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Easy Summer Side Dishes

Easy summer side dishes featuring grilled corn with herb butter and Parmesan, crisp watermelon feta mint salad, creamy elote-style street corn salad, and jewel-bright caprese. Mix-and-match chilled salads and quick warm sides that finish fast with zero oven required for most options.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 7 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 200
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Grilled corn on the cob with herb butter and Parmesan
  • 4 ear corn on the cob
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp fresh herbs
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan
Watermelon feta mint salad with lime-honey dressing
  • 4 cup watermelon cubes
  • 4 oz feta cheese
  • 2 tbsp mint
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
Cucumber tomato avocado salad with lemon olive oil
  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Caprese salad: tomato, burrata, basil, balsamic
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 8 oz burrata
  • 0.5 cup basil leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Roasted summer squash with garlic and herbs
  • 1 lb summer squash
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp herbs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Cold pasta salad with vegetables and Italian vinaigrette
  • 8 oz pasta
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup cucumber
  • 0.5 cup bell pepper
  • 0.25 cup Italian vinaigrette
Elote-style street corn salad with mayo, cotija, lime, chili
  • 4 ear corn on the cob
  • 0.33 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 oz cotija cheese
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 0.5 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp cilantro

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Grilled corn with herb butter and Parmesan
  1. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Brush corn on the cob with butter, then grill for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred with visible grill marks.
  2. Turn off the heat and sprinkle Parmesan over the grilled corn. Add chopped fresh herbs and serve while warm, with the cheese starting to cling and melt at the edges.
Watermelon feta mint salad with lime-honey dressing
  1. In a serving bowl, combine watermelon cubes, feta cheese, and mint. Drizzle with lime juice and honey, then toss gently until glossy and evenly coated.
Cucumber tomato avocado salad with lemon olive oil
  1. Dice cucumber and halve tomatoes, then slice the avocado into bite-size pieces. Toss everything with lemon juice and olive oil until the avocado is coated and the salad looks shiny.
Caprese salad: tomato, burrata, basil, balsamic
  1. Slice tomatoes and tear the burrata into uneven pieces. Layer tomatoes with basil and burrata so the basil is visible between the creamy burrata.
  2. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top right before serving. Let it sit for 1 minute so the balsamic forms a light glaze sheen over the tomatoes.
Roasted summer squash with garlic and herbs
  1. Preheat the skillet over medium-high heat until ready to sizzle. Toss summer squash with olive oil, garlic, herbs, and salt, then cook until tender with browned edges, about 10 minutes, stirring once.
Cold pasta salad with vegetables and Italian vinaigrette
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions, then rinse under cool water until chilled. Toss cooled pasta with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and Italian vinaigrette until everything looks evenly dressed.
Elote-style street corn salad with mayo, cotija, lime, chili
  1. Cut corn off the cob and mix it into a bowl. Stir in mayonnaise, cotija cheese, lime juice, chili powder, and cilantro until the mixture looks creamy and speckled.
  2. Taste and adjust chili powder as needed, then chill for 15 minutes for flavors to set. Serve cold with a thick, creamy coating on the corn kernels.
Make-ahead note for the salads
  1. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate any salads up to 2 hours ahead. Keep chilled until serving so textures stay crisp and the dressing clings.

Notes

Make-ahead pro tip: if you’re serving multiple sides, prep the salads first and refrigerate them while you grill the corn—most of these taste even better after 30 minutes in the fridge. Refrigeration: store covered for up to 2 days for the salads and up to 2 days for the grilled corn, then re-chill or serve cold. Freezing: no (textures like avocado and watermelon won’t hold up). Dietary swap: for a dairy-light option, use feta/burrata alternatives and cotija-style plant-based cheese in the elote salad.