30 Flavorful Recipes to Make This Summer

Flavor—it’s what takes eating from something we must do, to something we want to do. This article is part of “The Flavor Issue” our month dedicated to dialing up every dish and making every day taste better. To follow along, you can check back here for an overview of all our latest stories and recipes from the issue. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for behind the scenes, extra community content, and more! We hope to see you around Flavortown!

What does summer taste like? For me, it has to include sweet, ruby red strawberries (whether topped up on a tart or inhaled on the way home from the supermarket) and the smoky, savory smells of one too many barbecues in the park. Whether you agree with me on that or not, I think we can both agree that there are still so many more things that summer can taste like. Maybe it’s spicy braised tofu with scallions (they say spicy food can cool you down on a hot day!), fragrant lemongrass scented Thai beef salad, or carnitas tacos with fresh peach salsa. 

With this variety of flavor in mind, we gathered 30 recipes from the Kitchen Stories community and beyond that just scream summer. Whether you’re looking for quick (but not boring!) salads for a summer lunch “al desko,” flavorful plus ones for your next barbecue, fruit-forward desserts for a Sunday picnic in the park, or delicious mains for balmy summer evenings—this list has got you covered.

Why salads are our favorite summer lunches

35 min

1.2k

Fresh chickpea salad with sun-dried tomatoes

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30 min

488

Eggplant salad with yogurt, mint and hazelnut

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15 min

11k

Antipasto salad

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15 min

624

Oven roasted potato salad with herb dressing

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55 min

4.3k

Yum Nua (Thai beef salad)

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Eating with your hands

20 min

4.6k

Carnitas tacos with peach salsa

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30 min

772

Middle Eastern Chicken Wraps

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10 min

426

Spicy Tuna Salad Wraps

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Light, effortless pastas

30 min

vegan

17.9k

Pasta salad with roasted corn and basil dressing

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30 min

12.2k

Make no-cook pasta Puttanesca with Christian

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30 min

305

Tagliatelle with pan-fried shrimp and mixed cherry tomatoes

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25 min

10.9k

Burst cherry tomato and miso pasta with sesame crunch

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Can’t wait to make them summer mains

35 min

vegetarian

7.1k

Soba noodles with miso-marinated tofu and vegetables

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30 min

2.3k

Pesce all’Acqua Pazza (Italian poached fish in “crazy water”)

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50 min

666

Albondigas (Spanish meatballs)

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30 min

441

Braised Tofu in a Spicy & Savory Sauce (두부조림)

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25 min

vegan

5.6k

Thai basil pesto udon

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30 min

817

vegan sun-dried tomato risotto

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2k

Make grilled lemony salmon with Christian

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15 min

vegan

10.5k

5-ingredient sticky hoisin-roasted broccoli wedges

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Fruity-forward desserts made to share

40 min

399

No-bake cheesecake with fresh fruit 🍓

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20 min

1.2k

Blueberry rolls with quark filling

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30 min

vegetarian

3.7k

Make ice cream cookie sandwiches with Lisa

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15 min

630

Super moist lemon cake

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1:40 h

288

Strawberry Prosecco Panna Cotta

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25 min

5.6k

Strawberries and cream tart

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Quick, flavorful add-ons to your barbecue or picnic

45 min

276

Fig jam

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1 h

126

Kashk & Kadoo (Iranian zucchini dish)

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15 min

279

Frankfurt's traditional Green Sauce - „Grie Soß“

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1:10 h

377

Homemade mango chutney

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Do you have another favorite, flavor-packed summer recipe we should definitely know about? Upload it via our app or website to share with the community, or tell us about it in the comments below!