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I love cooking, but during the hottest days of summer, I'm not so into the hot and heavy. It's quite the opposite. As the temperature rises outdoors, I prefer cool and light foods that are still loaded with flavor. These no-cook meals come together quickly with minimal effort and no additional heat, but they taste so darn good. So when you're ready to beat the heat this summer, turn off the flame and turn to the fridge and pantry to make these deliciously satisfying cool summer dinners. 

I'm all about a tasty ceviche or aguachile any time of year, but I especially like them in the summer. One of the great things about this ceviche recipe is how easy it is to customize. Use your favorite chiles to up the heat or stick with something mild. And, if you're a little leery about using raw shrimp and allowing the citrus to "cook" it, you can always use pre-cooked shrimp, instead. This serves 4. 

Ingredients

• Juice of 1 orange
• Juice of 2 limes
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound raw or cooked medium shrimp, peeled, tails removed, deveined, and cut into pieces
• 1-2 jalapeño chili peppers, ribs and seeds removed and minced (or your favorite chili)
• ½ red onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 medium cucumber, chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (including stems)
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
• Crispy tostada shells (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the citrus juices, garlic, salt, shrimp, and jalapeños. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Remove from the fridge and add all the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate again for about 30 minutes to 2 hours to let the flavors blend.
3. Serve cold, on top of the toastadas, if desired.

Gazpacho is another meal that's easy to customize. Essentially, it's a chilled, blended soup that tastes garden fresh. It has the best flavor with tomatoes straight out of the garden (head to the farmer's market if you don't grow them yourself). If you want it to be a little heartier, add some cooked, chilled shrimp when you serve it. This makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ripe fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch basil leaves, roughly chopped
• ¼ red onion, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Chill for about two hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Related: Passion for Pesto: Endless Variations + Tasty Serving Suggestions

Salad is always a go-to when the temperatures rise. And since I like a little protein with my salad, I always keep some chopped cooked chicken on-hand in the freezer so I can make a salad any time it feels too hot to cook. You can also grab a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and let it cool in the fridge until you're ready to make your salad. I also keep cooked pasta in the freezer so I can thaw it for salads in the hot weather. This serves 4-6.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 bunches basil leaves
• 1 (8-ounce) package of mini mozzarella balls, drained and halved
• 1 (16-ounce) package pasta wheels, cooked and cooled
• 1 cup pre-made balsamic vinaigrette of your choice

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and pasta.
2. Toss with the dressing.

I am obsessed with esquites, which is Mexican street corn off the cob. But when it's super hot, you don't even want to fire up the grill to cook corn, which I totally get. But this street corn salad uses a summer-crisp canned or fresh corn cut off the cob to make a flavorful street-corn type of salad that you can then pile high on tortilla chips for a yummy no-cook dinner. It serves 4.

Ingredients

• 4 cups summer crisp canned corn (drained) or fresh corn cut off the cob
• 1 bunch chopped, fresh cilantro (including the stems)
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder) — or more for spicier
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed and minced (or to taste)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 package tortilla chips
• ½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
• 2-3 fresh jalapeños, sliced thinly

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the corn, cilantro, onions, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. Mix well.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, minced jalapeño, garlic, and salt. 
3. Mix with the corn mixture, stirring well to combine.
4. On a platter, spread the tortilla chips. Top with the corn salad.
5. Sprinkle with the Cotija cheese. Top with thinly sliced jalapeños.

Here's what's great about a chopped salad — you can chop up whatever you want to put into it, douse it in salad dressing, and call it good. For example, my absolutely favorite chopped salad of all time is chopped scallops, shrimp, fresh fennel, cashews, and a garlicky vinaigrette. Chef's kiss. If you need a little more guidance, try this Italian-style chopped salad that serves 4.

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup black olives (drained if using canned), chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 12 ounces deli ham, turkey, or roast beef, chopped
• 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• ½ cup vinaigrette of your choice

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the vinaigrette.
2. Toss with the vinaigrette just before serving.

I am not a fish eater. I love shellfish, but fish? Not so much — especially salmon. Which is doubly surprising given that I live in the Pacific Northwest, where salmon is a mainstay. So while I don't make salmon for myself, my family LOVES it. And poke bowls are an easy and tasty (or so I'm told) no-cook way to serve fresh salmon. Check out these from The Recipe Critic — it may just become your new summer favorite. 

I love slaw as a way to use up any leftover cooked proteins I have lying around the house, from shredded pork to cooked chicken. Or, you can always grab my mainstay — grocery store rotisserie chicken — shred it with a fork, and freeze it in one-cup bags so it's easy to grab when the temps soar.

By the way — whenever I make this slaw, regardless of the protein (or just as a side), I get HUGE compliments. It's that yummy. This serves 4-6.

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) package coleslaw mix
• 1 bunch radishes, julienned
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (stems included)
• ½ red onion, julienned
• 1 tart green apple, peeled, cored, and julienned
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken meat (or another protein cut into small pieces)
• 1 tablespoon sriracha (or more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Chinese hot mustard
• 2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh gingerroot 
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup avocado oil

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, radishes, cilantro, red onion, apple, and chicken. Mix well.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the sriracha, hot mustard, ginger, garlic, sugar or honey, salt, apple cider vinegar, and avocado oil. Toss with the slaw and serve immediately.

Lump crab meat (find it in the seafood section of the grocery store) is the key ingredient here, but you can also use chopped shrimp, tuna, or even shredded chicken to make these quick and easy sammies. Not a sandwich person (I have celiac disease, so I can't have it on bread)? Put it in a lettuce cup or avocado half for a tasty meal. This makes four sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces lump crab meat, drained and picked over
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced plus 2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds
• 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh dill
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1-2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 4 croissants, sliced lengthwise
• Lettuce, tomato, and avocado for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the crab, fennel bulb and fronds, and dill. Toss to mix.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sriracha, lemon juice, salt, and paprika.
3. Toss with the crab mixture to combine well.
4. Spoon onto the croissants and garnish with tomatoes, lettuce, and sliced avocados. 

I like butter lettuce for wraps because it's super flexible and easy to wrap around whatever you want to fill it with. These lettuce wraps are so easy! This serves 2.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces smoked salmon, broken into pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh dill
• ¼ cup sour cream
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 8 large leaves of butter lettuce

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the salmon, dill, lemon juice, and sour cream.
2. Serve on the butter lettuce.

Sure, summer can sizzle, but that doesn't mean you need to roast away over a hot stove. These no-cook summer recipes are super satisfying, but they'll help you keep your cool when the temps rise.