#summer
57 viral recipes tagged #summer.
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Gazpacho Andaluz — Andalusian Cold Tomato Soup
Andalusia's answer to summer heat: ripe raw tomatoes blended with cucumber, pepper, garlic, day-old bread, good olive oil and a splash of sherry vinegar, then chilled until ice-cold. Silky, bright and refreshing — drunk from a glass or served in a bowl with crunchy diced toppings. No cooking required.
spanishsoupvegan -
Bún Chả — Hanoi Grilled Pork with Noodles
The taste of Hanoi: smoky char-grilled pork patties and slices of caramelised pork belly served swimming in a warm, sweet-sour-savoury dipping bowl of nuoc cham with pickled carrot and kohlrabi. You dunk cool rice vermicelli and a heap of fresh herbs into the bowl, bite by bite. Bright, balanced and irresistible.
vietnameseporkgrill -
Fattoush — Levantine Bread Salad
The Levant's vibrant bread salad: crisp shards of toasted or fried pita tossed at the last minute through crunchy cucumber, tomato, radish, herbs and crisp lettuce, all dressed in a tangy lemon-and-sumac dressing brightened with pomegranate molasses. Sour, herby and refreshing — a mezze-table staple that turns stale flatbread into something irresistible.
lebanesesaladvegan -
Bruschetta — Italian Grilled Bread with Tomato
Italy's perfect antipasto: thick slices of country bread grilled until charred, rubbed with a raw garlic clove, drizzled with good olive oil, and — in the classic version — heaped with diced ripe tomato and basil. It began as a way to taste new olive oil on toasted bread; the magic is in great bread, great oil and great tomatoes, and almost no cooking.
italianveganappetizer -
Insalata Caprese — Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil Salad
The salad that captures an Italian summer in three ingredients: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil, arranged in the red-white-green of the Italian flag, dressed simply with good olive oil and salt. From the island of Capri, it's barely a recipe — which is exactly why it lives or dies on the quality of the tomatoes, the mozzarella and the oil.
italianvegetarianno-cook -
Pork Souvlaki — Greek Grilled Skewers
Greece's beloved street-corner skewer: cubes of pork marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano, threaded onto sticks and grilled hard until charred and juicy. Souvlaki is summer on a stick — eaten off the skewer with lemon, or wrapped in warm pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion and a few fries for the full 'souvlaki me pita'. Simple, smoky and endlessly satisfying.
greekporkgrill -
Mul Naengmyeon — Korean Cold Buckwheat Noodles
Korea's ultimate hot-weather dish: chewy buckwheat noodles in an icy, tangy-savoury beef-and-radish broth, topped with cool cucumber, Korean pear, a halved boiled egg and slices of cold beef, with vinegar and mustard oil added to taste. Mul naengmyeon is bracingly refreshing — slurped from a steel bowl sometimes filled with broth slush — and the contrast of cold, sour, savoury and the slippery-chewy noodles is unlike anything else.
koreannoodlescold -
Gemista — Greek Baked Stuffed Vegetables
One of the great dishes of the Greek summer table: ripe tomatoes and peppers hollowed out and stuffed with a fragrant rice filling of onion, herbs (dill, mint, parsley) and the scooped-out tomato pulp, then baked slowly in plenty of olive oil with wedges of potato until soft, sweet and lightly caramelised. Gemista is a 'ladero' — cooked in olive oil — and most often vegan (nistisimo), eaten warm or at room temperature with feta and bread. It's humble, sunny, make-ahead food that tastes of a Greek garden.
greekveganvegetarian -
Peach Cobbler
Ripe summer peaches bubbling under a craggy, buttermilk-biscuit top that bakes deep golden and shatters into the syrup beneath. This is the Southern cobbler done right: a true biscuit cobbler, not a dump cake, with peaches that taste like peaches and a crust with real structure.
dessertsouthernsummer -
Homemade Lemonade
Real lemonade built on a proper simple syrup so the sweetness dissolves clean and never grits at the bottom of the glass, balanced against a full cup of fresh-squeezed juice for a tart, aromatic pour. This is the pitcher that ruins the powdered stuff for you forever.
