The best summer recipes for sunny days (2024)

Summer on a stick! This Eton mess lolly recipe is the ultimate sunny day treat – and easy to make, too.

Bring the strawberries to room temperature on a sunny windowsill before eating to intensify the flavours and be sure to factor in freezing time — we recommend leaving in the freezer overnight.

Eton Mess ice lolly recipe

Rhubarb and chicken make a perfect match and a very tasty dish when rhubarb is in season. This unusual combination will go down really well at a family dinner and is very easy to put together too.

Chicken with baked rhubarb recipe

Sorbet makes such a refreshing dessert and this tropical flavoured recipe is simply delicious. Serve as a stand alone dessert with just a little scattering of extra pomegranate seeds or accompany with a little slice of rich chocolate cake or a shortbread biscuit.

Mango and passion fruit sorbet recipe

Serve up the flavours of Spain with a deliciously authentic paella. Follow our step-by-step guide for fool-proof cooking...

Summer paella recipe

Vegetable wraps are typical street foods in India. Quick, nutritious, and convenient, they are easily adaptable, so you can add in cooked mince or spicy chicken pieces for the meat eaters too.

Spicy vegetable and paneer wraps recipe

This quiche features delicious ripe tomatoes conjuring aromas from Provence in the South of France. Great for picnics and summer lunches, this recipe is sure to become a family favourite.

Provençale quiche recipe

Vibrant, light and refreshing, this delicious summer pudding from Red favourite Lisa Faulkner packed full of fresh fruits is easy to make yet looks impressive.

Lisa Faulkner’s summer pudding recipe

Quick and easy to make, tortilla is a real crowd-pleaser. Perfect for a summer picnic or garden party, served with a crisp green salad and chunks of homemade bread.

Spinach and halloumi tortilla recipe

Although this dish is most appropriate for a summer lunchtime, it is also an excellent remedy for a hangover in the cooler months. This refreshing Spanish soup is fresh and healthy.

Simple gazpacho recipe

This crayfish scampi is the ideal dish for summer, especially during August crayfish season. Serve with chips for a British pub classic, or with individual pots of tartare sauce as a dinner party starter. This also makes a great finger food meal for children.

Valentine Warner’s crayfish scampi with tartare sauce recipe

Citrus salads, whether sweet or savoury, are very popular in Morocco. The fresh and zingy flavours in this fruit salad make a lovely refreshing end to a meal and are great for a simple dinner party dessert

Moroccan fruit salad recipe

In the summer months, nothing beats a sandwich served in the garden and this chicken schnitzel version with a delicate fennel slaw is sure to top the list.

Chicken schnitzel sandwiches and fennel slaw recipe

A favourite with children, this tasty ham pasta salad will be loved by adults just as much. Perfect for barbecues, picnics and even lunch boxes, it’s a great recipe for easy meals.

Ham pasta salad recipe

A great dessert to serve after a summer barbecue, you don’t have to be a child to love eating an ice cream cone, and you can’t beat homemade.

Homemade strawberry ice cream recipe

Fresh and vibrant, this beautiful salad dish served with a crispy egg will make the perfect summer lunch or light dinner.

Crispy egg summer salad recipe

Packed full of fresh raspberries, this beautiful meringue makes the perfect cake for children’s birthdays or summer dinner party dessert.

Raspberry and hazelnut meringue cake recipe

Vegetarian chorizo is an unusual concept but works really well in this dish. The mustard dressing in the salad compliments the chorizos perfectly but you can of course vary the salad or chorizo to your own tastes.

Quinoa and vegetable chorizo salad recipe

Minced chicken can be boring, but the mushrooms in this burger mix makes it stay lovely and juicy and the spices elevate it to a heavenly level. Serve the burgers in toasted buns, with sliced onion and tomato, lettuce leaves and chutney.

Classic chicken burger recipe

The classic fish stew, bouillabaisse, is full of flavour and easier to make than you think - perfect summer eating.

Classic summer fish stew recipe

Planning on doing some baking? This impressive cake layered with fresh cream and sweet strawberry jam makes the perfect celebratory treat.

Summer birthday cake recipe