet and savory watermelon salad. Make it before summer ends! cookieandkate.com

3) Arugula & Watermelon Salad

โ€œThanks for posting this recipe! Made it for dinner tonightโ€ฆit was delicious! My husband loved it. Will definitely make it againโ€ โ€“ Denise

Mediterranean tomato feta dip

4) Mediterranean Tomato & Feta Dip

โ€œDelicious, refreshing dish! I served as an appetizer for a dinner party and my guests loved it on a warm summer night. With the leftovers, I added to a basil pesto pasta and it was perfect. Thanks, Kate!โ€ โ€“ Courtney

Take advantage of ripe summer fruit to make this simple summer fruit salad! Peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and balsamic vinegar make a stellar fruit salad. cookieandkate.com

5) Summertime Fruit Salad

โ€œI made it over the weekend and loved it! I made it with basil and maple syrup. Your blog is now my go-to cook book.โ€ โ€“ Denise

Berry Spinach Salad with Spicy Maple Sunflower Seeds

6) Berry Spinach Salad with Spicy Maple Sunflower Seeds

โ€œThis is amazingly delicious, and so quick to make. Love the heat of the cayenne on the sunflower seeds. I use so many of your recipes and am enjoying the new cookbook with the beautiful photos. Congratulations!โ€ โ€“ Susan

Herbed eggplant, tomato and orzo pasta with feta

7) Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Orzo Pasta

โ€œI know this is an older post, but my husband and I have made it at least 6 times in the last 3 months. Easily my favorite recipe at the moment. Thank you for many delicious summer days!โ€ โ€“ Rebecca

The best green bean salad recipeโ€”who knew green beans could be so good?! This healthy side dish is perfect for summertime. cookieandkate.com

8) Green Bean Salad with Toasted Almonds & Feta

โ€œKate, this recipe is ridiculous! I knew when I read it, I had to try it โ€“ but I was still blown away. Green beans are in season for me right now and Iโ€™ve been making this recipe at least twice a week (sometimes moreโ€ฆ). I love the sour-salty-crunchy combination, and itโ€™s so easy to make. Iโ€™ve been enjoying it hot (partly because I canโ€™t wait for it to cool down), and itโ€™s delicious. Thanks for another stellar recipe!โ€ โ€“ Sarah

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Tacos recipe

9) Sweet Corn & Black Bean Tacos

โ€œMade this last night for dinner andโ€ฆAMAZING! Everybody loved it, even the teenager who was like โ€œew radishesโ€ and then took the corn salad leftovers for lunch today. Thanks, Kate!โ€ โ€“ Rebecca

Have you had strawberry salsa yet? It's so good! Get the recipe at cookieandkate.com

10) Strawberry Salsa

โ€œWe thought we would give this a try but had little expectations for it. Turns out it is excellent! We will definitely make it again.โ€ โ€“ Krista

Super fresh tomato sauce with spaghetti - cookieandkate.com

11) Summertime Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce

โ€œI made this yesterday and it was soooo good! We have a heat wave here in Germany right now so this was the perfect balance between refreshing and something warm for lunch. Will definitely make again :)โ€ โ€“ Sam

Simple Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Dipping Sauce

12) Simple Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Dipping Sauce

โ€œI made these skewers last night for a dinner party and they were beautiful as well as tasty! They were a huge hit and I would definitely make them again!โ€ โ€“ Jody

This gazpacho recipe is the best! It's a refreshing summertime soup, perfect for your garden tomatoes and cucumber. Vegan and gluten free. cookieandkate.com

13) The Ultimate Gazpacho

โ€œI just returned from a mother/daughter trip to Spain and fell in love with Gazpacho. I came home determined to make it myself. Your recipe most closely mirrors what I had there. I am now making it at every entertaining opportunity to share a bit of Spain with my friends. Thanks for a great recipe!โ€ โ€“ Mary

