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48 No-Cook Meals to Make for Dinner This Summer

It’s summertime, so the oven is basically off limits. While there are plenty of work-arounds (like the grill, stove and slow cooker), there are some nights when we just can’t bring ourselves to be near any source of additional heat. Besides, when the sun is beating down and we feel like a sticky mess, the last thing we’re craving is a hot meal. Instead, we opt for simple, no-cook dinners that will keep us both cool and satisfied.

Here, 48 recipes for easy meals to enjoy all summer, from salads to sandwiches to cold soups. (After all, less time in the kitchen means more time hanging in the yard with a cold one.)

90 Quick Summer Dinner Ideas for Lazy People


1. Bitter Greens Salad with Herby Ranch Dressing

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy

Radicchio and frisée offer salads a much more sophisticated look than lettuce or spinach. Here, they're topped with toasted pistachios, sliced Granny Smith apples and drool-worthy homemade ranch.

2. Five-Minute Bean Salad

  • Time Commitment: 5 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

In case you needed yet another reason to always have canned beans in your pantry. When mixed with fresh herbs, garlic and a few pantry staples, this dish will taste surprisingly home-cooked. Serve with rice to make it even more filling.

3. Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwiches

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, make ahead

As long as you start with store-bought rotisserie chicken (or last night's leftovers), these next-level sammies will only take half an hour to assemble. You can even make the tarragon mayo and quick-pickled onions ahead to save more time before dinner.

4. 15-Minute Gazpacho with Cucumber, Red Pepper and Basil

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegan

We spend all year waiting for fresh summer produce, and this cold tomato soup is the best way to showcase it. All you need is a good blender or food processor to put dinner on the table.

5. Chopped Greek Chickpea Salad

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, vegetarian, make ahead

This easy dinner has everything we love about a Greek salad, plus canned chickpeas for a boost of protein. Follow Coterie member Monique Volz’s lead and make extra to pack for lunch the next day.

6. Rainbow Collard Wraps with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

These wraps call for collard greens, carrots, cucumbers, avocados, cabbage and herbs, but feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand. Everything tastes delicious with hummus and the savory peanut butter sauce.

7. Summer Berry Salad with Burrata and Arugula

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, vegetarian, <10 ingredients

Unleash your inner Yankee Doodle with this red, white and blue salad featuring blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. (We’ll assume someone else is bringing the hot dogs.)

8. Kelp and Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, high protein, no cook

We’re always down for takeout. This healthy alternative swaps wheat-based noodles for kelp noodles (which are gluten-free and only require a quick soak to turn al dente) and zucchini ribbons.

9. The Lighter Cheese Board

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes

We love entertaining in the summer, especially when there’s almost no work in it for the hostess. Throw together some cold meats and cheeses, fresh fruit and pickled veggies—a super Insta-worthy dinner awaits.

10. Zucchini Salad with Lemon and Parmesan

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian, no cook

Somehow, we always have too many zucchinis come summertime (we blame the neighbor’s overzealous garden). Instead of succumbing to zucchini bread (again), make this light dinner.

11. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Stuffed Peppers

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, no cook, make ahead, high protein

Store-bought rotisserie chicken to the rescue. Combine the pre-cooked meat with tangy Greek yogurt and plenty of veggies, then stuff it into hollowed-out bell peppers for the cutest make-ahead dinner ever.

12. Vegetarian Summer Taco Salad

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, vegetarian, beginner-friendly

If you’re looking for ground beef and tortilla chips, this is not the salad for you. Packed with plant-based protein, this vegetarian take on a taco bowl is everything we want on a scorching hot Taco Tuesday.

13. Italian Deli Pinwheel Sandwiches

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, no cook, kid-friendly, <30 minutes

You could slap a few pieces of deli meat and cheese on sandwich bread, but wrapping and slicing the handheld into little wheels is much more fun. The wraps are packed with Genoa salami, pepperoni and prosciutto.

14. Joanna Gaines’s Peach Caprese Salad

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, vegetarian, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

After trying Joanna Gaines's twist on summer caprese, we might never make it the traditional way again. She uses ripe, in-season peaches instead of tomatoes, and the end result is unbelievably refreshing.

15. Watermelon Poke Bowls

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegan, kid-friendly, no cook

You love the flavors of a poke bowl, but you're also a bit skeptical about handling raw fish yourself. No worries: Subbing in marinated watermelon gives you the best of both worlds.

