Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas

from the

Mediterranean

The best lazy summer dinner ideas and quick and tasty seaside tapas that are perfect to escape the heat.

We’ve got you, with our top list of dinner ideas for summer!

June 2022 – The Spanish Radish Blog

W ith summer in full swing, it’s time to crack out some lazy summer dinner ideas that give you less time in the kitchen and more time by the pool! 

Summer dinner recipes have to be quick, simple, and use the freshest of ingredients available, with the addition of seafood a distinct advantage for any recipe! It’s no wonder that easy summer dinner recipes are the flavor of the month when the mercury peaks! 

1. Oven baked fish in romesco sauce, tomato, and rosemary

baked-white-fish-casserole-hero-square-v2-1080x

Easy Recipe | Casserole | Seafood | Mediterranean Recipe | Mediterranean | Fish Recipe | Easy Main Meal | Healthy Recipe | 30-Minute Recipe | Romesco Sauce Recipe

Oven baked fish casserole cooking guide

Origin: Catalonia, Spain.

Our oven baked fish casserole recipe is the ultimate evening meal during summertime. 

Combining delicious homemade romesco sauce, fresh white fish fillets, and topped with tomato, red onion, fresh rosemary, and bay leaves, this recipe is the ultimate accompaniment for warm summer nights! 

Best of all, this fantastic summer casserole is super easy to make and can be whipped up in 30 minutes!

Check out the step-by-step oven baked fish in romesco sauce recipe guide here

2. Pisto Manchego -Veggie Pisto with eggs

A large frying pan holds some pisto with eggs sprinkled with some fresh chopped parsley.

Vegetable Recipe | Vegetarian Recipe | Low Carbohydrates | Easy Side | Stew | Whole 30 | Easy Dinner Recipe | Spanish Cuisine | Mediterranean Cuisine | One-Pot Recipe |High in Fiber | High in Protein

Pisto-with-eggs-cooking-guide

Origin: Castilla la-Mancha, Spain.

The beauty of vegetable pisto with eggs (or Pisto Manchego as it’s commonly known in Spain) is it’s made using one large pot and can be made easily in around an hour. This recipe serves 4-6 people. 

Originating from Castilla-La Mancha cuisine, Pisto is a delicious and warming vegetarian Spanish stew that makes the most of easy-to-find vegetables and a few simple spices. It is perhaps one of the most recognizable Spanish foods, found all over the Spanish mainland and throughout the Mediterranean in various forms and variations.

Check out the step-by step vegetable pisto with eggs recipe guide here

3. Spanish Seafood Stew | Suquet de peix | Suquet de Pescado

A large dish of seafood stew sits on a table beside a bowl of stew

Seafood Recipe | One-Pot Recipe | Made in 45-minutes | Catalonian Cuisine | Valencian Cuisine | Stews and Casseroles | Summertime | Easy Summer Recipe | Lazy Summer Recipe

Seafood Stew cooking guide and information

Origin: Catalonia and Valencia, Spain.

Spanish seafood stew originates from the Mediterranean shores and is commonly found in restaurants and local kitchens along Catalonia and the Valencian regions. Seafood Stew is made with generous portions of mussels, shrimp, and fresh white fish and is combined with smoked or sweet paprika, thyme, and saffron. 

The ingredients simmer in a rich fish broth with tomatoes and some freshly chopped parsley and takes around 45 minutes to prepare from start to finish. The end result is a deliciously indulgent seafood stew that is perfect for enjoying with a sunset on a warm summer evening.

Check out the step-by step Spanish seafood stew recipe guide here

4. Jamon Iberico Salad with orange, chickpeas, and almonds

A large platter of jamon iberico sald sits topped with mozarella, salad greens, chickpeas, and seasoned with salt and pepper

Easy Recipe | Cold Recipe | Jamon Iberico | Mediterranean Recipe | Mediterranean | No-Cook Recipe | Easy Tapas Recipe | Healthy Recipe | 15-Minute Recipe Summertime | Easy Summer Recipe | Lazy Summer Recipe

Jamon Iberico salad cooking guide and information

Origin: Andalusia, Spain. 

