There’s a lot to like about summer season: the straightforward, breezy, carefree days, the extra hours of sunshine, and naturally, some much-needed vacay. What I really like rather less, in fact, are the scorching sizzling, three-digit temps. June by August (and in some locations, September) is not any time to be turning on the oven, which is why I’m craving no prepare dinner summer season meals till fall.
As a self-professed, baking-obsessed hobbyist, I mourn the power to get inventive with all my favourite comfort foods. However, in recent times, I’ve realized to just accept the climate as it’s and make do with just a few go-to no prepare dinner summer season meals stored securely up my sleeve. And whereas sandwiches and salads are vital elements of the round-up to comply with, the enjoyable doesn’t cease there.
Featured picture by Kristen Kilpatrick.
I shook the internet upside down to find all the best fresh and flavor-packed recipes that make the most of in-season summer produce. Prepare for vibrant coloration, scrumptious crunch, and all the things that’ll make your warm-weather eating goals come true. So flip up the AC and let’s get to some (no-cook) summer season cooking!
Preserve studying for 22 no prepare dinner summer season meals that’ll preserve you cool and happy—all season lengthy.
Chicken Burger Lettuce Wraps
Why We Love It: These wraps are my go-to summer season lunch resolution. I really like how the cool, crisp lettuce supplies a contrasting crunch to the herby hen burgers. Should you actually wish to step it up, get pleasure from some mint tzatziki on the facet.
Hero Ingredient: A teaspoon of curry powder offers your burgers a shocking however welcome contact of heat.
Heirloom Tomato Toast From Justine Snacks
Why We Love It: There’s nothing prettier or easier than tomato toast. And also you’re in luck as a result of there’s no higher season than summer season to rejoice recent, sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes. Go together with a wide range of colours (as proven right here), as a result of sure, your meal is usually a murals.
Hero Ingredient: A single sprig of recent basil goes a great distance.
Adzuki Bean Bowls From Love & Lemons
Why We Love It: When summer season hits, you possibly can wager I’m consuming bowl after bowl… after bowl. There’s one thing so easy-breezy about compiling separate elements into one cohesive dish. This system permits you to benefit from your leftovers and luxuriate in a wide range of flavors unexpectedly. With veggies, grains, legumes, and wholesome fat (shout out to the avocado!), this bowl packs all of it.
Hero Ingredient: Should you haven’t cooked with adzuki beans earlier than, now’s the time to start out. Not solely do they pack main dietary advantages, however additionally they lend a nutty, creamy chunk to your bowl. My model of heaven.
Antipasto Salad From Well Plated
Why We Love It: Suppose salads can’t function a hearty and full (to not point out scrumptious) meal? Suppose once more. I take a free strategy to defining what constitutes a salad, and when you agree {that a} numerous array of ingredient goodness suits the invoice, then this filling and flavorful antipasto salad is true up your alley. I’m in love with something that may be described as a cheeseboard in salad kind.
Hero Ingredient: Luxurious is a half-cup of salty, briny olives tossed into your summer season salad.
Tomato Salad From The Modern Proper
Why We Love It: If we realized something from the tomato toast recipe above, it’s that while you’re fortunate sufficient to be working with an ingredient at its best, let it shine. Working example, this pile-up of good tomatoes. With nothing past a easy dressing to enrich their taste, the ruby crimson cherry tomatoes are displayed at their sweetest, and arguably, greatest.
Hero Ingredient: Whereas I can get pleasure from cherry tomatoes straight off the vine, this recipe is only a tad fancier, making them match for a summer season banquet facet.
Chili Mango Summer Rolls with Ginger Peanut Sauce from Half Baked Harvest
Why We Love It: If I’m craving a lunch that balances fancy with approachable, then you possibly can wager summer season rolls are on the menu. They really feel a bit like a sandwich improve (no shade to my sammie stans on the market, I really like ’em too!), and make the proper app for any summer season gathering. After you have the method down, be at liberty to get inventive with your individual combos of recent, veggie-heavy fillings.
Hero Ingredient: The accompanying sauce is creamy and wealthy whereas benefiting from a contact of spice. You may thank the tablespoon of recent ginger for bringing the warmth.
Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich from A Couple Cooks
Why We Love It: Whereas I’m an egg/tuna salad lover for all times, in recent times, chickpea salads have made their approach into my repertoire. Leaning on everybody’s favourite legume offers the basic sandwich an elevated contact, letting you continue to really feel such as you’re having fun with a elaborate lunch—even when you’re consuming it at your desk.
Hero Ingredient: Celery seed is likely one of the most underrated spices within the sport. The ensuing taste is fragrant and barely acidic, giving welcome steadiness to this recipe’s creamier elements.
Shaved Zucchini Salad With Plums, Herbs & Almonds from The First Mess
Why We Love It: No, I’ll by no means agree that zoodles are an appropriate substitute for creamy, buttery noodles. However when recipes let zucchini take the stage as precisely what it’s (re: a scrumptious summer season veggie), you then higher imagine I’m on board. This salad is a examine in contrasting textures: With the squash’s recent taste, a contact of creaminess from the cheese, and the almonds’ crunch, you possibly can wager this salad satisfies.
Hero Ingredient: Whereas this recipe requires golden plums, any juicy, summery stone fruit will carry the sweetness that seals the deal on this salad.
Peach Tomato Caprese Salad From The Recipe Runner
Why We Love It: I’m right here for any and all variations on the classic Caprese. The peaches play two essential roles on this take: They offer the tomatoes’ sweetness larger depth and construct layered coloration all through each chunk. Bonus: Situating this salad in the midst of your desk doubles as an natural and chic centerpiece.
Hero Ingredient: Recent mozzarella is my love language.
