Recipes Appetizers Hors d'oeuvres 30 Summer Hors d'Oeuvres for a Crowd By Food & Wine Editors Updated on August 13, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos In the summer, we like our appetizers light and fresh—think delicately fried fritto mistos, cool ceviches, and irresistible dips. In this summer recipe round-up, we've included seasonal dishes that feature juicy tomatoes (hello, grilled tomato crostini), as well as a few grilled recipes too, like zucchini kebabs, to make the most of warm weather. Read on for more summer hors d'oeuvres we love. 01 of 30 Grilled Vegetable Bruschetta What could be more summery than grilled peppers and squash heaped on toasted country bread that's slathered with fresh basil pesto? This versatile recipe works as a first course or even a whole meal. More Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes Go to Recipe 02 of 30 Grilled Squash Ribbons and Prosciutto with Mint Dressing © Con Poulos Grilling zucchini and summer squash ribbons on skewers is terrific because the edges become wonderfully charred and crisp, while the insides stay tender and juicy. Grilling Tips and Recipes Go to Recipe 03 of 30 Parmesan Tuiles with Heirloom Tomato Salad © Con Poulos Chopped red, green and orange tomatoes are tossed with olive oil and herbs, then served on Parmesan tuiles. The result: a supremely colorful, incredibly easy hors d'oeuvre. More Tomato Recipes Go to Recipe 04 of 30 Cheese-Topped Guacamole In this play on nachos, chef Gonzalo Martinez tops a chunky guacamole with gooey melted cheese. Delicious Appetizers for Any Occasion Go to Recipe 05 of 30 Zucchini-and-Pepper Gratin with Herbs and Cheese © James Merrell Switzerland has been making Sbrinz—a hard, aged, cow's-milk cheese—for centuries. Daniel Humm uses the pleasantly salty Sbrinz to top a gratin made with a ratatouille-like mix of sautéed zucchini strips, bell peppers and tomato. Parmigiano-Reggiano, another hard, aged, cow's milk cheese, is a fine substitute. Summer Dishes from Best New Chefs Go to Recipe 06 of 30 Scallop Ceviche with Aguachile Aguachile (chile water) is a vibrant sauce made with fresh chiles, herbs and cucumbers that’s fantastic on any type of fish or shellfish. Chef David Goody serves aguachile with thinly sliced scallops that have been just cured in fresh lime juice. Incredible Ceviche Recipes Go to Recipe 07 of 30 Roast Beef Summer Rolls © Petrina Tinslay Vietnamese summer rolls are often filled with or shrimp, but Grace Parisi makes hers with roast beef from the deli. Great No-Cook Dishes Go to Recipe 08 of 30 Grilled Tomato Crostini © Con Poulos Make sure to use a bright, fruity olive oil. Summer Grilling Guide Go to Recipe 09 of 30 Pickled Shrimp with Creamy Spinach Dip © Jody Horton James Holmes grew up in Texas but didn't learn how to make pickled shrimp, a Gulf specialty, until he took a job at a New York City restaurant. F&W’s Guide to Fish & Seafood Recipes Go to Recipe 10 of 30 Shrimp-and-Feta-Stuffed Zucchini Ana Sortun tops stuffed zucchini with a tangy sauce of feta, olive oil and Hungarian peppers (spicy wax chiles). To make it even easier, top the roasted zucchini with a little feta, then broil briefly. More Amazing Appetizers Go to Recipe 11 of 30 Bacon-and-Romaine Skewers with Blue Cheese Dressing Wedge salad (iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing and bacon) is a classic American dish. Here, James Holmes reconfigures it as a playful cocktail snack. More 3-Step Summer Recipes Go to Recipe 12 of 30 Greek Salad Sandwiches © Martin Morrell This is Greek salad perfection: Michael Psilakis tops warm bread with garlicky red-pepper tzatziki (cucumber-yogurt spread) and a piquant combo of cucumbers, olives, peperoncini, tomatoes, radishes, greens and feta. It's stellar with homemade ladopsomo bread and yogurt, but equally good with store-bought. Michael Symon on How to Use Traditional Greek Ingredients Go to Recipe 13 of 30 Lobster-and-Corn Fritters These crisp, light fritters taste like nothing but fresh lobster