With the price of good Spanish Jamon Iberico what it is, it’s an ingredient that is savored and used sparingly in dishes. You’ll find it served wafer-thin in slices as a tapa, or perhaps fine slivers of the prized meat garnishing a side dish, but why not use it to bring a luscious salad to life!  

Jamon Iberico salad artfully combines the delicious oily flavors of Jamon Iberico along with citrus notes and greens, with a subtle crunch from the choice ingredients of roasted nuts or almonds. 

Jamon Iberico salad is the ideal starter dish or small tapas that is perfect for sharing. This recipe uses just 50g (1.8 oz.) worth of Jamon Iberico but makes delicious tapas for 2-3 people.

Check out the step-by step Jamon Iberico salad recipe guide here

5. Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole with Chickpeas and Tomato

A large white casserole dish sits on a white marble counter with a rich red Mediterranean Eggplant casserole with chickpeas and tomato

Easy Recipe | Spanish | Mediterranean Recipe | Mediterranean Casserole | Eggplant Recipe | One-Pot | Casserole Recipe | Easy Dinner Recipe | Healthy Recipe | Dairy-Free | High in Protein | Gluten-free Option | Made in Under an Hour

Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole cooking guide and information

Origin: All over the Mediterranean!

Start scanning for any Mediterranean recipes on Google and it won’t take long for eggplants to show up. They are perhaps the superstar vegetable of the Mediterranean and are used all over! 

Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole is the perfect recipe as a delicious and cooling and healthy tapas in the peak of summer that can be scooped up with some fresh bread. It’s made with gooey caramelized eggplants, sweet tomato, and onion-based sauce, and combines the soft crunch of chickpeas in this 5-star super dish!

This summer (and winter) casserole recipe is delicious when served hot or cold! It’s super easy to prepare, takes around an hour to make, and is 100% vegan-friendly!

Check out the step-by step Mediterranean eggplant casserole recipe guide here

6. Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Zingy Grapefruit and Lime Dressing

A colorful shrimp and avocado salad sits on a white plate with bright red radishes, pink grapefruit, red onion, and cooked shrimp

Shrimp Recipe | Spanish | Mediterranean Recipe | One-Pot | No Cooking | Easy Dinner Recipe | Healthy Recipe | Dairy-Free | High in Protein | Low-Carb | Keto Diet Friendly | 15-Minute Meal | Lazy Summer Dinner Recipe |Summer Recipe

Shrimp and Avocado Salad cooking guide and information

Origin: Dénia, Spain. 

Shrimp Avocado Salad with Zingy Grapefruit and Lime Dressing is nutritious, low-carb (17.2 g), high in protein (14 g), and can be easily made to suit the Keto diet. Most importantly, shrimp avocado salad is super easy to make and tastes like summer! 

With the mouthwatering combination of avocado and shrimp, the salad is layered with your greens of choice, ripe slices of avocado, red onion, shrimp, and sweet wedges of pink grapefruit, all topped with a refreshing lime dressing that has a hint of ginger. 

Best of all, this light, refreshing summer salad recipe can be made in around 15 minutes with no cooking required. Bring it on!

Check out the step-by step shrimp and avocado salad recipe guide here

7. Easy baked beetroot falafels

Beetroot falafels sit on a turkish wrap with some salad and topped with a few blobs of tahini sauce

Easy Recipe | Spanish | Mediterranean Recipe | One-Pot | Baked | Easy Dinner Recipe | Healthy Recipe | Dairy-Free | High in Protein | Low-Carb | Gluten-free Option | Made in Under an Hour | Lazy Summer Dinner Recipe | Summer Recipe

Easy baked beetroot falafels cooking guide and information

Origin: Throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East.

Who doesn’t love a good falafel? They’re filling, taste awesome, and can be made with a variety of ingredients to give them virtually any color of the rainbow.

While they don’t exactly scream ‘Mediterranean Recipe’, they got the nod on our list simply because they share the freshness and many ingredients found in other recipes on this list!  

Baked Beetroot falafels are packed full of vitamins and nutrients and can be easily made in just 40 minutes.

