Dive into Summer with 55 Refreshing Cold Side Dish Recipes

This unique potato salad will the the star of your summer BBQ, potluck, or gathering! Creamy and crispy smashed potato salad - everyone will beg you for this recipe!

This summer salad is packed with fresh blueberries, grapes, blue cheese, and avocado! Then topped with a sweet and salty balsamic glaze dressing.

This delightful Lentil Salad is a breeze to prepare, featuring wholesome green lentils, crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, sharp red onion, fresh parsley, creamy feta, and a bright lemon-Dijon dressing. Rich in plant-based protein and bursting with flavor and texture, it’s an excellent choice for a make-ahead meal. Enjoy this salad as a hearty lunch or a satisfying dinner—it’s even more flavorful the next day!

Tomato Feta White Bean Salad with Arugula is a protein-packed yet light summer salad with both garden fresh cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. Tossed with spicy arugula, feta cheese and a simple vinaigrette, it's ready in just 10 minutes!

This Chickpea Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad is a fresh and tasty mix of crunchy veggies, crumbled feta, and chickpeas. Tossed in a simple dressing, it’s a quick and healthy side dish or light meal!

An easy 5 ingredient pasta salad perfect for summer picnics because it's mayo free!

Strawberries, blackberries, arugula and mini mozzarella balls and pasta are all tossed together with an easy pesto dressing. Simple, delicious and sure to be a hit!

The ultimate side dish for your next BBQ, this Creamy Bacon Broccoli Salad Recipe with Cheddar is loaded with fresh broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese and crispy bacon, all tossed in simple tangy dressing. With only 6 ingredients, this salad is super easy to throw together!

Mango Salad – With just 4 ingredients, this mango salad is the perfect summer recipe for the outdoors. Easy to make and delicious. Serve it as an app or w/chips.

Easy 5-ingreient Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad takes just minutes to make and is packed with flavor.

This beetroot and chickpea salad is healthy, easy to make and pairs well with almost every dinner.

This is a delicious twist on traditional potato salad that the whole family will love!

This Chipotle Potato Salad is a flavorful summer side dish! It's made with Yukon gold potatoes, eggs, and tossed in a smoky chipotle mayo dressing. 

This delicious vegetable pasta primavera dish is vegan, oil-free, and so super quick and easy to make that it makes the weekly rotation at our house all summer long!

This herbed summer corn pasta salad is a real crowd pleaser! Featuring bowtie pasta tossed with fresh summer corn, feta, juicy cherry tomatoes and tons of herbs in a citrusy dressing.

This fast and easy 5 bean salad takes about five minutes to make and tastes even better if you make it ahead of time. It’s a perfect side dish for a summer BBQ.

Spicy coleslaw. Why is this not a more popular thing? Why just have the boring, standard coleslaw when you can make this spicy number for a change?

This easy Greek Orzo Salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks, BBQs and get togethers. Whenever you need an easy and healthy side dish, that is guaranteed to disappear first, make this gorgeous Greek orzo salad!

Perfect for a summer BBQ, this Apple Tortellini Salad Recipe just tastes like summer. This delicious salad combines the sweet and tart flavors of apples with savory tortellini pasta, making it the perfect dish for those hot summer days.

Why make a boring pasta salad when you can make a BLT Pasta Salad? This easy recipe includes everything you love about a good BLT sandwich with wagon wheel pasta and creamy ranch dressing.

This Watermelon Salad with Feta and Basil is incredibly delicious and so easy to prepare. The sweetness of the fruit is countered by the salty, savory ingredients - it’s full of fresh flavor!

This tasty pasta salad with basil, tomatoes, mozzarella and fontina cheese will be the first bowl to empty at your next BBQ! It's a delicious combination!

This Easy Broccoli Slaw with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing provides wonderful nutrition, excellent texture, great flavor, and just the right combo of sweet vs tang.

This Creamy Chickpea Salad is a tasty, simple to make side salad that is perfect for a summer barbecue. It’s protein packed and easy to make a day ahead of time.

Pimento Cheese Macaroni Salad is a combination of a southern style macaroni salad with egg and pimento cheese spread. The two flavors together are deliciously creamy and cheesy.

This basil pesto pasta salad includes tomatoes, artichoke hearts and nutritional yeast. It's ideal as a make-ahead picnic or camping side.

Tangy and refreshing, these Sour Cream Cucumbers are an easy side dish for summer.

This Italian chopped salad is the perfect side dish for a quick lunch on the move. With its crisp lettuce, juicy cherry tomatoes, and a few easy-to-find ingredients, it might just make you feel like you're dining at an Italian eatery.