16. Avocado Green Goddess Sandwiches with Havarti

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: no cook, one bowl, <30 minutes, vegetarian

Kermit says it’s not easy being green, but we beg to differ. These hearty sandwiches are a little bit crunchy, a little bit creamy and a fantastic dish to take on an outdoor picnic.

17. Zucchini and Fresh Corn Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, beginner-friendly, no cook

Put the weekend’s farmers market haul to good use in this summery salad by Coterie member Heidi Larsen. Double the vinaigrette recipe to drizzle on fresh greens all week long.

18. Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, no cook

Not only does salad on a board feel like an elegant restaurant app (even on the couch), but it also allows you to access all the toppings with ease instead of having to dig to the bottom of a bowl to get them.

19. Tuna Salad and Chickpea-Stuffed Avocado

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, gluten free, <30 minutes, no cook, high protein

This easy dinner has it all: It’s low carb, full of protein and healthy fat and adorable. Plus, the creaminess of the avocado means you can go totally mayo-free, with the help of a little Greek yogurt.

20. Unforgettable Italian Chopped Salad

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian, one bowl, crowd-pleaser

At first glance, this looks like an ordinary chopped salad. But a few extra ingredients (spoiler alert: sunflower seeds, everything bagel seasoning and balsamic glaze) give it the extra flavor we never knew it needed.

21. Buffalo Chicken Wraps with Blue Cheese and Celery

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

There’s nothing we crave more than the combination of spicy Buffalo sauce and funky blue cheese dressing. Here, they’re rolled up in a wrap with pre-cooked chicken and plenty of crunchy celery.

22. Chile Basil Coconut Ceviche

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours and 45 minutes (includes marinating time)
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, pescatarian, no cook, high protein

Believe it or not, ceviche is beyond easy to make at home. (Don't sweat the raw seafood: Acidic citrus juices "cook" it to perfection.) One fancy Friday date night coming right up, thanks to Coterie member Aida Mollenkamp.

23. The Ultimate Party Sub

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, no cook, high protein

It’s too hot to even think about lighting the grill, but that doesn’t mean you have to cancel your plans with friends. Shift the party indoors and keep cool with this super-sized sub sandwich that you can all share.

24. Rainbow Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, no cook

Sure, you could put these out as an app at your next party. But we’re pretty happy keeping them all to ourselves for a quick main course. Just make sure to use the ripest tomatoes you can find.

25. The Best Sesame-Soy Broccoli Salad

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegan, one bowl, no cook

This quick salad has a divine balance of flavors and textures—crunchy almonds, sweet dried cranberries, red onion and a tangy, salty-sweet soy dressing. Who knew raw broccoli could be this good?

26. Zoodles with Avocado and Mango Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegan, no cook

Puréed fresh and frozen mango, avocado and coconut milk sound like the start to a pretty tasty smoothie. But add in ginger, tamari and crushed red pepper flakes, and you’ll end up with a light, zesty sauce for raw zucchini noodles.

27. Ginger Scallion Chicken Wraps

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, make ahead, beginner-friendly

These handhelds are a great way to use up leftover chicken (or pick up a rotisserie bird, if you don’t have any on hand). The recipe calls for sautéing the mushrooms, but save yourself the effort by using them raw.

28. Rainbow “Raw-Maine” Taco Boats

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, vegan, gluten free

These little lettuce boats are stuffed with all sorts of goodies, like veggies, avocados and quick beet hummus. Best of all, they're generously finished with a tahini dressing you'll want to drizzle on everything.

29. Shredded Thai Salad with Avocado

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, no cook, special occasion-worthy

This salad is almost too pretty to eat...though we plan on taking one for the team and doing it anyway. Plus, with smoked tofu and sliced avocado in the mix, it’s hearty enough to keep you full 'til dessert.

30. Lunch Kebabs with Mortadella, Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, no cook

They’re called lunch kebabs, but we’ve been known to eat them for dinner after a long day at the office, too. Use your favorite brown bread and store-bought pesto to make them.

31. Cold Sesame Cucumber Noodles

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, beginner-friendly, no cook

Swapping wheat noodles for cucumber zoodles in this takeout favorite makes it a million times more refreshing. And adding store-bought tofu to the mix makes the meal satiating while still keeping it light.

