The days of craving a warm bowl of soup are behind us — but all-in-one meals don't have to be. With summer just two weeks away, we’re reimagining one-bowl recipes with a refreshing twist. From healthy grain bowls to hearty summer salads, there’s an array of ways to get seasonal produce on your dinner table. And to help you get started, Elena Besser stopped by TODAY to share her go-to blissful summer bowl recipes.
Fire up the grill to make Besser’s corn and avocado salad with shrimp skewers. The entire meal takes just 30 minutes from start to finish — even with the homemade cilantro-lime marinade — and is best enjoyed alongside tortilla chips. If you really want to up your veggie intake, her green grain bowl is the way to go. This vibrant dish is packed with peppery arugula, crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, crunchy sugar snap peas and a handful of fresh herbs. Catch Besser on TODAY next Wednesday, June 14, for a live demonstration of this recipe!
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To round out the week, Besser gives traditional potato salad an Italian twist by adding cured meat, pickled peppers and a punchy vinaigrette. Plus, get her recipes for two flavorful pasta dishes that are filled with newly in-season vegetables and feel like comfort in a bowl.
Elena Besser's blissful summer bowls
If you are ready to get your grill on, you’ve come to the right place! This recipe screams summer and the grill imparts a gorgeous smoky flavor to the dish. Don’t worry if you don’t own a grill, a grill pan or heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet will achieve the same goal. This is my go-to recipe when I don’t feel like cooking, but I want something flavorful that is still a show-stopper for entertaining!
This recipe is the epitome of fresh. It celebrates the bounty of summer and gives you a great energy-boost to continue enjoying those summer days outside. This is a recipe I keep coming back to that is great for lunch, a healthy weeknight dinner or a grain-salad at an outdoor dinner barbecue. Plus, if you have leftovers, the salad keeps super well in the fridge to enjoy the next day.
This recipe is the love child of your favorite Italian chopped salad and your favorite vinegar-based potato salad. Creamer potatoes are steamed and tossed in a punchy Italian vinaigrette alongside radicchio, salami, capers, olives, Parmesan, pickled pepperoncini peppers and cherry tomatoes. Plus, like a fine wine, it just gets better with age. So, make it up to a day in advance and store in the fridge before serving.
More recipes to make this week
Let’s make one thing clear — this is not a recipe for zucchini noodles (aka zoodles). It’s a tried-and-true pasta dish loaded with roasted zucchini and a zucchini-basil pesto. Each bite is brimming with bright summer flavor. It’s vegetarian-friendly and comes together in under one hour, so you can serve this any night of the week.
Love mac and cheese but want to give it a summery twist? Sweet corn mac and cheese embraces the bounty of in-season produce to create a creamy yet cheesy sauce, free of any milk! The pasta is topped with crispy bacon and fresh chives for an unbeatable summer dinner that will get on the table fast without breaking the bank!