This healthy Asian-inspired Tricolor Quinoa Salad recipe is flavor-packed and easy to make. Along with edamame, sweet corn, red bell peppers and green onions, the quinoa is tossed with a sesame vinaigrette. Serve this quinoa salad for lunch or dinner.

Whether you’re hosting a BBQ, attending a potluck, or need a quick and tasty side dish for dinner, it combines fresh ingredients and flavors to create a dish that’s both tasty and incredibly easy to make.

Forget that same ol' pasta salad and give this Rancharoni Macaroni a try! 

This coleslaw recipe is incredibly simple to prepare in advance, and it's the finest you'll ever create! It strikes the perfect balance—not overly sweet or bitter, but just right!

Try this Easy Fruit Salad Recipe, crafted with fresh, ripe fruits and lightly dressed with a zesty orange juice dressing. Ready in just under 20 minutes and free from added sugars, this recipe is not only simple but also refreshingly healthy. Discover all my tips and tricks for creating the perfect fruit salad that you can savor all summer long, whether as a bright start to your day, a light dinner, or a sweet dessert!

Peach Caprese Salad brings out the best in those summer ripe peaches! The classic caprese flavors with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil get a sweet and savory twist with fresh peaches and a honey balsamic dressing!

Fast and easy Tortellini Pasta Salad with cheese tortellini, pepperoni, salami, mozzarella, olives, peppers, parmesan and Italian dressing. This Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe is on a whole new level!

No barbecue is complete without potato salad. This is an easy and classic version that's sure to be a hit!

Apple And Tomato Arugula Salad: This delicious summer salad with tomatoes, arugula, corn, apple, and hearts of palm tossed with a homemade Mustard Vinaigrette.

Strawberry Fluff Salad has only 3 ingredients and is perfect for when strawberries are in season. This salad is quick to make and a great addition to any gathering.

Germany's most iconic potato salad is a always a crowd-pleaser.

This Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad is a great side for a summer BBQ! It's tossed with marinated artichokes, tomatoes, toasted walnuts, fresh basil, and a homemade dressing.

Highlight perfectly ripe summer melons with this recipe for melon and mint salad with coconut, mint and pistachios in a citrus dressing.

Tired of your usual sour cucumber pickles? Try these Asian pickled cucumbers! They are so crunchy and tasty. You can eat them right away as a salad or store them in the fridge for over a week.

Melitzanosalata is a traditional Greek dip made primarily from roasted eggplant, blended with ingredients like olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs. It has a smoky flavor and creamy texture, often served as a starter or appetizer with pita bread or vegetables. The dish is refreshing and savory, embodying the flavors of the Mediterranean.

If you love a classic caprese salad, this Stuffed Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Caprese Salad will be your new favorite. For a fun twist, all the traditional ingredients of the delicious summer side dish are stuffed and served in individual tomatoes.

Delicious vegan Mexican chopped salad with avocado dressing makes the perfect lunch salad or an easy side dish to any Mexican feast. This gluten free salad is packed with fresh veggies, dietary fiber and plant based protein.

Macedonia fruit salad is a delicious, light dessert that is very popular in Italy. Choose any summer fruits you love to make it to your liking, or follow the classic Italian recipe.

Full of flavors and colors, this German pasta salad is the perfect side for all your summer BBQs.

This chopped bacon broccoli salad has dried cranberries for the perfect balance of sweet and savory! Makes the perfect side dish for any bbq: chicken, pork or beef!

This light, crunchy Celery Salad with Mozzarella + Roasted Peppers recipe is refreshing and delicious! It’s perfect to make ahead too, it keeps beautifully in the fridge for days.

This Southwest Quinoa Salad is an easy to make quinoa salad made with black beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper and cilantro, topped with a chili lime vinaigrette.

Corn and Tomato Salad uses leftover corn on the cob and grape tomatoes to make a delicious sauteed salad. It's sweet, crunchy, and creamy all in one!

Find ideas for a camping or picnic charcuterie board that's perfect for snacking or as an appetizer on your next outdoor adventure.

Rich burrata paired with the classic flavours of a caprese salad, this recipe is the perfect summer bbq side dish. Serve cold and great for prepping ahead, ready for a new go-to summer dish.

Seafood lovers will adore this classic macaroni salad that's packed with shrimp. It's the perfect side dish for grilled burgers, chicken, hot dogs, and more.

A delightful medley of fresh and vibrant ingredients including broccoli, cucumber, red pepper, black olives, and green onions make this creamy pasta salad the perfect summer BBQ side dish recipe.