This baked beetroot falafel recipe is healthy, vegan, and super easy to make. It can even be easily adapted to make this recipe gluten-free.

Check out the step-by step baked beetroot falafel recipe guide here

8. Gambas al Ajillo | Sizzling Garlic Shrimp

a earthenware dish sits filled with sizzling garlic shrimp called gambas al ajillo in Spanish

Shrimp Recipe | Gambas | Spanish Tapas | Easy Tapas Recipe | Prawns | Garlic Recipe | 10-minute Tapas | Fried Shrimp | Seafood Recipe | Lazy Summer Dinner Recipe | Summer Recipe

Sizzling Garlic Shrimp cooking guide and information

Origin: Murcia, Valencia, Catalonia, and The Balearic Islands, Spain.

The ‘Med’ is perhaps most famous for the azure blue waters and pristine white-sand beaches, and when it comes to food, Garlic shrimp is right up there as a favorite recipe enjoyed while in the Mediterranean

Of course, you’ll find this popular tapas dish served all over Spain, not just along the twinkling blue shores of the Mediterranean, but who doesn’t love the smell of the sea breeze and fried garlic while sipping a sundowner! 

Gambas al ajillo garlic shrimp recipe is quick and super easy to make, and best of all doesn’t require any special equipment or fancy ingredients!

Get your skillets ready, let’s make Spain’s famous tapas, gambas al ajillo!

Check out the step-by step sizzling garlic shrimp recipe guide here

9. Fideuà Marisco Recipe | Spanish Seafood Fideua

a large pan of fideua marisco sits topped with large prawns and some parsley

Seafood Recipe | Authentic Spanish Recipe | Valencia | Rice and Pasta Recipes | Made in Under an Hour | Healthy Recipe | Mediterranean Recipe | Lazy Summer Dinner Recipe | Summer Recipe

Fideuà Marisco cooking tips and information

Origin: Valencia, Spain. 

Hailing from the Valencia region, fideuà owes its creation to a picturesque Mediterranean town called Gandia, a loyal cook, starving sailors, and a fat captain!  

Fideuà was made in an attempt to curb the captain’s gluttonous interest in the dish, substituting rice with noodles. However, the new noodle dish failed miserably and many a sailor was left hungry. The dish is now highly regarded the world over! 

Fideuà Marisco or Spanish Fideua with seafood is a great one-pot, pasta-based alternative to traditional paella, and it’s considerably easier to make than paella.

This Fideuà Marisco recipe serves 4-6 people and can be whipped up in around an hour.

Check out the step-by step Spanish seafood fideua recipe guide here

10. Seafood Paella | Paella de Marisco

Seafood Recipe | Authentic Spanish Recipe | Valencia | Rice and Pasta Recipes | Made in Under an Hour | Healthy Recipe | Mediterranean Recipe | Lazy Summer Dinner Recipe | Summer Recipe

Seafood Paella cooking guide and information

Origin:  Valencia, Spain. 

This list could never be complete without perhaps the most famous Mediterranean recipe of all time, the paella! 

Indeed, the paella likely started with humble beginnings, weaving its culinary magic up and down the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Nowadays, when you think of Spanish cuisine, it’s likely that Paella is the first dish that comes to mind. 

The seafood paella is the perfect blend of fresh ingredients from the sea and is the perfect filling and delicious meal! 

Ask any Spaniard and they will describe their seafood paella recipe as something of a family heirloom, especially for many living in and around the Valencia region of Spain where knowing and cooking a traditional paella becomes somewhat of a ritual! 

Check out the step-by step seafood paella recipe guide here

Spanish Regional Guides

Travel anywhere in Spain and you’ll discover plentiful cuisine. Delicious local dishes made using the freshest local ingredients. From the rugged coastline of the Galicia to the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Mediterranean sea. Spain’s coastline is as diverse as the seafood dishes that are inspired by generations.

Venture inland and discover vast grazing plains bordered by mountainous regions that buzz with altitude farming and rich dairy industry. Spain is a wonder of foods, and truly a foodie’s heaven!

 

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