60 Refreshing Cold Dinner Ideas for Hot Summer Days

This Easy Taco Pasta Salad is a kid-friendly recipe that's loaded with Mexican-inspired flavors, perfect for summer Taco Tuesdays.

Quick to make, and always a crowd-pleaser, it’s also perfect for the next potluck or BBQ.

Quick and easy Cobb Pasta Salad features perfectly cooked pasta, crisp bacon, ripe tomatoes, cubed chicken, chopped eggs, creamy avocado, and blue cheese dressing.

It’s truly delicious, and classic cobb salad turned up a notch.

Salpicón de Pollo is a traditional Mexican salad made with cooked and shredded chicken, typically mixed with a variety of vegetables and herbs.

The salad is often seasoned with lime or lemon juice, which adds a tangy and citrusy flavor.

Now you can try an Arby's Market Fresh Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich right at home!

This recipe is very flexible, so you could add a little more or a little less of any of these ingredients, and you will come up with a great-tasting sandwich or wrap.

Colorful and packed with flavor, Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad only takes 30 minutes to make.

Not only is it the perfect addition to a potluck or BBQ, but it makes great meal prep for weekday summer lunches or dinners.

Mediterranean Grain Bowl is fresh and healthy, with the antioxidants from the veggies, fiber from the quinoa and beans, and healthy fats from the olive oil and chopped walnuts.

It stores really well in the fridge, can be meal-prepped in advance, and it’s high in protein and fiber, and ideal for anyone following a Mediterranean diet.

Fresh Tomato Bruschetta Pasta is a quick and easy no-cook sauce that’s perfect for summertime.

Fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, and balsamic vinegar add so much flavor and texture to the summer tomatoes.

Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps are ready in minutes thanks to a rotisserie chicken and a quick Greek yogurt dressing.

Fresh, diced apples are the secret weapon. They lend a bit of sweetness and crunch to this simple chicken salad. Ready in less than 20 minutes!

Fresh and vibrant Thai chicken mango salad is one delicious, filling and nutrient-rich recipe.

Made with fresh veggies, shredded chicken, sweet mango and a delicious peanut dressing, this salad takes minutes to make and is perfect for quick summer meals and weekly meal prep.

Pinwheels are the best type of recipe for the summer because you don’t have to heat anything up.

Totally customizable for your tastes, these are also fun to make ahead and take on a picnic, or to the ballpark, beach, or pool.

Smoked Corn Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad is a fun update on a classic pasta salad.

Featuring smoked corn, bacon, and avocado, it’s all tied together with a zesty Avocado Cilantro Dressing.

Hawaiian Salmon Poke Bowls are so easy to make at home, you can enjoy a taste of the islands any time the craving hits.

Comforting warm rice, homemade salmon poke in a creamy spicy sauce, fresh avocado, and a ton of delicious toppings make every bite memorable.

One of our favorite family dinners is this Dorito Taco Salad recipe with Nacho Cheese Doritos, hamburger, beans, tomatoes and lettuce!

So easy to make (or make ahead), it’s a delicious way to eat tacos in a cold, refreshing salad.

Crispy bacon, spicy arugula, and juicy tomatoes are placed atop a bed of quinoa and drizzled with a tangy yogurt dressing.

Make this for the perfect meal prep lunch or satisfyingly easy summer dinner.

A fresh take on a salad classic! Grilling the romaine lettuce, bread, AND chicken totally enhances the salad's flavor beautifully.

The smokiness from the grill, alongside the easy tangy homemade dressing is truly a winning combo.

Watermelon Gazpacho is a unique cold soup perfect for hot summer days. It is packed with refreshing flavors and requires no cooking.

This delicious Tuna Pasta Salad is the perfect 15 minute meal for warm summer evenings. It’s filling, and a great balance of flavors and textures.

Italian Pressed Sandwiches are loaded with fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced prosciutto and salami, basil, peppers, and a balsamic vinaigrette.

They are a great easy, make-ahead cold sandwich for a crowd or summer picnic.

Whether it's served hot or cold, this Greek Rice Salad is one of my favorite ways to enjoy vegetables and grains.

Perfect for summer cookouts and potlucks or a light weeknight dinner, this healthy dish is sure to be a hit!