drinkssummerno-cook -
Easy Iced Coffee
This easy iced coffee is bright, clean, and ready in about ten minutes: hot coffee brewed extra strong, then flash-chilled straight over a glass of ice so it stays bold instead of watery. A splash of milk softens the edge and a little simple syrup rounds it out into a smooth, cafe-style glass. Flash-chilling works because the ice locks in that fresh-brewed aroma the instant the coffee hits the cold, giving you a livelier cup than coffee left to cool slowly on the counter.
beveragecoffeebreakfast -
Mai Tai
The Mai Tai is the definitive tiki cocktail: a short, boozy rum drink built on aged Jamaican rum, fresh lime, orange curacao, and almond-rich orgeat. Shaken over crushed ice, it lands bittersweet and nutty with a bright citrus snap and a warm dark-rum float on top. Skipping the pineapple-and-grenadine "restaurant" version keeps it dry, balanced, and true to the 1944 original.
cocktailrumtiki -
Creamy Coleslaw Dressing
A cool, tangy-sweet coleslaw dressing built on mayonnaise loosened with sour cream, brightened with cider vinegar and Dijon, and pricked with celery seed. It clings to shredded cabbage without turning gluey, hitting that classic diner balance between rich and sharp. A short chill lets the sugar dissolve and the celery seed bloom, so every forkful tastes seasoned all the way through.
americanside-dishno-cook -
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
This retro American potluck classic layers a buttery, salty-sweet baked pretzel crust under a fluffy cream cheese filling and a glossy strawberry gelatin top studded with berries. The contrast is the whole point: crunchy and savory against cool, tangy, and bright. Baking the crust first and sealing the cream layer all the way to the edges keeps the pretzels crisp and stops the gelatin from bleeding through.
dessertamericanpotluck -
Summer Fruit Salad
A big, glossy bowl of ripe summer fruit — melon, pineapple, berries, kiwi, and peaches — tossed in a bright honey-lime dressing with fresh mint. The dressing pulls just enough juice from the fruit to make everything taste sweeter without turning it soft, and folding the softest pieces in last keeps every bite intact. It comes together in one bowl with no cooking, ready for any cookout or lazy summer brunch.
saladsummerno-cook -
Strawberry Daiquiri
This frozen strawberry daiquiri blends sweet ripe strawberries, light rum, and fresh lime into a thick, frosty slush that is tart, fruity, and dangerously easy to sip. Using frozen berries as the base keeps it icy and vibrant instead of watery, while a little simple syrup rounds out the tartness. It comes together in one blender in under ten minutes.
cocktailfrozen-drinkrum -
Italian Pasta Salad
This is a big, colorful bowl of spiral pasta tossed with crisp vegetables, cubes of fresh mozzarella and salami, and a bright, garlicky red-wine-vinegar Italian dressing. Every bite is tangy and herby with a little chew from the pasta and a briny pop from olives and pepperoncini. Making the dressing from scratch and letting the salad chill lets the pasta drink in the flavor, so it tastes seasoned all the way through instead of bland in the middle.
saladpastaamerican -
Fresh Strawberry Pie
This is the classic American summer pie: a crisp, buttery crust piled high with fresh, barely-cooked strawberries suspended in a glossy ruby glaze made from the berries themselves. Because only the glaze meets heat, the whole berries stay bright, juicy and fresh-tasting, while cornstarch sets everything into clean, sliceable wedges. A cloud of lightly sweetened whipped cream is the only finish it needs.
dessertamericansummer -
Key Lime Pie
Key lime pie is Florida's signature dessert: a buttery graham cracker crust filled with a custard of tart key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks. The acid in the juice thickens the milk while the yolks set it in a short bake, giving you a filling that is dense, silky, and bracingly tangy rather than gummy. A cloud of barely sweet whipped cream on top balances the pucker.
dessertamericanpie -
Beef Shish Kabobs
Tender cubes of top sirloin soak in a soy, lemon, and Worcestershire marinade, then grill alongside sweet peppers and red onion until charred at the edges and juicy-pink in the middle. Threading the beef on its own skewers is the trick: the meat hits a perfect medium while the vegetables blister instead of steaming, so every bite tastes grilled, not gray.
