On hot days, greasy meals often weigh heavily on our stomachs. The solution: light summer dishes with seasonal fruit and vegetables. Today we have selected 6 delicious recipes for youfill up,without creating a feeling of fullness. They are quick to prepare and contain few calories. The last recipe in particular will give you a real boost of freshness in the heat! So read until the end.
Light summer dishes served warm
Risotto with green asparagus, mint and lemon à la Jamie Oliver
Light summer dishes with rice are delicious and quick to make. Here is a simple and delicious risotto with green asparagus that is light but also rich in valuable nutrients. Best of all, one serving only contains 395 calories.
If you feel like a little upgrade, you can add seafood to the risotto, such as crab or lobster meat, peeled shrimp, or sliced scallops - all of which taste great with asparagus. If you choose one of these suggestions, reduce the Parmesan by half. Italian white wine Pinot Grigio goes best with this light summer dish.
Ingredients for 6 servings:
250 g Arborioreis
7 stalks of asparagus
60 g Butter
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
800 ml vegetable broth or chicken stock
100 ml white wine
1 lemon
30 g grated Parmesan
20 mint leaves
Preparation:
- Peel the onion and garlic and chop finely.
- Cut 2 cm off the end of the green asparagus, peel 2 cm below the tip of the asparagus with a potato peeler and cut into approx. 3 cm long pieces.
- Heat the butter in a pan and add the chopped onion and garlic. Mix well, then stir in the rice and season with about 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Deglaze with the wine and after the rice has absorbed the liquid, add a ladle of the hot broth to the rice. Let the rice cook over moderate, but not high, heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a little more broth every now and then. Add the asparagus pieces to the still cooking risotto.
- Pay attention to the consistency of the risotto. The rice should not be cooked too soft, but should remain slightly firm at the core of each grain.
- Remove the pot from the heat, mix in the grated lemon peel and juice. Then stir in the remaining butter. Put the lid on and let it rest for another minute.
- Before serving, sprinkle the asparagus risotto with grated Parmesan and a few mint leaves.
Spaghetti with zucchini, blue cheese and mint
Spaghetti with carbonara sauce can feel a little heavy on the stomach in summer. Quick, summery, fresh and very tasty - this recipe for spaghetti with zucchini, blue cheese and mint is an excellent alternative to classic pasta. The combination between zucchini and blue cheese is really specific but very tasty.
Ready in about 15 minutes, the spaghetti with zucchini and cheese saves time and also saves dinner when you've run out of ideas!
Ingredients for 4 servings:
300 g Spaghetti
100g blue cheese
1 EL Kill
1 Zucchini
20 mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
*Gorgonzola cheese is best for this recipe. However, you can also use another similar cheese, such as Blue Stilton cheese. You can also replace the blue cheese with ricotta, but the delicious summer dish won't have as much flavor.
- Place the spaghetti in boiling salted water and cook according to package instructions.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, wash the zucchini, cut into cubes and fry in a hot pan with oil. Stir occasionally until the zucchini turns golden.
- Mix in the peeled and crushed garlic cloves and the crumbled blue cheese. Stir for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Drain the spaghetti, add it to the zucchini sauce and mix well. Then add some finely chopped mint.
- Serve the dish warm.
Light low-carb summer dishes: cauliflower rösti from the oven
Cauliflower is a popular food for anyone trying to eat healthy and follow a low carb or keto diet. But kids will love these cauliflower rosti too! The recipe is simple, the result is delicious and everyone is happy.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
500g cauliflower
2 Owner
4 tbsp Parmesan (grated)
2 cloves of garlic
- For these low-carb rösti, first wash the cauliflower well, cut it into florets and cook in salted water for 5-6 minutes. Then drain the cauliflower.
- Place the cauliflower and peeled garlic in a blender and process into small pieces.
- Beat the eggs with a fork or whisk, then add the cauliflower and parmesan and mix well.
- Line the baking tray with baking paper and use a spoon to pour the desired amount of dough onto it.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Light summer dishes served cold
Eggplant rolls filled with tuna (for guests)
One of our most popular summer recipes is eggplant rolls with cream cheese and tuna. They are wonderful as a starter to an aperitif or as a main course accompanied by a larger salad. If you want to surprise your friends with something delicious, this recipe is for you.
