A Summer Charcuterie Board is the perfect way to celebrate summer’s delicious bounty. With a variety of meats, fresh fruits, garden-fresh veggies, and a variety of cheeses, nuts, crackers, and condiments, you can put together a gorgeous summer charcuterie board in under 30 minutes.
Whether you’re hosting a few friends over for a backyard BBQ or throwing a big pool party, a stunning summer board is the perfect addition to any gathering during the summer months!
A delicious charcuterie board is always a great way to wow guests at parties, no matter what time of year. They’re one of my favorite things to make when we’re entertaining a crowd!
We’ve made a Brunch Charcuterie Board, a Halloween Charcuterie Board, a Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board, a Christmas Charcuterie Board, and an Easter Charcuterie Board. We’ve also done twists on the typical charcuterie board with a Seacuterie Board (seafood charcuterie board), a 4th of July Dessert Board, a Valentine’s Day Dessert Board, and Charcuterie Cones. They’re all so fun!
Bursting with flavors, textures, and vivid colors, this summer charcuterie board is a summer twist on the usual charcuterie board. It’s not only a feast for the taste buds but also for the eyes.
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🌟 Why this recipe works
This is the perfect charcuterie board for summer!
- Versatility – Charcuterie boards allow for endless customization. You can cater to a variety of dietary preferences and restrictions.
- Easy to assemble – Almost no cooking is involved, making it a hassle-free summer entertaining party food option for you to put together.
- Crowd pleaser – With an array of flavors and textures, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. If you’ve got kids, charcuterie boards can be an easy way to ensure they have some healthy bites of fresh summer fruit and fresh produce.
- Light and refreshing – Perfect for warm summer days, charcuterie boards often feature fresh fruits, different types of cheeses, and other light bites that complement the season’s palate.
🛒 Ingredient notes
The beauty of a charcuterie board lies in the wide variety of ingredients. These are simple ingredients that are easy to find in any local grocery store. Here are a few ideas to get you started, but you are by no means limited to this list.
- Assorted cheeses – Opt for a mix of soft cheeses, semi-soft, and hard cheeses like brie, cheddar, gouda, or goat cheese.
- Cured meats – Choose an assortment of cured meats such as prosciutto, salami, coppa, or chorizo for that savory punch.
- Fresh fruits – Use your favorite fruits with a focus on seasonal fruits. Some great options include fresh berries, grapes, fresh figs, mango, pineapple, watermelon, and cantaloupe.
- Nuts and dried fruits – Include almonds, walnuts, or pistachios alongside dried apricots, cranberries, or dates for texture and depth of flavor.
- Crackers and breadsticks – Choose your favorite crackers, breadsticks, and crostini for guests to pair with their favorite cheeses and meats.
- Spreads and condiments – Offer an assortment of spreads like honey, fig jam, whole grain mustard, or balsamic glaze to enhance the flavors.
- Fresh herbs – Garnish your board with fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, or rosemary for a pop of color and aroma.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
While there is no right or wrong way to assemble this simple charcuterie board, there are some tricks to creating one that is thoughtfully organized and visually appealing.
- Start by placing items in bowls first. Small bowls are great for coraling smaller round foods like nuts and for holding jam, vegetable dip, and honey.
- Then place larger items such as sliced watermelon and cantaloupe, along with the other fruits.
- Start filling in with cheeses, meats, and crackers.
- Arrange ingredients in clusters to create visual interest, with foods of the same color on opposite sides of the board or platter. This also makes it easy for guests to navigate.
- Incorporate decorative elements like fresh flowers, citrus slices, or decorative appetizer forks and spoons to add an extra touch of elegance.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
You can prep the ingredients, such as slicing carrots and cucumbers, or slicing watermelon and cantaloupe, then store in airtight containers in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble and serve.
Like most food, the FDA recommends no food be left out at room temperature for more than two hours. That’s why it’s best to assemble a summer board just before you are ready to serve.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for a couple of days. But if any food has been sitting out at room temperature for two hours or longer, it’s best to be safe and toss it out.
🍽 Serving ideas
If you’re hosting a summer party at home, serve this easy summer charcuterie board along with more summery dishes! Try one of these delicious and easy summer recipes:
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
No summer charcuterie board is complete without the perfect wine pairing. Here are some good wine pairings for a summer board:
- Rosé – A refreshing and versatile option that pairs well with a wide range of cheeses and charcuterie.
- Sauvignon Blanc – Crisp and zesty, this dry white wine complements the salty flavors of cured meats and cheeses.
- Pinot Noir – Light-bodied with fruity undertones, Pinot Noir is an excellent choice for pairing with charcuterie boards featuring a variety of flavors.
- Sparkling Wine – Whether it’s Champagne, Prosecco, or Cava, sparkling wine adds a touch of elegance and pairs beautifully with the array of flavors on a charcuterie board.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
To assemble the perfect summer charcuterie board, you’ll need:
- A large wooden board or marble serving board
- Small bowls or ramekins for spreads and condiments
- Cheese knives and spreaders
- Small serving utensils or toothpicks
More charcuterie board ideas
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Summer Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 1 mini watermelon, sliced
- 1 small pineapple, sliced or cubed
- 1 mango, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 8 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 8 ounces blueberries
- 6 ounces blackberries
- 6 ounces raspberries
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 cup marcona almonds or other nuts
- 8 ounces prosciutto slices
- 8 ounces salami slices
- 6 ounces gouda cheese
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese slices
- 6 ounces burrata or mozzarella balls
- 2 ounces jam or jelly
- 2 ounces honey
Instructions
- Start by placing small round foods, such as nuts and blueberries, and dips and jams into small bowls. Place the blueberries on the board, spread out a bit from each other.
- Place the largest pieces of food first, such as watermelon wedges and cantaloupe slices.
- Then start filling in the rest of the fruit.
- Add the meats, cheeses, and crackers.
- Feel free to move items around to ensure foods of the same color are not right next to each other, and foods that may "bleed" such as raspberries are not next to foods like cheeses or crackers.
- Add small serving utensils and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