grillingbeefsummer -
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
This strawberry rhubarb crisp balances jammy-sweet strawberries against tart, tender rhubarb under a buttery oat topping that bakes into golden, craggy clusters. Cornstarch turns the fruit juices into a glossy, spoonable sauce instead of a watery puddle, while cutting cold butter into the oats guarantees a topping that stays crunchy rather than soggy. It comes together in one bowl each, is forgiving enough for a weeknight, and looks impressive enough for company.
dessertamericanfruit -
Brazilian Lemonade
Brazilian lemonade is a misnamed classic: it's really a creamy limeade made by blending whole limes—peel and all—with cold water, sugar, and a swirl of sweetened condensed milk. The result is pale, frothy, and bracingly tart with a rich, almost milkshake-smooth finish. The trick is a quick pulse and a fast strain, which pulls fragrant oil from the peel without letting the bitter white pith take over.
brazilianbeverageno-cook -
Sex on the Beach
A breezy, no-fuss highball built on vodka and peach schnapps, lengthened with cranberry and orange juice into a sunset-pink cooler. It tastes fruity and tart with a warm peach backbone, and because it's built right over ice there's nothing to shake or strain. The heavy pack of ice keeps it bracingly cold and lightly diluted, which is exactly what makes this drink so easy to sip.
cocktailvodkasummer -
Peach Crisp
This peach crisp layers sweet, jammy summer peaches under a thick, buttery oat topping that bakes up deeply golden and crackly. A spoonful of cornstarch and a squeeze of lemon keep the fruit glossy and spoonable rather than watery, while cold butter rubbed into flour and oats guarantees crisp clumps instead of a sandy crust. It comes together with one bowl each for filling and topping, and it is best served warm with a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream.
dessertamericansummer -
Strawberry Syrup
This homemade strawberry syrup simmers fresh berries with sugar and a squeeze of lemon into a glossy, pourable ruby sauce that tastes like peak-season fruit. Straining out the pulp leaves a silky, clear syrup that swirls into drinks and glazes pancakes without any graininess. A short reduction at the end concentrates the flavor and gives it just enough body to cling to a spoon.
saucestrawberryvegan -
Peach Dump Cake
Peach dump cake is the ultimate low-effort American dessert: canned peaches on the bottom, a dry box of yellow cake mix "dumped" on top, and sliced butter to melt it all together. As it bakes, the fruit bubbles up through the mix to create a craggy, golden, cobbler-like crust with a soft, buttery cake layer underneath. The no-stir method is the whole trick, keeping the top crisp while the peach juice steams the cake from below.
dessertamericaneasy -
Southern Sweet Tea
Southern sweet tea is brewed black tea sweetened while it's still hot, then chilled hard and poured over ice: sweet, smooth, and bracingly cold. Dissolving the sugar into the warm tea, along with a tiny pinch of baking soda, gives you a clear, mellow glass instead of a gritty, bitter one. It's the house pour of the American South, and it comes together with three cheap ingredients.
southernbeveragesiced-tea -
Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea)
Agua de Jamaica is Mexico's ruby-red hibiscus cooler, brewed by steeping dried flor de Jamaica into a tart, cranberry-like infusion and sweetening it just enough to round the edges. Steeping the flowers off the heat instead of boiling them hard keeps the color vivid and the flavor bright rather than stewed and bitter. Served ice-cold with a squeeze of lime, it is one of the most refreshing things on any Mexican table.
mexicanagua-frescadrinks -
Red Sangria
Red sangria is Spain's easy, crowd-pleasing pitcher drink: a bottle of dry red wine loosened with brandy and orange liqueur, sweetened just enough, and steeped with fresh orange, lemon, and apple. A few hours in the fridge lets the fruit perfume the wine and softens its tannins, so it drinks smooth and juicy rather than boozy. Topping each glass with sparkling water at the last minute keeps it lively and cold instead of flat and heavy.
