29 No-Cook Dinners for a Summer Heat Wave

No-cook dinners are a crucial category come summer, especially during a heat wave, when not even a cold shower will cool you down. You need sustenance that won’t add heat to your indoor environment, something that soothes without asking too much of you. Think summer salad recipes that use up all the beautiful produce you just splurged on at the farmers market, like a smashed zucchini number and a classic caprese to show off those tomatoes. When the last thing you want to do is turn on your stove or oven, a fresh and herby sandwich might be just the ticket or a tall glass of gloriously green gazpacho. And while you can certainly mix and match from this lineup to create a multicourse affair, there are also those nights when a platter of veggies and dip can pass for dinner. Sometimes cooking like a pro means not cooking at all. Let these easy no-cook meals be your cool-down, fill-up strategy.

Crunchy and Bright Greek Salad

To turn this salad into a complete dinner, just pick your protein of choice: hot-smoked salmon, jarred beans, canned tuna, store-bought hard-boiled eggs. All would work well here.

Chopped Salad With Sardines and Preserved Lemon

From Test Kitchen editor Rebecca Firkser’s column Good for You, this protein-rich, produce-packed salad relies on tinned sardines for ease. Check out our sardine taste test for the most flavorful brands.

Smashed Zucchini With Tahini-Ginger Dressing

Add rotisserie chicken to turn this no-oven-needed salad into a full meal. Smacking the zucchini with a rolling pin helps the squash soak up all the zingy dressing.

Stone Fruit and Salami Panzanella

The secret to our favorite no-cook meals? A good toaster. This countertop appliance is all you need for a summery panzanella.

Smashed Asparagus Salad

Raw asparagus? You better believe it! Like the zucchini salad above, a rolling pin comes in handy here. A rotisserie chicken would be a lovely pairing for a high-protein no-cook meal.

Happy Fridge Salad

If you don’t have chickpeas, any canned legume would work well here: lentils, pintos, black beans, you name it. Add some crusty bread and dinner’s done.

Plum Salad With Black Pepper and Parmesan

A savory fruit salad that holds its own at the dinner table. Feel free to swap out the cheese however you see fit (say, with salty feta or milky burrata) and sprinkle some fresh herbs on top if you have any around.

Honeydew and Lox

This recipe puts a spin on prosciutto and melon by swapping in smoked salmon for the salty dry-cured ham. Turn it into a snack-y dinner with some crackers, crunchy veg, and a dip recipe (or something store-bought like hummus).

Divorce Salad

With balsamic marinated beans, lots of cheese, and crispy onions, this meal-prep-friendly dinner salad is one you’ll have on repeat.

Italian Grinder Salad

An Italian sub? As a salad? Be still, my beating heart! With cured meat, cheese, and an Italian dressing, this is a satisfying supper if there ever was one.

BA’s Best Caprese Salad

Make the most of tomato season with this classic caprese salad recipe.

Spicy Tuna Tostadas

Canned tuna makes these gorgeous tostadas budget-friendly and quick to throw together.

Ponzu Salmon and Avocado Toast

Smoked salmon makes this avocado toast more filling than most, for an easy no-cook meal that’s elegant too.

Halibut Ceviche with Tomato and Pineapple

The acidity in the lime juice and tequila will help the fish firm up, but if it sits too long, it will get tough.

Big Bean Ceviche

No raw fish needed for this vegetarian spin on ceviche. Serve with tortilla chips, lots of napkins, and hopefully an icy beer.

Crudo Any Which Way

A choose-your-own-adventure template to crudo, a true treat of a no-cook recipe. Make it your own!

Smoked Trout-Avocado Dip

Simple and satisfying. Serve this dip with seedy crackers or sourdough bread and you have a feel-good meal in minutes.

Cucumber Sandwich With Green Chutney

Give the classic cucumber sandwich an herbaceous punch with a lemony cilantro-jalapeño chutney.

Roadie Hoagie

The flavors in this sandwich get more delicious and concentrated as it sits, so assemble it in the morning and take it with you for the perfect lunch in the afternoon.

California Veggie Sandwich

A West coast classic. We like sandwiches that send juices running down to our elbows, which is why we insist on dressing the lettuce.

Green Goddess Tuna Salad Sandwich

This recipe is a revelation, bringing bright herbaceous green goddess flavors to an otherwise one-note meal.

Sippin’ Green Gazpacho

This zippy, herbaceous drinkable soup is like a trip to the farmers market in a glass.

Classic Spanish Gazpacho

This tangy chilled soup is basically summer in a bowl. Add an ice cube or three if you’d like.

Bloody Mary Salmorejo

A cousin to gazpacho, salmorejo gets its velvety texture from the inclusion of bread in the mix with summer’s best tomatoes.

Grand Aioli

Dip everything–all of the things—into this garlicky mayonnaise.

Hot-Smoked Salmon with Salted Yogurt and Fennel

This is entrée you want to serve to guests when you have no time to cook and have no desire to turn on the oven.

Peach and Prosciutto Sandwich

Juicy sweet peaches are leveled up with chili crisp and vinegar, becoming the star ingredient in this summer sandwich that’s sure to be your next picnic MVP.

Marinated Mixed Beans

Spoon into Little Gem cups with sliced avocado or pulled mozzarella (or both!) and you have perfect lettuce wraps. Or scoop onto Greek yogurt with some sliced radishes and cucumber.

Smashed Chickpeas on Toast With Harissa Yogurt

An open-face chickpea salad sandwich is great for lunch or dinner. Garlicky toast smoothed with harissa yogurt and topped with beans adds up to the perfect vegetarian tartine.