There’s a time and a place for hearty, warming meals. It just doesn’t happen to be when the sun is shining and we’ve got the air conditioning on. During that time, we turn to simple, cold dinners that are light but totally satisfying (bonus points if they’re no-cook). From watermelon poke bowls to cucumber-avocado soup, here are 40 cold dinner ideas that won’t burn your tongue—or leave you sweating in the kitchen.
40 Cold Dinner Ideas Made for Scorching Hot Nights
Don't sweat it
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Published Mar 27, 2024
Katherine Gillen
1. Cold Sesame Cucumber Noodles
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, vegetarian, no cook
- Servings: 4
Store-bought marinated baked tofu combined with cold noodles makes this dish hearty, healthy and super simple to whip up.
2. Chicken Orzo Salad
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, make ahead
- Servings: 6 to 10
Add whatever veggies you picked up from the farmers market this week. The best part? If you plan for leftovers you can enjoy this guy more than just once.
3. Quinoa and Shaved Carrot Salad with Chickpeas, Currants and Cashews
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, vegan, gluten free
- Servings: 4
This is one of those recipes that’s easy, customizable (use whatever fruit or nuts you have lying around the cupboard) and can be eaten warm or cold. The choice is yours.
4. Watermelon Poke Bowls
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, no cook, vegetarian
- Servings: 4
Ideal for when we want something cool and crunchy. Did we mention this one’s vegetarian (and photogenic)?
5. Clean Broccoli Salad with Creamy Almond Dressing
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, vegan
- Servings: 6 to 8
Featuring purple cabbage, broccoli, raisins, almonds, green onions and a creamy vegan almond-miso-orange dressing, this veggie-laden meal comes together in no time.
6. Honey-Miso Summer Salad Bowls
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, no cook
- Servings: 2
Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? You’re going to want to put this savory-sweet dressing on just about everything.
7. Charred Corn and Goat Cheese Avocado Toast
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
- Servings: 2
Topped with corn, chives, lemon, salt and pepper, this is not your average avocado toast.
8. Grilled Peach, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Sandwich
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
- Servings: 1
Sweet, salty and savory. Our new favorite sammy is what we call the ultimate triple threat.
9. Aglio Olio Zoodles with Summer Vegetables and Shrimp
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: low carb, <10 ingredients
- Servings: 4
This lighter take on a classic Italian dish is packed with flavor. Just don’t forget to pile on the freshly grated cheese.
10. Spiralized Sushi Bowl with Salmon Sashimi and Ginger Miso Dressing
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, ready in <30 minutes, low carb
- Servings: 4
Allow this beautiful and colorful bowl to be your first foray into homemade sushi—it’s easy, promise.
11. Mediterranean Tuna Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: paleo, no cook, under 500 calories
- Servings: 6
Packed with so many flavors and textures (veggies, artichokes, capers, avocado and a red wine vinaigrette), you won’t even miss the mayo.
12. Shredded Thai Salad with Avocado
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, high protein, beginner-friendly
- Servings: 4
Ready thy Instagram, because this array of shredded cabbage, peppers and other fresh veggies—topped with vibrant slices of avocado—is too beautiful not to share.
13. Cheesy Raw Vegan Zucchini Lasagna
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, no cook, high protein
- Servings: 4
Meet the lightened-up version of your favorite comfort food: Stacks on stacks of our favorite veggies topped with extra cheesy goodness.
14. The Ultimate Quinoa-Avocado Bowl
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, dairy free
- Servings: 4
Crispy kale? Check. Spicy shrimp? Check. Avocado slices, watermelon radishes and quinoa? Check, check and oh yeah, check.
15. Pineapple Mango Salsa Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, gluten free, paleo, Whole30, under 500 calories
- Servings: 2
If you’re looking for something that’s on your diet, these guys are completely gluten free, paleo and Whole30. And you can have them on the table in just 20 minutes.
