Light & Delicious Lunch Ideas for the Summer

by Rohit Bumrah Writter

As the season transitions to warm summer months, we start craving light and refreshing meals. Summer meals don’t mean that you must eat only salads. If you like delicious and fresh food, check out these recipes that you can make within 30 minutes.

• Veggie Skewers: Put a cherry tomato followed by zucchini, bell peppers, mushroom, onions, and pineapple in the skewers. Barbeque the skewers in a hot grill pan. Brush marinade on all sides made with olive oil, salt, pepper, chili flakes, oregano, and lime juice. Serve warm with a side of fresh leafy greens salad.

• Grilled Halloumi: In a hot grill pan, put fresh halloumi slices. Brush a light marinade made with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper. Grill until the cheese gets char marks. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and drizzle over some lime juice. Serve warm with the side of a rocket leaves salad.

• Lime & Garlic Hummus: In a food processor, add cooked chickpeas, tahini, salt, pepper, roasted garlic, olive oil, and lime juice. Blitz well until smooth and creamy. Garnish with roasted cumin seeds and sumac. Serve with whole-wheat pita, olives and cucumber sticks.

• Assorted Crostini Platter: Slice some baguette and layer with some hummus. For the first variety, add diced green olives and sundried tomatoes. To make another variety, layer with some cream cheese. Add pomegranate seeds and chopped mint leaves. Finish with a grating of orange zest.

• Summer Pasta Salad: This is not technically a salad because it’s got pasta! Cook farfalle pasta and let it chill for 2-3 hours. In a large mixing bowl, add olives, rocket leaves, sundried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, capers, roasted garlic, thyme, fresh basil, crumbled feta, cucumber, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Add the cooked pasta and coat well with the ingredients. Serve cold.

• California Vegetable Roll: Place cooked sushi rice on a sushi mat. You can also use organic basmati rice to make this sushi roll. Add julienned carrot, cucumber and avocado in the middle. Roll the sushi using the mat to fold. Sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top. Serve cold with soy dip, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

• Spinach & Feta Tartlets: Place pastry shells in a muffin tray and cut off the edges. In a pan, sauté some spinach, mushroom, and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the mix in the muffin tray along with crumbled feta cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until golden.

Make these recipes for a refreshing and filling lunch. Don’t forget to have a glass of fresh fruit juice or tender coconut water along with the meal.