The air is sweet, the temperatures are warm and the summer BBQs are in full force. If you love outdoor gatherings as much as we do, chances are you’re always on the hunt for your next seasonally inspired side dish!
From salads filled with watermelon and citrus, to warm biscuits with hints of honey and butter, summer foods offer the chance for nostalgic flavors and family traditions. There’s something so quintessentially summer about a backyard party filled with good tunes, cold beverages and an array of colors, tastes, and textures.
If you’re ready to wow the crowd this summer season with some delicious and easy summer side dishes, read on. Here are some of our absolute favorite tasty side dishes for a BBQ!
We hope they encourage you to get out, get grilling and soak up that fabulously sweet summertime air!
Mediterranean Farro Salad
This Mediterranean Farro Salad has a chewy texture and a nutty flavor that is perfect for a backyard barbecue. Bring the flavors of summer to the mixing bowl with fresh produce like halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, and few handfuls of arugula. Once you have your base, you combine ingredients like Kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts, red onion, crumbled feta, parsley and fresh mint to create a colorful summer salad that’s bursting with refreshing and bold flavors. The subtle star of the salad is, of course, our Organic Farro. It’s one of our most popular ancient grains and is closely related to our modern-day wheat. In addition to salads, you can use farro in other easy summer side dishes like cold soups and veggie pilafs. Toss this dish with a bright and citrus-filled dressing of olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic and fresh herbs and you’ll be set for your summer BBQ feast.
Honey Lime Millet Salad
This Honey Lime Millet Salad is one of our current favorites when it comes to side dishes for a BBQ. Bursting with flavors of corn, peppers, zucchini and tomatoes, this salad is a perfect blend of the classic summertime flavors. To take things up a notch, this salad also has a surprising addition of toasted Pumpkin Seeds and crumbled Queso Fresco. Once combined with avocado oil and chopped avocado, this dish becomes a whimsical treat fit for any outdoor gathering. The tangy dressing of honey, citrus, and Mediterranean spices rounds out all the flavors and gives this salad a zingy kick. This is also a good option for a refreshing yet hearty vegetarian dinner, as the Hulled Millet cooks up quickly and has a pleasantly mild and slightly sweet flavor. As an added bonus, it contains magnesium, B-complex vitamins and several essential amino acids.
Old Fashioned Biscuits
Nothing goes with baked beans, coleslaw and barbecued chicken quite like warm biscuits with a spread of butter and a drizzle of honey. When these biscuits are homemade, it’s even better! Our recipe for Old Fashioned Biscuits is one of the most comforting and easy side dishes for a BBQ. These foolproof biscuits are tender, fluffy, flaky and delicious. They’re a fun side dish to make with kids and are something the whole family will be proud of and eager to share. You can serve them at your BBQ fresh from the oven or even use them as a base for strawberry shortcake (if you’re looking to bring an easy BBQ dessert). However you choose to eat them, we guarantee they’ll be absolutely delicious.
Ensalada De Quinoa
This delicious recipe for Ensalada De Quinoa is based on a traditional Peruvian dish and will brighten up any summer BBQ with its colors of red quinoa, green lima beans, and yellow corn. The best part is that it’s super easy to whip up in a snap. You simply combine quinoa, corn, cheese, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl then whisk together your olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour your dressing over the salad, mix and enjoy! You can serve this dish chilled or at room temperature, depending on what you’re in the mood for. If you love quinoa, our Organic Red Quinoa is a wonderful option for warm weather backyard soirées, as it’s fluffy, light and packed with nutrients. Pair this dish, or any of your other favorite quinoa dishes, with everything from grilled salmon to chicken drumsticks. Sit back, relax and relish in the sweet smells of summertime.
Macedonian Baked Beans
Baked beans and barbecues go hand in hand! This recipe for Macedonian Baked Beans puts a twist on the traditional summer potluck side dish. It’s a hearty recipe that can be found on our bags of Cranberry Beans and takes its inspiration from tavce gravce, the national dish of Macedonia. The yellow onion, paprika, and canned Chipotles in Adobo give these beans a spicy flair, making them perfect for the adventurous eaters in the crowd. If you’re looking for another recipe to complement the beans, pick up a bag of our Gluten Free Cornbread Mix and treat your guests to a couple of comforting barbecue favorites. Our whole grain cornmeal gives this mix a rich flavor and stone-ground sorghum flour lends to a tender crumb. With cane sugar for an added touch of sweetness, this mix can be transformed into everything from cornbread to corn muffins to even a decadent casserole topping.
Creamy Fruit Salad
When it comes to easily prepared side dishes at a BBQ, fruit salad is often forgotten. This Creamy Fruit Salad is a fruity dish dessert hybrid. Whether you’re serving it before dinner, with dinner or after dinner, one thing is always true — this salad is absolutely delectable. The 1950s classic is updated with Greek yogurt, freshly whipped cream and Unsweetened Shredded Coconut. Not only does our shredded coconut give this dish a unique texture, but it also adds a flavor that perfectly highlights many other classic dishes you’ll find at a summer backyard BBQ. This particular recipe calls for kiwi, pineapple, clementine, and strawberry as its fruity base, though feel free to get creative and use whatever sort of fruit you have on hand. Visit the local farmers’ market to see what’s in season and go from there! It also calls for pistachios, though if you’d like, you can use anything from slivered almonds to chopped walnuts.
Watermelon Quinoa Salad with Fermented Honey
Nothing says summertime barbecue side dishes quite like watermelon! If you’re looking to jazz up the usual watermelon slices or wedges and bring something different, this salad is a true summer winner. Salads are always a good option as easy summer side dishes, though this Watermelon Quinoa Salad with Fermented Honey certainly adds an elevated spin to the season. When GloryBee gifted us a bottle of fermented honey, they gave us a good and lasting piece of advice: that this honey goes really well with watermelon, feta, and fresh basil. We were inspired, so we whipped up this recipe for a simple watermelon quinoa salad. Not only is it entirely perfect for a summer afternoon, but it’s packed with a whole bunch of goodness, too. From fresh citrus juice to red onion to crumbled feta cheese, this dish is a light and refreshing way to enjoy a summer evening outdoors.
Cannellini Herb Dip
If you’re looking for easy side dishes for a BBQ or potluck, dips are always a great option! This Cannellini Herb Dip is refreshing and light thanks to the addition of fresh rosemary, parsley, and lemon juice. It’s made with our Cannellini Beans which have a naturally creamy texture and a nutty flavor that can be served with everything from chopped carrots or raw veggies to crackers. To really wow your backyard BBQ guests, make a quick and easy homemade cracker, like these Everything Crackers. They’re made with Flaxseed Meal, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Poppy Seed, Sesame Seeds, and garlic flakes, which make for a delightful texture and a delicious flavor. You can also try our Savory Gluten-Free Cracker, a Saltine-type cracker that’s made without corn, wheat, yeast, milk or egg, or our sesame crackers for a tasty gluten-free snack.. However you choose to serve these crackers, we’re certain your dinner guests will love them!
Whether it’s a light salad or a dish of baked beans, we hope this list of easy side dishes has inspired you to get creative and bring something fun to your next summer BBQ!
Have any easy summer side dishes you like to make for backyard gatherings? Whether it’s a family favorite or something you make year after year, we’d love to hear what you whip up when you’re spending an outdoor evening under the stars.
From all of us at Bob’s Red Mill, thanks for reading! We hope your summer season is filled with refreshing produce and easy BBQ side dishes — and most importantly, lots of good company and happy memories!