Simple Peach, Basil and Ricotta Flatbread

14) Simple Peach, Basil and Ricotta Flatbread

โ€œKate, I love this recipe! Itโ€™s such a good, quick, summery dinner. I popped it in the oven after a late night at work last week (when I was starving!) and the timer went off just after I had changed into some comfy clothes. Everyone: if youโ€™re having a โ€œsweetsโ€ craving, trying drizzling a little honey over the entire assembled dish. NOM.โ€ โ€“ Jennifer

best basil pesto recipe

15) Basil Pesto

โ€œBest recipe ever, I am not even kidding you! I made the vegan version yesterday and it turned out so creamy and SO heavenly. Itโ€™s my new go to!โ€ โ€“ Barbie

Creamy Cherry Tomato & Summer Squash Pasta

16) Creamy Cherry Tomato & Summer Squash Pasta

โ€œMade this for the first time tonight, as my husband and I are trying more vegetarian dishes. It is outstanding! So good, and super easy. My husband isnโ€™t a fan of goat cheese, so he just had Parmesan on his half, and it worked well (I love goat cheese and it added so much creaminess to the sauce). Thanks for a great recipe!!!โ€ โ€“ Martha

Heirloom BLT Kale Salad (with coconut bacon!)

17) Heirloom BLT Salad (with Coconut Bacon!)

โ€œI donโ€™t know where my mind was when I decided to make this recipe for my boyfriend tonight. He hates coconut and he thinks kale is overrated. As I was making this I thought โ€œoh, noโ€ฆ my he is going to hate this.โ€ But he loved it and went back for seconds! And he adored the dressing.โ€ โ€“ Ashley

Caprese pasta recipe

18) Caprese Pasta Salad

โ€œI loved this pasta! It was so easy and fast to make, and so fresh even when I heated it up the next couple of days. Iโ€™ll definitely be making this again.โ€ โ€“ Rachel

Homemade arugula-almond pesto pizza with a simple whole wheat crust

19) Arugula-Almond Pesto Pizza

โ€œI made a batch of this pesto and cooked one pizza at the beginning and a second at the end of the week. I pit different toppings on it, and both times was told it was the best pizza Iโ€™ve made in a long time! Very yummy, thank you!โ€ โ€“ Margo

Baked Eggs on a Bed of Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

20) Erinโ€™s Baked Eggs on a Bed of Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

โ€œOh goodness, this was delicious! Iโ€™d been looking for a little something different from my weekend-go-to egg breakfast, and this was such a nice replacement! And what I love is how light this was still for breakfast, a great way to start the morning.โ€ โ€“ Patricia

Cilantro-Pepita Pesto with Squash Ribbons and Fettuccine

21) Cilantro-Pepita Pesto with Squash Ribbons and Fettuccine

โ€œNot only was this delicious when I made it, the leftovers were just as good โ€“ a major plus for me because I always want to have good leftovers to bring to work for lunch. I added some roasted sweet potato to one of my portions of leftovers and the flavors worked well together. I know this has been up for awhile, but thanks for another great recipe Kate!โ€ โ€“ Amanda

Beautiful Greek salad made with wedges of romaine lettuce, fresh tomatoes, olives and herbs piled on top, and a lemon tahini dressing. Easily vegan. cookieandkate.com

22) Greek Wedge Salad

โ€œThanks for the recipe, Kate. I made this tonight and it received rave reviews! It was refreshing as a Greek salad always is, but the Lemon Tahini dressing made it so vibrant. It was so easy and so delicious! Next time I may add beans for a complete meal. The presentation is gorgeousโ€“canโ€™t wait to serve it to guests.โ€ โ€“ Judi

This amazing peach crisp recipe features ripe summer peaches, almonds and oats! cookieandkate.com

23) Gluten-Free Peach Crisp

โ€œThis was crazy delicious, thank you! I made it for my parents who said going gluten free will be terrible. They loved it!! Great job!โ€ โ€“ Jem

The best (healthy!) zucchini muffins recipe - so fluffy and delicious, no one will guess these are naturally sweetened and made with whole wheat flour! cookieandkate.com

24) Healthy Zucchini Muffins

โ€œWords cannot express how much I want everyone to make these :) They are moist and delicious! I used coconut oil and maple syrup. I also made a divine cashew frosting for those days when you just want some on top, and they go perfectly together! :) Iโ€™ll be making them breakfasts this week too! Thanks, Kate!โ€ โ€“ Stephie

White sangria recipe made with watermelon, nectarine and St. Germain! cookieandkate.com

25) Watermelon White Sangria

โ€œThis was wonderful and so beautiful to serve at a party. LOVED this.โ€ โ€“ Courtney

More resources you might appreciate: 13 healthy make-ahead breakfast recipes, 16 recipes that pack well for lunch and 20 simple weeknight dinners. You might also like my monthly seasonal produce guides and essential kitchen tools. View all roundups and resource posts here.