This quick Avocado Chicken Salad takes just 15 minutes to make if you use leftover (or rotisserie) shredded chicken.

Topped with homemade cilantro lime dressing, it has all the fresh summer flavors.

Easy Tortellini Pasta Salad is filled with pillowy cheese tortellini, juicy grilled chicken, fresh vegetables, kalamata olives, and feta cheese, all tossed in a tangy homemade Italian dressing.

Easy Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wraps with peanut sauce make a great quick dinner!

They’re healthy, refreshing, and bursting with unique flavors. It calls for pre-cooked chicken, so really you can just whip up the peanut sauce and assemble them.

Feel good about dinner with this easy and hearty Italian Chopped Salad, with a zesty homemade Italian dressing that will knock your socks off.

You won’t miss the sub bun with all this flavor.

This sweet and savory main dish Cold Turkey Pasta Salad is loaded with turkey, grapes, and toasted walnuts and tossed in a deliciously refreshing honey-citrus dressing.

Quick and Easy Chicken Caesar Wraps are light, healthy and delicious! They are made in about 10 minutes and are perfect for a summertime lunch or simple dinner.

Panzanella salad is a hearty, main dish salad utilizing fresh summer tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, bell peppers and onions.

Combined with toasted bread, fresh mozzarella, and the best homemade dressing, what’s not to like?!

Have an easy and flavorful meal on the table in less than 30 minutes with this Thai-Inspired Chopped Chicken Salad.

Not only is it a quick and healthy dinner, but it’s also perfect for meal prep, wraps, and protein bowls.

This yummy BLT Pasta Salad is full of bacon, tomato, lettuce, pasta, and ranch flavor.

It tastes just like the sandwich, and makes for a light summer meal without all the carbs.

Club Sandwich Pinwheels taste just like your favorite restaurant sandwich. Save time and money and just make these delicious tortilla roll ups instead!

This Mediterranean Risoni Salad (aka orzo salad) is quick and easy to make. It tastes of summer and is great as a lighter meal on a hot day.

Tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, fresh mozzarella, and pine nuts make it extra special and definitely flavorful.

Preparing this Honey Hot Chicken Salad takes about 25 minutes from start to finish.

It is like having honey hot chicken wing pieces on a salad. Kind of like chicken wings made lighter and fresher!

You’ll love that this super easy and delicious summery Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad recipe comes together in just 15 minutes.

Tender chicken with peas in a creamy, zesty dressing makes for the perfect cold lunch or light dinner for hot days.

Recreate the classic delight of a Chick Fil A Chicken Salad Sandwich with this easy copycat recipe!

Experience the perfect blend of tender grilled chicken and a medley of flavorful ingredients with a creamy dressing.

Pile this delectable mixture onto your favorite bread for a sandwich that’s both comforting and satisfying.

Cool and creamy Cucumber Shrimp Salad is a protein-packed recipe.

Plump juicy shrimp and crisp cucumbers in a creamy dill dressing is so light and refreshing on hot days.

Talk about an easy and delicious summer meal or potluck contribution!

Chicken Macaroni Salad has so much flavor that everyone will be grabbing second helpings. And it’s even easier with leftover rotisserie chicken.

A Classic Club Sandwich is hard to beat - so filling and tasty!

These classic double decker sandwiches are some of the best: toasted bread piled high with plenty of meats, juicy tomatoes, and crisp lettuce.

Shrimp and Avocado Calad is a light, healthy way to incorporate healthy fats, lean protein, and fresh veggies in one refreshing, nutritious dish.

Chopped Grinder Salad is a twist on the beloved Italian Grinder sub.

A hearty and satisfying mix of crunchy lettuce, savory cold cuts, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, and delicious provolone cheese tossed in a homemade, creamy, and tangy dressing.

All the flavors, without the bread!

Easy, high-protein Mexican Tuna Salad is filled with canned tuna, black beans, veggies, cilantro, lime juice, spices, and a Greek yogurt and mayo mixture.

All your favorite southwest flavors are made in a chilled summer salad that can be served a million different ways!

Greek Pasta Salad with Salami is a totally delicious lunch or dinner salad full of hearty ingredients and tossed with a Greek style salad dressing.

Not only is it colorful and look pretty in a bowl, but the homemade dressing deserves to be bottled.

This Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad is made with fresh strawberries, goat cheese, spinach, walnuts & pine nuts, then drizzled with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette with a hint of cinnamon.

Add your favorite protein to make it even heartier.

Crisp lettuce, sweet honey ham, and creamy pimento cheese, these Ham and Pimento Cheese Wraps are such a delicious quick and easy summer lunch or dinner.

All the great flavors of buffalo chicken dip, in a satisfying tortellini pasta salad!

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is perfect as a main dish salad, and it’s sure to win praise every time you make it.

Enjoy all the flavors of classic California Roll sushi with this easy to make California Roll Bowl!

This has all of your favorite components of California Rolls. Fresh avocado, crisp cucumbers, and delicious imitation crab with a flavorful sriracha mixture drizzle.

With ham, pickles, and peppers, this creamy German Pasta Salad is easy to whip together and totally unique.

And if you want to seem extra cultured, tell everyone that this recipe is actually pronounced Nudelsalat in German.

These Mexican Rice Bowls are ready in 30 minutes, and a wonderfully fresh take on Mexican flavors.

They're topped with garlicky shrimp, avocado, fresh veggies, and a refreshing cilantro lime dressing.

Fast and easy Italian Sub Tortellini Pasta Salad tastes like your favorite sandwich shop sub.

With cheese tortellini, pepperoni, salami, mozzarella, olives, peppers, parmesan and Italian dressing, it’s truly pasta salad on a whole new level!

Salmon Caesar Salad is a healthy and delicious take on a classic Caesar.

It features easy homemade dressing, freshly baked croutons, and pan-seared salmon.

Elevate your sandwich routine with a new fun take on a classic - Cajun Egg Salad!

This recipe features the creamy egg salad you know and love, with the flavorful addition of bold Cajun spices.

Put it on a sandwich, in a wrap, or eat it with crackers or on a salad.

This Italian Antipasto Salad with lupini beans is packed with protein and bursting with Mediterranean flavors enveloped in a sweet and zesty balsamic & olive oil dressing.

It’s beautiful enough to share, but simple enough for a weeknight dinner.

Since this lime pasta salad recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make, it's perfect for those busy weeknights.

With the chicken, pasta, and romaine all served together, it’s easy to eat on the patio or deck.

Everyone needs a Cobb Salad Recipe in their summer menu lineup.

Brimming with all the traditional ingredients, our chicken cobb salad is flavored with a homemade Dijon red wine vinaigrette with chives, a perfect main dish salad.

Super easy Italian Pasta Salad with Salami and Feta starts with the best pasta, salami, fresh tomatoes, artichoke hearts, feta cheese and tossed with a simple homemade zesty dressing.

This Mediterranean Quinoa Chickpea Bowl makes the perfect healthy vegetarian lunch or light dinner.

It's topped with roasted cauliflower, Kalamata olives, and lemon tahini sauce that creates a beautiful medley of flavors.

This deconstructed spicy salmon sushi roll is the perfect dish to make when you have a hankering for sushi, but you don’t want to break the bank!

These Salmon Stacks are also incredibly easy to make by layering fresh cooked or canned salmon, sushi rice, avocado, spicy mayo, cucumbers and some additional optional toppings.

Green Goddess Pasta Salad is a creamy, tangy, herb-packed pasta salad. It’s easy to make and includes shredded chicken, tender pasta, baby spinach, arugula, and avocado.

Rainbow Salad Bowl with Maple Dijon Dressing makes a colorful and light main course salad.

And, even more important for those busy weeknights, composing this salad can be as quick and simple or as involved as you want.

Flavorful Greek Orzo Salad with shrimp and feta is super easy and refreshing.

The Greek-inspired flavors of dill, lemon, cucumber, and feta mingle with the crunch of the cucumbers and the brightness of the lemon for a fresh and tasty combination.

Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho is rich in flavor and comes together in under 30 minutes.

It is creamy from the avocados, refreshing from the mint, and spicy from the jalapenos. Perfect for a light summer dinner.

Healthy Chinese Chicken Salad starts with finely shredded Napa cabbage, then adds chicken, Mandarin oranges, scallions, sesame seeds and almonds.

A sweet (but not too sweet) Asian dressing is drizzled on top for the perfect summer salad.