spanishcocktailmake-ahead -
Blueberry Pie
A classic double-crust blueberry pie with a flaky, all-butter pastry hugging a jammy filling of fresh berries brightened with lemon and just enough cornstarch to set into clean, glossy slices. Baking at a high heat first crisps the bottom crust before a lower finish lets the fruit bubble and thicken without weeping. The result is deeply blueberry, barely sweet, and sturdy enough to cut yet spoonable.
dessertamericanpie -
Corn on the Cob
Corn on the Cob is summer's easiest side: plump ears of sweet corn simmered in a pot of lightly sweetened water until the kernels turn juicy, tender, and bright yellow. Boiling is faster and more forgiving than grilling, keeping the corn milky so it never dries out, while a spoon of sugar in the water coaxes out every bit of natural sweetness. Finish each ear with a swipe of butter and a pinch of flaky salt for a five-minute crowd-pleaser.
side-dishamericanvegetarian -
Blueberry Jam
A glossy, deep-purple small-batch jam made from just blueberries, sugar, lemon, and a pinch of salt — no boxed pectin required. Blueberry skins carry plenty of natural pectin, so a brisk boil with fresh lemon juice takes the fruit from soupy to spoon-coating in about 20 minutes. The result is spreadable but not stiff, bright with lemon, and tastes intensely of ripe berries rather than plain sugar.
jamsmall-batchno-pectin -
Strawberry Puree
A vivid, silky strawberry puree made from fresh berries, a little sugar, and a squeeze of lemon — no stove required. A short maceration dissolves the sugar and pulls out the berries' own juice, so the puree blends glossy-smooth instead of grainy, and a quick pass through a sieve leaves it seedless and pourable. Spoon it over cheesecake and pancakes, swirl it into yogurt, or shake it into lemonade and cocktails.
no-cookvegangluten-free -
Old-Fashioned Shortcake
This is the shortcake your grandmother would recognize: a lightly sweetened, biscuit-style cake with a crisp, sugar-crusted top and a soft, buttery crumb that drinks up strawberry juices without falling apart. Grating cold butter into the flour and handling the dough as little as possible keeps the layers flaky, while an egg in the dough gives it just enough richness and structure to split cleanly for filling.
dessertamericanbaking -
Corn Fritters
Golden, lacy-edged corn fritters that shatter at the crust and stay creamy-sweet in the middle. Blitzing a third of the kernels releases their starchy milk, which binds the batter so you need less flour — the fritters taste like corn, not pancake. A quick shallow fry in a hot skillet gives you crackly edges without deep-frying.
appetizeramericansummer -
Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
Elote is Mexico's beloved street-cart snack: corn on the cob charred over open flame, slathered in a tangy mayo-crema, then rolled in salty crumbled cotija, chile powder, and lime. The kernels stay juicy and sweet while the outside picks up smoky blisters that grip the creamy coating. Grilling the corn naked (no husk) is the key move — direct contact with the grates builds the caramelized, lightly charred spots that make real elote taste like the street version.
mexicansnackgrilled -
Ramen Noodle Salad
This is the crunchy, sweet-tangy cabbage salad that disappears first at every potluck: crisp slaw tossed with toasted ramen, almonds, and sunflower seeds in a glossy rice vinegar dressing. Toasting the crushed noodles and nuts in the oven — instead of stirring them in raw — deepens their flavor and helps them stay snappy longer once dressed. Because the noodles go in at the last minute, every forkful keeps that addictive crackle against the cool, juicy cabbage.
potlucksummermake-ahead -
Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
This is coctel de camarones the way Mexican mariscos stands serve it: plump poached shrimp, crunchy cucumber and onion, and creamy avocado swimming in a chilled, spicy-sweet tomato-lime broth you drink with a spoon. A gentle off-heat poach keeps the shrimp snappy instead of rubbery, and a short rest in the fridge lets the Clamato, ketchup, lime, and hot sauce meld into something far greater than the sum of its parts.
mexicanappetizerseafood -
Coffee Jelly
Coffee jelly is the beloved Japanese kissaten dessert: glossy, wobbly cubes of lightly sweetened coffee gelatin served under a cloud of softly whipped cream. Because the coffee is never boiled after the gelatin goes in, the cubes set crystal-clear with a clean, bittersweet espresso-like flavor instead of a dull, stewed one. It takes about 15 minutes of hands-on work — the refrigerator does the rest.