and sweet corn. Chefs' Nostalgic Summer Recipes Go to Recipe 14 of 30 Eggplant Involtini with Grilled Ratatouille © Con Poulos Faux cheeses made with nuts are key to vegan cooking. To stuff these involtini, chef Sean Baker re-creates the flavor of ricotta by combining pureed raw cashews with nutritional yeast, which has a very savory, almost cheese-like flavor and is available at well-stocked specialty and natural food stores. More Fantastic Eggplant Recipes Go to Recipe 15 of 30 Fresh Herb-and-Tomato Salsa with Smoked Cheese © Kana Okada Inspired by an Italian Caprese salad, this tomato salsa is full of calcium-rich cheese. It's so chunky it could be eaten on its own with a fork, but it's also wonderful with shredded chicken. More Incredible Salsas Go to Recipe 16 of 30 Grilled Zucchini Kebabs with Zucchini Dip Alternate zucchini with yellow squash, if you’d like. Summer Grilling Guide Go to Recipe 17 of 30 Daikon-Papaya Summer Rolls with Minted Yogurt Sauce © Tina Rupp Douglas Keane says that these summer rolls, filled with tangy marinated daikon, cucumber and papaya, are the perfect way to jolt the palate before a rich meal that will likely include truffles and foie gras. Go to Recipe 18 of 30 Warm Olives with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon © Quentin Bacon Chef Marc Murphy serves these olives warm to accentuate the marinade's lemony flavor. Go to Recipe 19 of 30 Mini Brioche Lobster Rolls © Kana Okada These rolls, which are a delightful play on the traditional lobster roll, are quite substantial, so one per person is plenty, especially if you're serving additional hors d'oeuvres. Cooked shrimp or lump crab is a fine alternative to lobster. Go to Recipe 20 of 30 Bacon-Wrapped Cherry Peppers These genius hors d'oeuvres from Colby Garrelts (an F&W Best New Chef 2005) call for just three ingredients. The recipe can be made ahead of time, so it's great for parties. Go to Recipe 21 of 30 Caponata Crostini with Goat Cheese This eggplant based relish is a delicious accompaniment to just about everything. Go to Recipe 22 of 30 Honey Tomato Bruschetta with Ricotta A drizzle of robust buckwheat honey balances the creamy ricotta cheese. Go to Recipe 23 of 30 Caesar Salad Spears © Kana Okada Forkless salad is a game-changer. Go to Recipe 24 of 30 Crispy Polenta Bites with Arugula Tapenade Instead of using polenta as a side dish, turn it into crouton-like hors d'oeuvres. Go to Recipe 25 of 30 Kimchi Corn Dogs Marcus Nilsson These bite-size kimchi corn dogs are an umami-rich twist on a childhood favorite. Go to Recipe 26 of 30 Achari Pimiento Cheese Spread Victor Protasio Traditional pimiento cheese gets a kick with classic Indian pickling spices. Go to Recipe 27 of 30 Mango-and-Halloumi Fritto Misto Victor Protasio Seafood and vegetables are often the star of fritto misto (mixed fry). In this version, F&W’s Justin Chapple swaps in ripe but firm mangoes and sturdy halloumi cheese, showcasing their incredible versatility. A batter of fizzy club soda, flour, and cornstarch forms a crust that is light but dippable. Go to Recipe 28 of 30 Fried Green Tomatoes, Pickles, and Okra with Crème Fraîche Ranch Dip Caitlin Bensel Fried green tomatoes are a classic Southern treat, perfect for summer months when green tomatoes are plentiful. Served with fried pickles and okra and a cooling crème fraîche riff on ranch dressing, a platter of super-crunchy, tangy fried veggies will make you the star of every summer party or weeknight dinner. Go to Recipe 29 of 30 Tuna-Avocado Ceviche with Salsa Macha Jen Causey This ceviche is great on top of tostadas or eaten like poke as an appetizer. And the best part is that you can make the salsa ahead of time, and just stir it together with the remaining ingredients just before you’re ready to eat. Go to Recipe 30 of 30 Grilled Oysters with Chorizo Butter No shucking necessary: Once the oysters open on the grill, simply top them with David Kinch’s smoky, tangy butter. Go to Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit