Recipes Comfort Food 17 Light Summer Lunch Ideas By Food & Wine Editors Updated on May 17, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Heat and humidity call for light summer meals with fresh vegetables, cold fruit, delicate dressings, and quick preparation. We've curated some of our favorite summer lunch ideas, including chilled soups, vibrant salads, tofu tacos, simple sandwiches, and fun flatbreads. Here's how to celebrate the season's produce and seafood with something satisfying any afternoon. 01 of 17 Strawberry Burrata Salad Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee Creamy burrata is the centerpiece of this salad of strawberries marinated in a honey and balsamic vinaigrette and served over arugula and basil leaves. Get the Recipe 02 of 17 Classic Club Sandwich Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee It’s equal parts texture and flavor; crunch and salt and meatiness balanced by crisp lettuce and a lush tomato, all held together with a generous swipe of mayo. Few sandwiches hit the spot so completely and perfectly — and you can adjust the toppings to keep it as light as desired. Get the Recipe 03 of 17 Barbecue Jackfruit Sandwiches with Cabbage Slaw Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas Thanks to a smoky, tangy, gently sweet sauce, these barbecue jackfruit sandwiches taste satisfyingly meaty (feel free to double the sauce to toss with smoked or braised pork shoulder as well). Get the Recipe 04 of 17 Kachumber Gazpacho Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Hetal Vasavada channeled her love for kachumber, a fresh, cucumber-based Indian salad, to inspire this exciting riff on the classic chilled summery soup. Get the Recipe 05 of 17 Citrus and Avocado Salad with Pickled Onions Sarah Crowder Celebrate citrus with a bright salad of grapefruit and oranges plus pomegranate seeds for texture and avocado to cut through all the acid. Pickled red onions add one more hue to the refreshing dish. Get the Recipe 06 of 17 Zucchini, Corn, and Shrimp Flatbread Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Naan flatbreads get toasty on the grill, layered with mascarpone cheese, sweet shrimp, juicy corn, and tender ribbons of fresh zucchini. Get the Recipe 07 of 17 Cold Cucumber Soup with Yogurt and Dill Cara Cormack This cool, refreshing cucumber soup from Andrew Zimmern gets tang and creaminess from Greek yogurt and big, summery flavor from lots of fresh herbs. Get the Recipe 08 of 17 Cacio e Pepe Broccolini with Crispy White Beans and Burrata Victor Protasio Hetty McKinnon captures the rich, elegant, simple flavors of the classic Italian pasta and rounds them out with bitter charred Broccolini and crispy, creamy, flash-fried white beans. Get the Recipe 09 of 17 Grilled Summer Squash with Blue Cheese and Pecans Eva Kolenko For grilled squash with a uniformly crisp texture, chef Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer in North Carolina cuts her squash lengthwise into quarters and then removes the seedy interior. This gorgeous summer squash salad is tossed with a bright, lemony dressing. Get the Recipe 10 of 17 Italian Tuna Salad Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman This salad is full of flavors and textures. The crisp celery and quick pickled red onions, briny Castelvetrano olives, and vibrant sundried tomatoes accentuate the tuna. Get the Recipe 11 of 17 Grilled Squash, Corn, and Kale Salad with Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette Adrian Gaut The creamy sunflower seed dressing for this hearty summer salad is flavored with za'atar, the classic Middle Eastern spice mix that often includes thyme, oregano or marjoram, sesame seeds, tangy sumac, and often salt. Get the Recipe 12 of 17 Fish Tacos with Tomatillo-Jalapeño Salsa For her light and satisfying tacos, chef Deborah Schneider fills warm corn tortillas with meaty charred halibut and aguachiles, a brilliant, spicy, tart salsa. Get the Recipe 13 of 17 Cold Saimin Salad with Soy-Ginger Grilled Pork Victor Protasio This Hawaiian-style cold ramen noodle salad recipe is topped with slices of savory, crispy pork shoulder, crunchy bean sprouts, tender ribbons of egg, shredded nori, and slices of Japanese pickled cucumber. A cooling dressing of dashi, rice wine vinegar, and sake brings it all together. It makes a refreshing lunch or a hearty side dish at a cookout. Get the Recipe 14 of 17 Crunchy Tofu Tacos © Con Poulos Joe Kim playfully combines fried tofu and peanuts in this take on tacos. Get the Recipe 15 of 17 Summer Bulgur and Green Bean Salad © Maura McEvoy This lovely side dish of light, fluffy bulgur studded with bits of toasted almonds and crisp green beans is a wonderful alternative to rice. Get the Recipe 16 of 17 Crackly and Chewy Grilled Flatbreads with Herbed Cheese Spread and Tomatoes Victor Protasio What turns a flatbread made with just four ingredients (flour, yeast, salt, and water) from everyday to extraordinary is the starter — a yeast, flour, and water base that ferments overnight and gives the bread its distinct flavor and chew. Here the starter gives the flatbreads a crackly texture that’s then burnished on the grill. Top and finish like a pizza with Herbed Cheese Spread and fresh tomatoes, or tear into pieces for dipping. Get the Recipe 17 of 17 Lobster Bisque Victor Protasio Lobster shells from the tail, claws, knuckles, and legs are full of flavor and, when very gently simmered in water, yield a clean-tasting, briny stock. Seasoned with mirepoix, sherry, and herbs, this classic bisque is thickened with fragrant jasmine rice. Serve it hot or cold for a knockout lunch or simple supper. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! 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