japanese-dessertno-bakemake-ahead -
Jello Shots
Jello shots are the classic American party dessert-drink hybrid: wobbly, brightly flavored gelatin spiked with vodka and set in individual two-ounce cups. The trick is balancing the liquid — a full cup of boiling water dissolves the gelatin completely, then equal parts cold water and chilled vodka keep the alcohol from cooking off while guaranteeing a firm, sliceable set. The result is a sweet, jiggly shot that tastes like the fruit flavor first and sneaks the booze in behind it.
partyno-bakemake-ahead -
Apricot Jam
A classic French confiture d'abricots made the old-fashioned way: ripe apricots macerated in sugar and lemon juice, then boiled hard in a wide pan until glossy and softly set. Because apricots are naturally rich in pectin and acid, no commercial pectin is needed — the overnight-style maceration draws out the juices so the fruit cooks quickly and keeps its bright, honeyed tang instead of tasting caramelized.
frenchbreakfastpreserves -
Classic Bean Salad
This is the sweet-tangy bean salad of American potlucks: three kinds of tender beans and crisp blanched green beans tossed with red onion and celery in a bright vinegar dressing. A short blanch keeps the green beans snappy while the canned beans soak up the marinade, so every bite lands somewhere between crunchy and creamy. An hour of chilling is the real secret — the vinegar mellows the onion and the dressing seasons the beans all the way through.
make-aheadpotluckvegan -
Pickled Beets
Tender rounds of earthy beet soaked in a sweet-tart cider vinegar brine spiked with mustard seed, clove, and black pepper — the ruby-red jar that belongs on every American relish tray. Boiling the beets whole in their skins keeps them juicy and makes peeling a ten-second job, and pouring the brine over while it is still hot lets the seasoning start soaking in as everything cools. After a day in the refrigerator the slices are firm-tender, glossy, and deeply flavored from edge to center.
picklingmake-aheadvegan -
New England Lobster Rolls
Sweet, briny chunks of fresh-picked lobster folded into a light lemon-mayo dressing and piled into a butter-griddled split-top bun — the classic cold Maine-style roll. Boiling the lobsters briefly and shocking them in ice water keeps the meat tender and snappy instead of rubbery, and chilling the meat before dressing means the mayo clings rather than turning watery. The dressing stays deliberately minimal so the lobster, not the condiments, is what you taste.
seafoodnew-englandsummer -
Grilled Chicken Wings
Smoky, crackly-skinned chicken wings with juicy meat that pulls cleanly off the bone, finished in a quick buffalo-style butter sauce. The secret is two-zone grilling: the wings render slowly over indirect heat with the lid down, then take a fast sear over the flames for char without flare-up scorch. A brown sugar and smoked paprika rub gives them deep color and a savory-sweet crust before the sauce ever touches them.
grillinggame-dayamerican -
Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
This no-bake freezer cake stacks two layers of store-bought ice cream sandwiches with ribbons of fudge, caramel, and crushed chocolate cookies, all blanketed in fresh whipped cream. Because the sandwiches are already a perfect ratio of soft chocolate wafer to vanilla ice cream, every slice cuts into neat, bakery-style stripes with zero churning or baking. A quick mid-assembly freeze keeps the layers from sliding, so the finished cake slices clean instead of squishing.
no-bakefrozenmake-ahead -
Fried Squash
Tender rounds of yellow summer squash in a seasoned cornmeal crust, shallow-fried until golden and audibly crisp — a Southern American side that turns a garden glut into something people fight over. Salting the slices first pulls out excess water so the coating clings and crisps instead of steaming and sliding off. A quick buttermilk-egg dip plus a cornmeal-flour dredge gives you crackly edges outside and almost-creamy squash inside.
southernside-dishsummer -
Spaghetti alla Nerano
Spaghetti alla Nerano is the Amalfi Coast dish that turns a pile of humble zucchini into a silky, deeply savory pasta — the one that became famous as the "stanley tucci zucchini pasta" after his Searching for Italy episode. Thin zucchini coins are fried until golden and jammy, rested so their flavor concentrates, then melted into starchy pasta water with Provolone del Monaco, butter, and basil. The vigorous off-heat toss (mantecatura) is what binds oil, cheese, and starch into a glossy cream with no actual cream in sight.
