15 Cool and Refreshing Vegetarian Appetizers to Enjoy All Summer Long

We're making everything light and refreshing because it's too dang hot outside.

By
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Editor
Mimi Young is an editor and pastry chef. She has also curated and written numerous recipe roundups for Serious Eats.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Published May 12, 2025
A dark bowl with tomato-watermelon salad, sprinkled with mint and feta,

Serious Eats / Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

I didn't experience true summer hear until a few years ago. I briefly moved to the South Bay in California, where temperatures regularly hovered in the high 90s. After long days in a muggy kitchen, the last thing I wanted to eat for dinner was anything hot and heavy. Though I occasionally grilled steaks with my neighbors, my favorite meals by far were the smorgasbord of vegetarian appetizers I made with the fresh, seasonal produce from the weekly farmers market. There's no better time than summer to lean into lighter, vegetable-forward fare, and these recipes below—including vibrant salads, chilled soups, and refreshing cold noodles—are the most delicious way to do it.

  • Caprese Salad

    An oval ceramic platter holding caprese salad. The platter is on a dish cloth. There is a pair of forks to the left of the platter, and in the bottom right of the image is a wooden cutting board holding torn chunks of bread.

    Serious Eats / Julia Estrada

    Like Caesar salad, caprese shines the brightest in late summer when you find the sweetest, juiciest tomatoes at the farmers market. Pick a nice variety of slicing and cherry tomatoes, pair them with the freshest mozzarella, some beautiful basil, and high-quality olive oil, and finish with coarse sea salt and a few grinds of pepper. No need for anything else (seriously, just stop there).

  • Tomato-Watermelon Salad

    A dark bowl with tomato-watermelon salad, sprinkled with mint and feta,

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

    Watermelon and tomatoes are summer's superhero ingredients, so it's only natural that we put them together in a salad. Letting the halved cherry tomatoes sit in the marinade draws out their juices and makes a delicious dressing for the cubed watermelon and sliced heirloom tomatoes. Fresh torn mint adds a bright pop of green, while crumbled feta provides a briny counterpoint.

  • Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)

    Esquites in a green ceramic bowl with a serving spoon
    Esquites is a less messy, no-grill-required way to enjoy all the flavors of Mexican elotes.

    Serious Eats / Diana Chistruga

    What better way to enjoy sweet summer corn than straight off the grill and slathered elote-style in garlic, cilantro, chile powder, mayo, lime, and Cotija cheese? If you don't feel like firing up the grill, this off-the-cob version delivers all the smoky, sweet flavors of elote without the mess. All you have to do is cut the kernels off the cob and char them in a skillet or wok over high heat until nicely caramelized, then toss them with chile-flecked sauce.

  • Classic Panzanella Salad (Tuscan-Style Tomato and Bread Salad)

    classic Panzanella salad served inside a dish

    Serious Eats / Qi Ai

    Panzanella is a summery salad that's hearty enough for a light supper on a balmy evening. Lightly drying fresh bread in the oven (instead of just using stale bread) produces bread that's soft and edible, but still crisp around the edges, and for a more flavorful salad, we salt and drain the tomatoes, then whisk some of the reserved juice into the vinaigrette.

    Continue to 5 of 15 below

  • Easy Tomato Tart With Whipped Ricotta

    Slices of tomato tart on a plate, set in front of a cutting board with the rest of the tomato tart

    Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

    Looking for an easy appetizer that showcases the best of peak-season tomatoes and will wow your guests? Blind-bake store-bought puff pastry until golden, puffy, and flaky, top it with light, fluffy herbed whipped ricotta, then top it with sweet, juicy tomatoes and fresh basil. Pre-salting the tomatoes concentrates their flavor and prevents the tart from becoming soggy.

  • Fried Orka

    Dark blue plate with fried okra and a bowl of comeback sauce, on a deep green surface

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

    Late summer is not only peak tomato season—it's also peak okra season, making it a fine time to deep-fry a batch...or four. Our Birmingham, Alabama-based colleague Craig Ruff's recipe produces tender okra encased in a thin, super-crunchy, grease-free cornmeal crust. To get the best results, choose smaller okra and fry in batches. This prevents overcrowding and ensures the oil temperature stays consistently hot, which keeps the okra crisp and snappy. No soggy, greasy fries here!

