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21 Easy Summer Dinners to Beat the Heat

These are my favorite summer dinners to beat the heat! Most are made with up to 8ingredients and are quick, healthy, and budget-friendly. Some are grilled meats and seasonal vegetables, cold pasta salads, and fresh weeknight meal ideas. This berry salad is one of them!

Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 1261 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing (OPTIONAL):
  • ½ cup light olive oil (or avocado oil)
  • zest of a lemon )optional, add it to the dressing only if you love tangy dressings!)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (or lime juice or red wine vinegar)
  • ¼ cup honey (or pure maple syrup). If on a keto diet, use sugar-free maple syrup or a sugar substitute!
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • A dash of ground black pepper
  • ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
For the Berry Salad:
  • 6 ounces blueberries
  • 6 ounces blackberries
  • 6 ounces raspberries
  • 16 ounces strawberries ,hulled and quartered
  • 16 ounces watermelon ,peeled and cut into cubes (Replace with more berries if you are on a keto diet)
  • 12 fresh mint leaves (or finely chopped)
  • Zest of 1 lemon (or ½ to 1 tsp)
  • ¼ cup goat cheese , crumbled (or feta cheese) -- OPTIONAL

Instructions

For the Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing:
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large glass measuring cup, or in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the oil, lemon zest and juice, honey, salt, pepper, and poppy seeds.
  2. Whisk or shake until well combined. Let it sit at room temperature while preparing the salad in order to allow the flavors to blend.
For the Berry Salad:
  1. To make our berry salad recipe, start by washing your berries under cold water and then laying them out on a clean towel or paper towel.
  2. Pat them dry gently to remove excess water (or they will become too soft). Hulled and quarter them! Place the watermelon cubes into a large salad bowl and top with the berries.
  3. Sprinkle the mint and lemon zest over. Spoon over 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing and gently toss to combine. Top with the crumbled goat cheese!
  4. Cover with a plastic wrap and chill until serving (in up to 30-60 minutes). If it'll take more than one hour to serve the salad, only mix the salad with the dressing right before serving. You may store both the salad and dressing separately in the fridge to avoid sogginess.

Notes

  • SUBSTITUTIONS: You may replace lemon juice with red wine vinegar, and lemon zest with ½ teaspoon of dried mustard powder. If you prefer, skip the dressing. Toss the berry salad with a good hint of honey and lemon juice.
  • SUBSTITUTIONS: 
  • You may replace lemon juice with red wine vinegar, and lemon zest with ½ teaspoon of dried mustard powder. 
  • If you prefer, skip the dressing. Toss the berry salad with a good hint of honey and lemon juice.
  • STORAGE: After LIGHTLY dressing the salad, you'll have leftovers. Keep the dressing leftovers in a Mason jar in the fridge for up to 7 days and use them in other salads. 
  • STORAGE:
  • After LIGHTLY dressing the salad, you'll have leftovers. Keep the dressing leftovers in a Mason jar in the fridge for up to 7 days and use them in other salads. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 126.1kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 18.5g (6%) Protein 2.8g (6%) Fat 5.7g (9%) Saturated Fat 1.6g (8%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Cholesterol 3.3mg (1%) Sodium 107.8mg (4%) Potassium 248.8mg (7%) Fiber 4.5g (18%) Sugar 11.8g (24%) Vitamin A 530.6IU (11%) Vitamin C 52mg (58%) Calcium 42.6mg (4%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1261

% Daily Value*

Calories 126.1kcal 6%
Carbohydrates 18.5g 6%
Protein 2.8g 6%
Fat 5.7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1.6g 8%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7g 4%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 3.3mg 1%
Sodium 107.8mg 4%
Potassium 248.8mg 5%
Fiber 4.5g 18%
Sugar 11.8g 24%
Vitamin A 530.6IU 11%
Vitamin C 52mg 58%
Calcium 42.6mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.