5 Summer Side Dishes

If you’re craving a delicious outdoor picnic, these 5 summer side dishes will satisfy your appetite. The following side dishes require little cooking, so they’re easy to make and will perfectly complement barbecued steak, hot dogs, or chicken. So relax with a beer and try out some of these summer recipes.

Gorgonzola and Walnut Summer Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 cups spring mix salad
• 6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
• 6 ounces walnuts
• 5 ounces dried cranberries
• 1 green apple
• 5 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

1.  Pour the salad mix into a large bowl. Wash and slice the green apple.
2. Add the gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, cranberries, and apples to the salad. Toss while adding the balsamic vinaigrette.

Mexican Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:

• 8 ears of corn
• 1 cup butter
• 6 ounces mayonnaise
• 1 cup Cotija or Mexican cheese
• Chili powder
• Salt

1. Turn a barbecue grill onto medium high heat. Spread butter on each corn ear, wrap the corn tightly in aluminum foil, and grill for approximately twenty to 30 minutes. 
2. Take the corn off the grill. Spread on mayonnaise and sprinkle chili powder. Add salt for extra flavor. While the corn is still hot, sprinkle a little cheese over it.

Fruit Medley with Vanilla Topping

 Ingredients:

• ½  cantaloupe 
• ½ honeydew melon
• 2 cups red grapes
• 2 cups strawberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups vanilla pudding
• 1 cup canned pineapples, drained

1. Chop the cantaloupe, honeydew, and strawberries into bite-size slices and pour into a large bowl. Add the grapes and blueberries.
2. Toss the fruit and sprinkle in sugar. Mix vanilla pudding and pineapples pieces together in a small bowl. Serve on the side or stir into the fruit medley.

Three Bean Salad

 Ingredients:

• 16 ounces red kidney beans
• 16 ounces shelled edamame
• 16 ounces garbanzo beans
• ½  cup red wine vinaigrette
• ¼  cup vegetable oil 
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Stir the vinaigrette, vegetable oil, and honey together in a bowl. Add salt and pepper. 
2. Drain the kidney and garbanzo beans. In a large bowl, mix together the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and edamame.
3. Pour the dressing over the beans and toss, adding pepper or salt if needed. Refrigerate for two to three hours before serving.

Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Skewers

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants
• 2 large red or green bell peppers
• 1 onion
• 2 zucchinis
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Slice eggplants, peppers, zucchinis, and onion into small sections. Stir together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Add a dash of salt and pepper. 
2. Marinate the vegetables for one to two hours. Place the vegetable pieces on skewers.
3. Grill vegetable skewers on a barbecue for ten to twenty minutes. Take the vegetables off the grill when they’ve become tender and slightly blackened.