  • Chilled Beet and Cherry Summer Soup

    A bowl of beet and cherry soup with a swirl of sour cream

    Serious Eats / Hannah Hufham

    Fresh beets and sweet cherries are the stars of this gloriously vibrant cold soup. Leaving some of the cherries whole provides pops of sweetness to balance the earthiness of the beets, and sour cream and fresh lemon juice add tang.

  • Andalusian Gazpacho

    A bowl of Andalusian gazpacho in a ceramic bowl set on a plate. On the right hand periphery are another bowl of soup and a couple of pieces of torn bread.

    Serious Eats / Qi Ai

    When I see beautifully ripe, wonky-looking summer tomatoes at the farmers market, I think of this Spanish classic. We salt and cryo-blanch (a fancy word for freezing) ripe raw tomatoes to break down their cell structures and draw out more of their flavorful juices, then use it to soften the bread before puréeing.

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  • Icy-Cold Korean Cucumber Soup (Oi Naengguk)

    Ice-chilled Korean cucumber soup in a white bowl

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    When temperatures hit triple digits, this refreshing Korean soup—made of matchstick-thin cucumber strips, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and cold water—is what I make. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drop in a few ice cubes, and sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds.

  • Bibim Guksu (Korean Cold Mixed Noodles)

    Overhead view of Bibim Guksu

    Serious Eats / Matt Hunziker

    A bowl of cold Korean noodles makes for a great starter or a light meal on a blazing hot day, and this version of bibim guksu, courtesy of Christina Chaey, couldn't be easier. Vigorously rinse bouncy somyeon noodles to remove their excess starch, toss them in a sweet and savory garlicky gochujang-based sauce, then top it all with julienned cucumber, thinly sliced perilla leaves, and toasted sesame seeds.

  • Chinese Cold Noodle Salad With Sesame Dressing

    Sesame Noodles with chili paste, cucumbers, and scallions in a blue bow with a wavy patterm

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Another wonderful cold Asian noodle salad is this one from contributor Lucas Sin. The simple addition of toasted sesame paste to a classic Chinese vinaigrette gives the sauce a velvety texture. Chilling the cooked and unrinsed noodles in the refrigerator preserves their surface starch, ensuring each strand gets evenly coated in dressing.

  • Baigan Chokha (Charred Eggplant With Garlic and Tomatoes)

    Overhead view of Baighan Chokka being eaten

    Serious Eats / Kanika and Jatin Sharma

    In the Indian state of Bihar, there's no better way to enjoy eggplant in the summer than in this delicious vegetarian dish of charred eggplant mashed with garlic, roasted tomatoes, lime juice, onions, and mustard oil. Whole garlic stuffed into slits cut in whole eggplant infuses it with sweet allium notes and mellows out the garlic's bite. For a nice peppery note, finish it off with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

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  • Zucchini-and-Corn Fritters With Herb Sour Cream

    A tray of zucchini and corn fritters with a bowl of herbed sour cream

    Serious Eats / Emily and Matt Clifton

    Zucchini and corn are another classic summer vegetable pairing that finds its way into all types of dishes, including these delightful fritters. Grated cheese gives the fritters their satisfyingly gooey interior and a crisp, frico-like exterior. Be sure to squeeze the water out of the grated zucchini, which concentrates the gourd's flavor and prevents the fritters from becoming soggy. For another easy-to-make form of the zucchini-corn-cheese combo, check out Kenji's corn and zucchini quesadillas.

  • Watermelon Summer Rolls

    Watermelon jicama summer rolls cut and plated

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    This riff on the traditional summer roll swaps out the shrimp and meat for sweet, crisp watermelon and crunchy jicama wrapped up with fresh herbs and toasted salted peanuts. A dipping sauce of creamy coconut cream and fish sauce adds richness and funk.

  • Figs With Marcona Almonds, Aged Goat Cheese, and Hot Honey

    A salad of green figs, hot honey, marcona almonds, and goat cheese, served with sliced bread on the side

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

    While it's true that exceptional figs don't need much to shine, this salad is an elegant and delicious way to serve them. A little aged goat cheese adds a nice saltiness, Marcona almonds bring crunch, and a drizzle of hot honey provides a sweet, spicy kick.

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