Spicy Pan Bagnat with Yellowfin Tuna From Killing Thyme
Why We Love It: The basic French sandwich is the proper picnic accompaniment. Not solely does it pack up fantastically, however it’s a kind of particular, hard-to-come-by recipes that solely get higher with time. Assemble the morning of, roll up in some parchment paper, and luxuriate in. Easy. Stunning. Delish.
Hero Ingredient: I’m between the baguette, tuna, olives, capers, and floor mustard. However as a result of not all the things can function the one standout ingredient, it’s the spicy mustard that wins out.
Club Sandwich with Pesto Mayonnaise From The Modern proper
Why We Love It: In my world, BLTs are the proper sandwich. They mix a bit fatty richness with fruity, recent taste. This model is a slight (however vital) step up. Should you’re in want of a simple, however oh-so-satisfying lunch choice to preserve in your weekday repertoire, make it this. I’ll assure you may have most, if not all the components readily available already.
Hero Ingredient: You had me at pesto mayonnaise.
Chaat Masala Citrus Salad
Why We Love It: Whereas winter is technically when citrus is at its greatest, this salad packs a lot extra taste that you just’ll adore it in the summertime, too. It’s proof that while you mix deliciousness with attractive presentation, stunning issues can occur. With only a few components tossed collectively, you may have a meal that’s far larger than the sum of its elements.
Hero Ingredient: With a mixture of multi-colored citrus (Cara cara and blood oranges, plus the pinkest grapefruits you will discover), you possibly can simply create a dynamic meal.
Super Greens Sandwich From Fork In the Kitchen
Why We Love It: This isn’t your run-of-the-mill sandwich. I really like that it stays inside the similar coloration palette whereas nonetheless having a lot various texture and taste. A creamy avocado sauce layered atop crunchy spinach and funky cucumber slices will make you suppose you’re having fun with a way more indulgent meal.
Hero Ingredient: By no means underestimate the ability of a bit freshly floor black pepper.
Mango Kale Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing From half Baked Harvest
Why We Love It: We love chopped salads right here at Camille Types. They’ll function a complete meal with out weighing you down, making it simple (and attractive) to get all of your greens in a single go. With sunny, fruity mango and a sprinkling of toasted sunflower seeds, I assure you’ll be tempted to eat this for lunch and dinner (perhaps even breakfast?) each day of the week.
Hero Ingredient: A salad’s solely pretty much as good as its dressing. Fortunately, this recipe forgoes the temptation of a flavorless bottled dressing and as a substitute opts for a zesty/herby cilantro-lime spin.
Asian Cucumber Salad with Chili and Garlic From Lindsey Eats
Why We Love It: I really like snappy, spicy sides which might be dominated by one among my favourite veggies. Sure, cucumbers may be a humble choice, however when thinly sliced and paired with a zippy dressing that is aware of the good thing about a bit acidity, a tasty deal with ensues.
Hero Ingredient: Should you’re not about warmth, ditch the pepper. However, when you fall laborious for something that packs a spicy punch, the Fresno or, alternatively, birds eye chili, brings stunning taste to your general dish.
Cumin Chickpea Salad with Mint Chutney
Why We Love It: In comparison with the chickpea salad shared above, this take leans rather less creamy and as a substitute showcases the recent fantastic thing about an herb-packed chutney. The excellent news too is which you can customise this salad with no matter veggies are in season and/or readily available, letting you get pleasure from all of it all year long—no matter how lengthy it’s been because you final went to the shop.
Hero Ingredient: Chickpeas are nutty and satisfying, serving as the proper base for all the flavour this salad lets shine.
Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes from Love & Lemons
Why We Love It:
Hero Ingredient:
Rainbow “Raw-maine” Taco Boats From minimalist Baker
Why We Love It: If there’s one factor to find out about me, it’s that I’m a Taco Tuesday woman, by and thru. Any approach I can have ’em, I’ll take ’em—and that features sans shell. Should you’re bored with the laborious vs. tender shell debate, settle the take care of one thing altogether totally different. Romaine offers the proper crunch and chunk of recent taste, making it simple to return for seconds, thirds…
Hero Ingredient: Beet hummus provides the proper earthy and candy pop of coloration.
Jicama Salad: Three Ways From Alison Wu
Why We Love It: Should you haven’t loved the magic of jicama but, begin with this salad. Native to Mexico, it’s simply now starting to achieve traction in america, and I’m right here for the hype. Jicama is one way or the other each crunchy and juicy, candy and nutty. The closest factor I can evaluate it to is a pear, however belief me: it’s a lot extra. These three recipes showcase jicama at its best, pairing the foundation veggie with a medley of fruits, herbs, citruses, and spice. The choices for deliciousness abound.
Hero Ingredient: It must be jicama.
Cold Veg Mango Noodles With Spicy Sesame Citrus Dressing From The First Mess
Why We Love It: The (tremendous) thinly-sliced mango lends a stunning pop of coloration to this salad-like dish. It’s vibrant, verdant, and precisely what to serve if you need your friends to present an audible wow when it reaches the desk. After all, it’ll be simply as beautiful piled excessive on a plate, eaten and loved solo.
Hero Ingredient: Gochujang packs a trifecta of candy, spicy, and savory taste, giving your dressing a pleasant little bit of depth and warmth.
Papdi Chaat
Why We Love It: Camille Types Meals Editor, Suruchi Avasthi, swears by this dish as a simple, streamlined, and make-ahead choice for any summer season gathering. In her phrases, “It’s the crispy candy, spicy, and tangy appetizer you’ve been searching for!” I couldn’t agree extra.
Hero Ingredient: Retailer-bought mint, cilantro, and tamarind chutney allow you to assemble this dish in minutes. A win for any banquet planner.