32. Sonoma Chickpea Salad

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, no cook, <30 minutes

No meat, no problem. Whip up this protein-packed vegan dish in 15 minutes flat. Close your eyes, take a bite and you'll be surprised that you don't even miss the chicken.

33. Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Chèvre Ranch

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, <30 minutes

OK, so you have to boil the peas for two minutes—but we promise this dish is worth the brief cooking. Full disclosure: You won't be able to quit the Chèvre ranch dressing once you taste its magic.

34. Avocado Chicken Salad

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, no cook, high protein

The only way to improve a classic chicken salad? First, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken so you don't have to cook the poultry yourself. Then, add avocado for extra flavor and creaminess.

35. Chilled Cucumber Salad

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes (includes chilling time)
  • Why We Love It: vegan, make ahead, crowd-pleaser, no cook, <10 ingredients

So damn refreshing. Odds are you already have all the ingredients too, considering there are only five of them. It'll fit right in at any barbecue or cookout.

36. Fruicuterie Board

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, no cook

Isn't she lovely? Swap meat for seasonal produce like cherries, mangos and peaches for a light, seasonal take on charcuterie. (You can always add prosciutto and the like to the mix if you'd prefer.)

37. Grilled Flatbread Pizza with Artichoke, Ricotta and Lemon

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegetarian, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

Fancy enough for a backyard dinner with friends, yet so mind-blowingly simple. The only cooking you'll have to do is warm, toast or grill the store-bought flatbread.

38. Spring Crudités with Romesco Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegan

Just like salad, only ten times more fun to eat (and much easier on the eyes). Use store-bought roasted red peppers to make the sauce no-cook, or just roll with whatever dressing you have in the fridge. (We're partial to green goddess.)

39. Moroccan Watermelon Salad with Pistachio

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, one bowl

Starring summer's favorite melon and lots of salty feta. Pistachios, red onion and cucumber offer just the right dose of crunch to the refreshing dish. Sub pickled red onions for raw for bonus tang.

40. The Easiest Chopped Greek Chickpea Salad

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus marinating time)
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, beginner-friendly, one bowl, no cook

Canned chickpeas have saved dinner at our house more times than we can count. You'll love them tossed in lemon-garlic dressing and paired with feta, olives, cucumbers and tomatoes.

41. Avocado Caprese Wrap

  • Time Commitment: 5 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian, no cook

Because you can never go wrong with avocado *or* balsamic vinaigrette. Zhuzh up the wraps by adding shredded chicken, prosciutto, salami or grated Parm to each one.

42. No-Noodle Pad Thai

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, make ahead, beginner-friendly, no cook

Come for the raw zucchini, carrot and daikon ribbons. Stay for the lime-honey peanut sauce (or use agave instead of honey to make it strictly vegan).

43. Greek Wedge Salad

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, no cook

Contrary to popular belief, wedge salads don't need to be buried in blue cheese and bacon. Here, crisp iceberg lettuce is doused in a zippy homemade vinaigrette instead.

44. Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, beginner friendly, no cook

This sammy is endlessly riffable. Use capers, olives or pickles instead of pepperoncini, Greek yogurt instead of mayo or even hot sauce instead of (or in addition to) crushed red pepper flakes.

45. Melon Caprese Skewers

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, no cook, kid-friendly

Sweet, juicy honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon are the ultimate matches for creamy mozz and salty prosciutto. Don't even get us started on the basil vinaigrette.

46. Miso Tuna Salad

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, <10 ingredients, one bowl, no cook

Holy umami. Bring on the miso paste and Japanese mayo for this bold rendition of tuna salad that pairs just as seamlessly with roasted seaweed sheets as it does crackers.

47. Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Fennel and Mandarin Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Nothing makes salad more refreshing than juicy fruit. The recipe calls for mandarin orange slices, but you can also supplement summer berries or even peaches, if you'd like.

48. Gena Hamshaw’s Caesar Smashed White Beans

  • Time Commitment: 5 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, no cook, make ahead

Flavor-packed pantry staples—like capers, nutritional yeast and white wine vinegar—make this five-minute masterpiece as tasty as it is. Bonus points for soaking dried beans overnight (but we'll be using canned, TYVM).

31 Easy Dinners for One That Are Too Delicious to Share


Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.


purewow author

taryn pire

Food Editor

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...