italianpastavegetarian -
Grilled Chicken Breasts
Boneless chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness, quick-brined for 30 minutes, and seared over medium-high heat until the outside is smoky and lacquered while the inside stays genuinely juicy. The brine seasons the meat all the way through and buys you a margin of error against overcooking, and a light brown-sugar-and-paprika rub builds deep grill color without burning. It is the plain-sounding dinner that quietly becomes the thing everyone asks you to make all summer.
grillinghigh-proteingluten-free -
Cedar Plank Salmon
A salmon side slathered in a brown sugar–Dijon glaze and grilled gently on a water-soaked cedar plank, so it steams and smokes at the same time. The wood shields the fish from direct flame, keeping the flesh silky and just-set while the smoldering cedar perfumes every bite. Because nothing touches the grates, there is no sticking, no flipping, and cleanup is almost nonexistent.
grillingseafoodamerican -
Classic Mojito
Cuba's most famous highball: white rum, fresh lime, mint, sugar, and a splash of soda over plenty of ice. Pressing the mint gently with sugar and lime juice releases its cooling oils without tearing the leaves into bitterness, so every sip tastes bright and clean rather than grassy. It takes ten minutes, no cooking, and rewards you with a drink that is fizzy, tart, and just sweet enough.
cubancocktailno-cook -
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Fresh mint leaves steeped into a silky egg-yolk custard give this ice cream a cool, garden-real mint flavor — pale celadon rather than neon green, and worlds away from toothpaste. Instead of waxy store-bought chips, warm melted chocolate is drizzled into the churning ice cream so it shatters into paper-thin flecks that snap and then melt on your tongue. The custard base takes patience (steep, chill, churn, freeze), but every stage is simple and the payoff is scoop-shop texture at home.
ice-creamfrozen-dessertsummer -
Raspberry Jam
A glossy, deep-red raspberry jam made with just three ingredients — berries, sugar, and lemon juice — and no boxed pectin. Raspberries carry enough natural pectin that a short maceration followed by a hard boil to 220°F sets them into a soft, spoonable spread that tastes intensely of fresh fruit, bright and tart-sweet rather than candy-like.
no-pectinsmall-batchcanning -
Caramel Frappuccino
This caramel frappuccino is a thick, frosty blend of chilled espresso, cold milk, and buttery caramel sauce, crowned with softly whipped cream and a generous caramel drizzle. Fully chilling the coffee before blending and adding a tiny pinch of xanthan gum are the two moves that matter: cold coffee keeps the ice from melting into a watery slush, and the gum holds the drink in that creamy, coffeehouse-smooth suspension instead of separating in the glass.
coffeeblended-drinkno-cook -
Blackberry Cobbler
A Southern-style batter blackberry cobbler where a vanilla-scented batter is poured over melted butter and the sugared berries are scattered on top — as it bakes, the batter rises up and around the fruit into a golden, crackly-edged crust with a custardy middle. Pouring the batter over hot butter (and never stirring) is what creates those caramelized, almost fried edges people fight over, while a spoonful of cornstarch keeps the jammy berry pockets from turning soupy.
dessertamericansouthern -
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Juicy ripe strawberries, salty feta, and crunchy skillet-candied pecans piled over tender baby spinach, all tied together with a tangy balsamic–poppy seed dressing. Candying the pecans in a dry skillet takes five minutes and gives the salad its addictive sweet-savory crunch, while a splash of Dijon keeps the dressing emulsified so it clings to every leaf instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
saladsummervegetarian -
Peach Pie
A classic double-crust peach pie: juicy summer peaches sliced thick and folded with brown sugar, cinnamon, and a touch of nutmeg, all sealed inside a flaky all-butter pastry. Draining the macerated peaches and thickening with cornstarch keeps every slice sliceable instead of soupy, while a hot-start bake on a preheated sheet pan crisps the bottom crust right through. The result is bronzed, bubbling, and tastes like August in a pie plate.
dessertamericansummer