Summer produce doesn’t need much help. A ripe tomato, warm from the garden, barely needs salt. Sweet corn practically caramelizes itself. Stone fruits drip juice down your chin without any intervention.
The trick with summer cooking is knowing when to step back. These recipes aren’t about complicated techniques or long ingredient lists. They’re about letting the produce shine while you add just enough structure to call it dinner.
Here are seven vegetarian recipes built around what’s actually good right now.
1) Charred corn and zucchini salad with basil vinaigrette
This salad hits that sweet spot between substantial and refreshing. The char on the corn and zucchini adds depth without weighing things down, and the basil vinaigrette ties everything together with a brightness that screams summer.
The key here is getting real color on your vegetables. Don’t crowd the pan or grill. You want those kernels slightly blackened in spots, the zucchini with actual grill marks, not steamed and sad. High heat, minimal flipping.
Think corn cut off the cob, zucchini in half-moons, cherry tomatoes halved, fresh basil blended into olive oil and lemon juice. Toss while the vegetables are still warm so they absorb the dressing. Crumbled feta or cotija if you want some salt and creaminess.
2) Heirloom tomato galette with ricotta and honey
A galette is just a lazy person’s tart, and I mean that as the highest compliment. No crimping, no blind baking, no stress. You roll out some dough, pile good stuff in the middle, fold the edges over, and bake.
Spread ricotta on the base to create a barrier between the juicy tomatoes and the crust. Layer your best heirloom slices on top, season simply, then drizzle with honey after baking. The sweet-savory combination with those acidic tomatoes is genuinely perfect.
Use store-bought puff pastry if you want. No judgment. The tomatoes are the star anyway. Just make sure to salt them and let them drain on paper towels for twenty minutes first, or you’ll end up with a soggy bottom.
3) Grilled peach and burrata salad with arugula
I’ve mentioned this before, but grilling fruit changed how I think about summer cooking. The heat caramelizes the sugars and adds a smoky complexity that makes everything more interesting.
Halve your peaches, remove the pits, brush with a little oil, and grill cut-side down until you get those beautiful marks. Two minutes, maybe three. You want them softened but not mushy.
Pile peppery arugula on a platter, arrange the warm peaches on top, tear burrata over everything, and finish with good olive oil, flaky salt, and a few torn basil leaves. Maybe some toasted pistachios for crunch. This is the kind of dish that looks impressive but takes fifteen minutes.
4) Summer squash ribbons with lemon, pine nuts, and parmesan
When you’ve got more zucchini than you know what to do with, this is the move. A vegetable peeler turns summer squash into thin ribbons that cook in seconds and feel lighter than pasta while still being satisfying.
The technique matters here. Peel your squash into long strips, stopping when you hit the seedy core. Warm olive oil in a pan, add garlic until fragrant, then toss in the ribbons just long enough to barely wilt them. Thirty seconds, tops.
Finish with lemon zest, toasted pine nuts, shaved parmesan, and fresh mint. The mint is unexpected but it works beautifully with the squash. Season aggressively because zucchini absorbs salt like nobody’s business.
5) Stuffed bell peppers with quinoa, black beans, and corn
Stuffed peppers are one of those dishes that feel more impressive than the effort required. You’re basically making a filling and using a vegetable as the bowl. Not complicated.
The filling here is protein-packed and summery. Cooked quinoa, black beans, fresh corn cut off the cob, diced tomatoes, cumin, lime juice, and plenty of cilantro. Stuff it into halved bell peppers, top with cheese if you want, and bake until the peppers are tender.
Pick peppers that sit flat so they don’t tip over in the pan. Red and orange peppers are sweeter than green, which matters when you’re roasting them. These reheat well, so make extra for lunch the next day.
6) Fresh tomato and white bean soup (served room temperature)
Hot soup in summer sounds wrong, but this one breaks the rules. You serve it at room temperature or even slightly chilled, and it works because the tomatoes are raw and the texture is more stew than soup.
Blend half your tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, and a splash of red wine vinegar. Dice the other half and stir them in with drained white beans, fresh basil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Let it sit for at least an hour so the flavors meld.
This is the kind of thing you can make in the morning and eat for dinner without turning on the stove. Crusty bread for dipping is mandatory. A drizzle of good olive oil on top doesn’t hurt either.
7) Stone fruit crisp with oat-almond topping
When peaches, nectarines, and plums are at their peak, a crisp is the easiest way to turn them into dessert. The fruit does all the work. You just need a crunchy topping to contrast the jammy filling.
Slice your stone fruit, toss with a little sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of cinnamon. Dump into a baking dish. For the topping, mix oats, almond flour, brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and cold butter until crumbly. Scatter over the fruit and bake until bubbling.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt. The slight tartness of yogurt actually works better than you’d expect. Don’t skip the pinch of salt in the topping. It makes the sweetness pop.
The bottom line
Summer cooking should feel easy. The produce is doing most of the work, so your job is just to not mess it up. High heat for char, simple seasonings, and restraint with the ingredient list.
These recipes are flexible. Swap peaches for nectarines, zucchini for yellow squash, basil for mint. Use what looks best at the market or what’s threatening to go bad in your fridge. That’s the whole point of seasonal cooking. Work with what’s actually good right now, and dinner practically makes itself.