You can prepare these in two ways depending on how healthy you want to eat. You can fry the eggplant strips in oil or in a grill pan. When they are fried, they absorb more fat, but the rolls look more elegant and have a beautiful golden color. There is also a taste difference with roasted eggplants, so we leave that choice up to you. In both cases you have a wonderful and light appetizer.
It is recommended to let the finished eggplant rolls with cream cheese and tuna rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before serving. They taste better cold, especially on a warm summer evening. This also makes the filling firmer. You can offer your guests vodka with the eggplant rolls. But they also go well with white wine.
Preparation: 50 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
535 calories
Ingredients for 4 servings:
2 eggplants
1 can of tuna in its own juice
250 g cream cheese
1/3 bunch of parsley
1 tbsp lemon zest
200 ml oil for frying
Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Cut the aubergines lengthwise into slices about 0.5 cm thick, season with salt and let rest for 30 minutes. Place the bowl at an angle to allow the bitter juice to drip off.
- Fry the eggplant in a pan with hot oil and drain on a napkin. If you prefer a healthier option, you can roast them in a grill pan.
- Mash the cheese in a bowl, add the tuna, grated lemon peel and finely chopped parsley. Stir and spoon the mixture over each of the fried eggplant slices.
- Roll up and serve.
Couscous salad with feta, mint and watermelon
This is the perfect summer salad: nutty whole-grain couscous, juicy-sweet watermelon and salty feta cheese. The dressing is a simple blend of lime juice and honey, and the mint leaves add a refreshing herbal flavor. The salad would be great at your next BBQ or picnic, and perfect as a side dish with grilled meat, grilled chicken or shrimp!Honeydew melon or cantaloupewould also make a delicious substitute for watermelon if you have it on hand.
Ingredients for 4 to 6 servings:
300 ml water
165g whole grain couscous
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
A pinch of saffron, optional
1 1/2 cups seedless watermelon,cut into cubes(about 200g)
1 celery, cut into 0.5 cm thin slices (approx. 100 g)
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, plus a few leaves for garnish
1/2 cup crumbled mild feta, preferably from sheep's milk (about 100 g)
Fürs Dressing:
2 or 3 medium limes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 to 2 teaspoons of honey, depending on your preference
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
- Place the water in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the couscous, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the saffron, cover, and set aside until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and place in a large serving bowl, spreading and fluffing the grains again. Set aside and let cool for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, peel the limes and squeeze out the juice. You need 2 teaspoons of lime zest and 3 tablespoons of juice. Place the zest and juice in a small screw-top jar and add the olive oil, honey, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously untilDressing mixedis. *If you have time, let the dressing sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
- Once the couscous has cooled, top with the watermelon, celery and mint. Pour the dressing over the top and season with salt and pepper (keep in mind that feta can be quite salty).
- Finally, garnish with the crumbled feta and mint leaves and drizzle with a little more olive oil.
Prepare in advance: You can prepare the salad – without the feta and mint for garnish – up to four hours in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Gluten-free version: You can replace the couscous with 400g of cooked quinoa.
A little saffron adds sophistication to this light summer salad and turns your couscous golden.
Light summer dishes: Cold soup with yogurt and cucumbers
Do you need an idea for light summer dishes without cooking? Then how about some cold soup? The Spanish have gazpacho, the Russians have okroshka and Bulgarians have tarator. The cooling, cold soup with yogurt and cucumbers is a summer favorite of young and old and is ready in just 20 minutes. No cooking at all! In spring they are available in a version with finely chopped green lettuce instead of cucumbers and in winter with pickles.
Do you know what is most important in a tarator? We'll tell you before we start listing the necessary products. Walnuts are the ingredient that gives this traditional Bulgarian recipe a perfect look and taste. Of course, garlic and dill are no less important.
One serving contains only 234 calories.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
500 g Yoghurt
2 When eating salad
2 cups of water
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 Bund Dill
50 g ground walnuts
2 EL Kill
1 tsp salt
optional black pepper
preparation:
- Peel the cucumbers, cut or grate them into very small cubes and place them in a suitable bowl or pot.
- Add the crushed garlic, finely chopped dill, salt and oil.
- If you like the taste, add black pepper.
- Pour the yoghurt into the bowl and mix everything well. Dilute with 2 cups water or more until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve the tarator chilled and sprinkled with walnuts.
There are no rules for serving and eating tarator. You can put the soup in a glass or in a bowl and eat it either as a starter with ouzo or masticha or alongside the main course. Fried potatoes also go perfectly with this.