Kate and Cookie

HELLO, MY NAME IS

Kathryne Taylor

I'm a vegetable enthusiast, dog lover, mother and bestselling cookbook author. I've been sharing recipes here since 2010, and I'm always cooking something new in my Kansas City kitchen. Cook with me!

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Comments

  1. Jane

    I just preferred your cookbook from Amazon! Are these recipes in the book? So many of them sound delicious.

    1. Kate

      Hi, Jane! Unfortunately, none of these are in the book. The book is full of 100+ all-new or re-vamped recipes. You can click on the links to get to these ones, though!

  2. Alex

    Hi Kate! Iโ€™m a long-time fan of your blog and have made many of your recipes (the healthy banana bread is a favorite of my boyfriend), and I recently made quinoa as you recommended in your last post- it turned out great! I just ordered your book on Amazon (donโ€™t ask me why it took so long for me to do that, I donโ€™t have a good answer) and I canโ€™t wait to read it! Thank you for the years of fantastic recipes- keep them coming! :)

    1. Kate

      Thank you for such a kind note, Alex! Iโ€™m so glad youโ€™ve enjoyed the blog, and I hope you love the book!

  3. Susan Hyde

    Just wonderful, I have to try the 25 summer recipes, lovely light airy site, thank you.
    But I clicked subscribe andโ€ฆnothingโ€ฆ? Pls help me.
    Wishing you great success and pleasure.
    Susan

    1. Kate

      Hi Susan, Iโ€™m not sure I understand your question. Did you enter your email address in the box and then click โ€œsubscribeโ€? That should subscribe you to my email newsletter. You can see all of my subscription options here.

  4. Donna @ Healthy Food Tribe

    Thanks so much for sharing this Kate, Iโ€™m always on the lookout for new delicious recipes. I have tried the roasted eggplant and tomato orzo pasta twice now and absolutely love it. I never really know what to do with eggplant so this recipe is a winner!

    1. Kate

      Eggplant can be a bit of a head-scratcher for me, too. Iโ€™m so glad you found a great use for it!

  5. Harry

    Really love your blog! I always experiment in kitchen after reading your blog and mom loves it. <3

    1. Kate

      Aw, I love hearing that! Thanks, Harry!

  6. Sam

    Hi Kate

    I just wanted to thank you so much for your awesome blog! Your recipes make the tastiest vegetarian food I have ever had, use the cookbook and blog recipes nearly everyday! The simple honey scones are probably my favorite. I have one suggestion/request, perhaps in the future when you write posts like these you could add a link to a previous post with recipes for the opposite season for your readers in the Southern Hemisphere โ€“ it would really help so much to know exactly where to look!

    Thanks again for your amazing blog, you have really helped me to embrace real food and live a healthier life!

  7. Pansy

    Great recipes for summer season really love it Thank you great man

    1. Kate

      Thanks!

  8. Cassie Thuvan Tran

    YUM! I want to try the squash pasta and the pesto pizza so badly. They look phenomenal. Lately, Iโ€™ve been craving these dishes TONS so badly. Pizza, especially!

    1. Kate

      Let me know what you think, Cassie!

  9. Rick

    The name is enough to make your mouth water! Falooda is a famous summer dessert and enjoyed by everyone in scorching summers. It provides an instant coolness. Now imagine a falooda with toppings of saffron, pistachios and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Doesnโ€™t it sound like a super delicious treat? Treat this treat not just to yourself but also to your guests and make them jump with joy. Itโ€™s quite a tough recipe so do have patience while preparing it.

    Thank you for your post.

    1. Kate

      Thank you, Rick!