From Summer Vegetable Tian to Bacon & Mango Sliders, our healthy, low-calorie recipes for summer are delicious ways to celebrate the warm days. Our healthy recipes for grilling, chilled soup recipes, healthy desserts with fruit and more diet recipes for summer are healthy, delicious dishes to share at potlucks, BBQs and cookouts.
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Summer Vegetable Tian
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This pretty vegan layered casserole is so simple to make. Its only seasonings are salt and garlic-infused olive oil, which you make by sizzling a clove of garlic in olive oil for about a minute. This dish is lovely warm or room temperature. Serve with crusty bread as a vegetarian entree or alongside roasted meats as a side dish—don't forget a glass of chilled rosé.
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Cauliflower Fried Rice with Steak
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You could argue that fried rice is really all about the "add-ins," so why not skip the grain itself and save some calories with cauliflower while you're at it? If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, swap sliced mushrooms for the steak. Either way, you don't have to be on a low-carb diet to love this 30-minute dinner.
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Simple Grilled Salmon & Vegetables
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Grilled salmon and veggies make for a colorful and balanced seafood dinner that's ready in just minutes. The grill turns the salmon flaky and moist while tenderizing the crispy pepper and onion pieces. Round out the meal with brown rice or quinoa.
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Goat Cheese & Fresh Herb Omelet
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The secret to this easy omelet recipe is choosing a really great goat cheese. Luckily most supermarkets have great chevre—Vermont Creamery and Laura Chenel are straightforward varieties you're likely to find. If you've got access to funky local options, bust them out for this quick breakfast recipe. Aside from the goat cheese, eggs and herbs, you need just a few pantry ingredients and 20 minutes for one of the best omelets you can make.
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Crunchy Chicken & Mango Salad
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This Asian-inspired dinner salad has terrific crunch, thanks to sugar snap peas and napa cabbage. Give the dressing a kick of heat by adding a bit of sambal oelek, an Indonesian hot sauce that you can find in most large supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.
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Bacon & Mango Tango Sliders
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With a touch of sweet from the mango, savory from the bacon, plus a creamy avocado spread, this healthy slider recipe with takes burgers to a whole new level. Double the avocado mayo and use it for your next BLT.
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Easy Tomato Gazpacho
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Many gazpacho recipes are thickened with bread, but this one uses just vegetables, making it a gluten-free refresher for a hot summer day. The key to any flavorful gazpacho is giving it time to rest. The flavors meld and become cohesive when the soup is allowed to sit a bit before serving.
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Lobster Niçoise Salad
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Steamed lobster is a luxurious swap for tuna in this otherwise-classic, veggie-loaded Niçoise salad. In a pinch—or if you don't want to deal with a giant pot of boiling water on a steamy summer day—many supermarkets have freshly picked lobster meat at their seafood counter or in the freezer case. Serve with a warm baguette for lunch or dinner.
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Easy Salmon Cakes
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If you are trying to boost your intake of omega-3s, try this simple favorite. It is a great way to use convenient canned (or leftover) salmon. The tangy dill sauce provides a tart balance.
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Chicago-Style Carrot Dogs
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Whether you're vegan, vegetarian or none of the above, these plant-based "dogs" are magically delicious—period. This recipe makes these vegan hot dogs Chicago-style, but feel free to doctor them up any way you like. Break with convention and add shredded cabbage, sprouts and cilantro, for example.
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Caribbean Bowls
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This tropical dish is made complete with Jamaican Jerk Seasoning. Pork, rice, and beans combine with pineapple and red onion in a delicious honey-lime vinaigrette.
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Avocado Toast with Burrata
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Burrata (cream-filled fresh mozzarella cheese) takes this avocado toast recipe to the next level for a decadent, yet weekday-friendly breakfast.
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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 Lime Chicken & Steak with Herb & Arugula Salad
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This recipe involves one of our favorite make-ahead hacks: let the chicken and steak marinate in reverse. In this recipe, you'll pour a punchy, citrusy dressing over the meat right after it leaves the grill, so it soaks up the bright vinaigrette as it cools. Better yet, reverse-marinating keeps the grilled meat from drying out, even when kept in the fridge overnight.
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Grilled Blackened Shrimp Tacos
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Give juicy shrimp tacos a Cajun flavor spin with spices and a quick sear on a hot grill. An easy avocado mash adds creaminess to cool off the spicy kick.
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Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
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Homemade poppy seed dressing pairs beautifully with tender spinach, crunchy almonds and juicy berries for a fantastically refreshing and easy spring salad. To make ahead, whisk dressing, combine salad ingredients and store separately. Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving. To make it a complete meal, top with grilled chicken or shrimp.
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Broccoli, Chickpea & Pomegranate Salad
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Simple steps give this broccoli salad recipe a more nuanced flavor: soaking the onion tempers its bite and toasting the cumin enhances its aroma. Serve alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish.
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Lemon-Pepper Linguine with Squash
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Thinly sliced zucchini and summer squash bulk up this easy vegetarian pasta recipe. Saving a bit of the starchy pasta-cooking water to toss with grated cheese, herbs and bright lemon at the end is the secret to a fast, silky no-cook pasta sauce.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler with Granola Streusel
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Tart rhubarb and sweet strawberries turn tender in their own juices beneath a brown sugar and oat crumble topping. This spring-inspired dessert comes together quickly without pie crusts to unroll; the tender fruit cooks quickly to make this a great last-minute dessert option too. Serve warm for the most luscious texture.
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Grilled Corn Salad with Chili-Miso Dressing
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Serve this Asian salad with grilled steak, chicken or firm white fish like halibut. You can also double the recipe and bring it to your next potluck. If you can find tatsoi, a peppery Asian leafy green, use it instead of mild-mannered spinach. Store-bought Thai sweet chili sauce and umami-packed white miso build fast flavor in this easy summer salad.
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No-Cook Black Bean Salad
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A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
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Watermelon Fruit Pizza
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This refreshing fruit dessert pizza recipe swaps classic cookie crust with a healthier watermelon "crust." Topped with yogurt sauce, your favorite berries and mint, this fresh dessert can easily be doubled for a party or halved for every day.
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Speedy Crab Cakes
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Shallow-fry these easy crab cakes on the stovetop to get the perfect crisp crust without the greasy mess of deep-frying. Serve these cakes with Citrus-Arugula Salad (see associated recipe).
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Three-Way Marinated Chicken
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You'll never be bored by grilled chicken again after trying these three flavorful marinades.
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Korean Turkey Burgers with Kimchi
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Korean chile paste (also known as gochujang) blended into the ground turkey makes this turkey burger recipe incredibly moist and flavorful. Top these healthy turkey burgers with kimchi—a fermented mixture of cabbage and other vegetables—which can be found near other refrigerated Asian ingredients or near sauerkraut or pickles in well-stocked supermarkets or natural-foods stores.