The taste of summer – light recipes for every day

When the days get warmer, the desire for light recipes, such as summer salads or cold soups, grows. We don't want to hear about hearty food and steaming stews in bright sunshine. Summer is the perfect time for seasonal food, because almost everything is ripe now. The variety of vegetables and fruit is wonderfully large and invites you to create delicious dishes. Let yourself be enchanted by our wonderfully light recipes!

• Nature spoils us – summer is a paradise for cooks
• On a taste journey to Greece
• Summer soup with fresh radishes
• Try out new things and become creative
• Conclusion

Nature spoils us – summer is a paradise for cooks

Easy recipes are a must in summer! None of our favourite dishes will take you longer than 30 minutes. Snappy, refreshing and incredibly delicious – what more could you ask for? In general, summer is a paradise for those who eat consciously and seasonally. From June onwards, most of the fruit and vegetables are fresh and come straight from the field to your plate. Strawberries no longer come out of the freezer and beans or broccoli no longer have to travel long distances. Knock yourself out with your recipes, because (almost) all possibilities are open to you.

On a taste journey to Greece

In terms of food, we associate Greece with feta cheese, olive oil, fresh herbs and Mediterranean vegetables. Sitting on the beach, looking at crystal clear blue water and the snow-white houses in the background, which give the picture a frame - even if you aren’t going to Greece for this year’s summer holiday, we can at least taste the country with a delicious fresh summer salad. With this dish you can take a little break from the stressful daily routine and immerse yourself in the culinary delights of Greece.

Ingredients for two people:

• 50g mountain lentils
• 150g wholemeal Spaghetti
• 50 g black, pitted olives
• 1 small cucumber
• 2 steams oregano
• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 60g feta cheese
• ½ red onion
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• fresh parsley
• salt
• pepper

Here is how it works:

1. Prepare the lentils and spaghetti according to the instructions on the packaging and leave them to cool. 2. Drain the olives and cut them in half. Quarter the cucumber lengthwise and cut it into pieces. Chop the fresh oregano into small pieces. 3. Wash and slice the cherry tomatoes. Peel the onion and cut it into fine rings. Cut the feta into cubes or crumble the cheese with your fingers. 4. For the dressing, mix oil, vinegar and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Now, mix the noodles with the dressing, then add the remaining ingredients and mix everything together. 5. Finally wash and chop the parsley and use it to garnish the salad.

Summer soup with fresh radishes

When you think of soup, do you think of cold winter days rather than a light meal? Then it is high time to broaden your taste buds. Because this combination of slightly hot radishes and fresh mint is a dream come true on hot days! Add a refreshing drink and you are ready for a warm summer day.

Ingredients for two people:

• 200g radishes with lots of green
• ½ a bunch of spring onions
• 300g floury potatoes
• ½ tbsp vegetable stock powder
• 2 steams fresh mint
• 50 g whipped cream
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil

Here is how it’s done:

1. Clean and wash the radishes and chop them coarsely, except for 4-5 pieces. Do not put the leaves of the radishes away but wash them and chop them into small pieces. The spring onions are cut into rings. 2. Peel and chop the potatoes. Then boil them in 800 ml water (dissolve vegetable stock powder in the boiling water) for about 15 minutes. After 10 minutes add the radishes, the green and the spring onions and cook them. Cut the remaining radishes into thin slices. 3. Wash the fresh mint, separate it from the stalk and cut into fine strips. 4. Remove the soup from the stove and puree it with a blender. Then stir in the cream and heat the soup up again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Finally, sprinkle the radish slices and mint on the soup and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.

Try out new things and become creative

Who says that fruit can only be eaten as a dessert? Especially in summer a fruity change is more than welcome. Whether you use them for a salad, starter or main course - oranges, apples and other fruit are refined as a sweet accent and surprise the taste buds. An inspiration for a sweet and savoury taste combination can be found in our watermelon feta salad with fresh mint.

Ingredients for two people:

• 1 small watermelon
• 50g feta cheese
• fresh mint
• fresh basil
• 1 lime
• 1tsp maple syrup
• salt
• pepper

Here is how it’s done:

1. Core the watermelon and cut it into small cubes. Coarsely crumble the feta and chop the fresh herbs. 2. For the dressing, mix the lime juice with the maple syrup and season to taste with salt and pepper. 3. Sprinkle the melon with the dressing and serve with feta and fresh herbs. Our tip: You can also add a handful of blueberries to your sweet and savoury salad.

Conclusion

Apart from wonderful weather and bright sunshine, summer also has a lot to offer in the way of culinary delights. Light recipes are perfect for a picnic by the lake or to take with you on your next bike ride. They do not weigh down the stomach as much as hearty food, so that you do not feel full and tired after eating, but pleasantly full. On your balcony you can enjoy the summer evening with these dishes. We wish you a lot of fun cooking and feasting!