9 Summer Vegetable Dishes
It’s time to eat your vegetables. Summer is the season of abundance - tomatoes, stone fruit, berries, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, you name it. Whether you’re using up your haul from the farmer’s market or choosing the perfect side dish for a barbecue, this list has something for every shade of vegetable enthusiast.
Tomatoes and stone fruit are a classic pairing. We serve a version of this salad every summer. The acidic and sweet tomatoes and peaches balance perfectly with the rich and savory burrata and croutons. This dish works well with any stone fruit.
Are carrots a summer vegetable? If you’ve ever eaten a freshly dug carrot from the garden, the answer is yes. Here we roast the carrots in the oven, but consider firing up the barbeque or smoker. The key is to cook them long enough to concentrate and caramelize the sugars. A spicy onion jam offsets the sweetness of the carrots. Serve it as the headliner or pair it with another main like grilled lamb.
This is a hybrid dish. Half potato salad, half cole slaw: stronger than both. Brussels sprouts are more of a winter ingredient, but you can substitute any number of cabbages from the market. Miso and roasted garlic give the dressing a great umami boost.
A weeknight go-to for Mac’s family. If you already have pickles in the fridge, this dish hits the table in less than 15 minutes. Savory, lightly sweet, and a little briny, this salad is immensely satisfying. Make it shine with high quality olive oil and good bread to soak up the sauce. If you’re short on time, there’s no shame in using store-bought pickled peppers.
5. Succotash
Corn, beans, and squash. The universe loves a trio. Known as the three sisters, they create a nutritionally comprehensive diet. Succotash is simple and soothing. Mac likes to describe it as a brothless stew. Sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, and toasted seeds make this succotash even more satisfying.
This is one of our favorites - fresh vegetables and a tangy, spicy sauce, all grounded by the mellow, toothy couscous. The combination of the creamy mozzarella and the lightly sweet, caramelized figs is intoxicating.
This is a classic salad - robust enough to be the main attraction, versatile enough to accompany any meat or fish. It also makes great leftovers: have it for lunch the next day topped with tinned fish or a poached egg.
Yes we have two potato salad recipes on this list, but honestly what’s a summer barbeque without potato salad? Potatoes love bacon fat. Throw in some good vinegar and tangy mustard, and honestly, that’s about it. The result is one of the best potato salads we’ve ever made. As if we needed more evidence to keep things simple.
This recipe is a very loose guideline. Go to the farmer’s market and find some vegetables that look good to eat. Grill some, pickle some, and try some raw. Grab a bunch of herbs. As long as your dressing has olive oil and something sour (citrus or vinegar), you’re good to go.
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Thanks for cooking with us,
Mac