16. Beet Noodle, Pea and Arugula Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: dairy free, gluten free, vegan, ready in <30 minutes
- Servings: 2
Topped with a lemon garlic-tahini sauce, this crunchy salad is the ideal cold dinner for a warm evening.
17. Aran Goyoaga’s Niçoise Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, make ahead, high protein, under 500 calories
- Servings: 6
This is so much more exciting than the average Niçoise salad. It makes for a quick and hearty dinner and is easy to scale up or down.
18. Kelp and Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, gluten free, paleo
- Servings: 2
Food blogger Jodi Moreno stopped by the PureWow test kitchen to whip up this light gluten free, paleo and nutrient-rich dish.
19. Summer Corn and Heirloom Salad with Spicy Breadcrumbs, Goat Cheese and Tomatillo Salsa Verde
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegetarian
- Servings: 4
This is the summer salad of our dreams. Don’t forget to grab a handful of toasted bread cubes and crumble them over the dish for additional texture.
20. 15-Minute Cucumber-Avocado Blender Soup
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, high protein, beginner-friendly
- Servings: 4 servings
Making soup can feel like a lot of effort for something that we could just get from a can. Enter: this flavorful recipe that's ready in no time.
21. Cold Lemon Zoodles
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, no cook, gluten free
- Servings: 4
A light, zesty dressing and no actual cooking required make this dish our summer night go-to. Who needs a stove anyway?
22. 15-Minute Gazpacho with Cucumber, Red Pepper and Basil
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
- Servings: 4
With some ripe produce and a blender or food processor, you can whip up this guy in no time. No heat (or effort) required.
23. Buddha Bowl with Kale, Avocado, Orange and Wild Rice
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, gluten free, dairy free
- Servings: 2
This grain bowl, filled to the brim with the freshest ingredients (avocado, orange, pumpkin seeds and more), is about to become your new go-to dinner.
24. Rainbow Collard Wraps with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, kid-friendly, under 500 calories, gluten free
- Servings: 4
So easy and refreshing. You can even make them ahead of time (up to two days in advance) and they won’t get soggy in the fridge.
25. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Stuffed Peppers
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, make ahead, kid-friendly
- Servings: 6
Serve the leftovers of this lightened-up tangy chicken salad for lunch. If there’s any left, we mean.
26. Summer Abundance Salad
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
- Servings: 4
Let seasonal produce be the star of your meal, because this salad is packed with whole grains, protein, fruits and your favorite veggies.
27. BLT Pasta Salad
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
- Servings: 8
We’re combining all of the crunchy, savory, creamy ingredients of the classic sandwich—minus, well, the bread. Go ahead, fry up all of your bacon at your next brunch, then save the leftovers for this meal.
28. Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Strawberries
- Time Commitment: 21 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, vegetarian, make ahead
- Servings: 8
This dish is almost no-cook, takes less than 30 minutes and can be made up to one day in advance. Just toss the strawberries in right before serving so they don’t get mushy.
29. Panzanella
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, vegetarian
- Servings: 4
Salad for dinner? We’re all in, especially if it’s made out of bread. As it soaks up all the juices from the other ingredients, it just gets better and better.
30. Yellow Tomato Gazpacho
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: under 500 calories, special occasion–worthy, vegetarian
- Servings: 4 to 6
Yellow tomatoes are milder and less acidic than most red ones, and pair beautifully with sweet summer peaches. Top it all off with extra crunchy cucumbers and croutons.
31. Shrimp Rolls with New England–Style Dressing
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, <500 calories
- Servings: 4
These handhelds can satisfy your craving for lobster without blowing your entire grocery budget. They have all the elements you’re looking for: buttery buns, fresh herbs and a creamy yet light New England–style dressing that has just the right amount of mayonnaise.
32. Summer Vegetable Steak Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, beginner-friendly
- Servings: 4
This gorgeous salad calls for cooking the steak under your broiler, but if you don’t want to heat up your entire kitchen, move the setup to your grill.
33. Marinated White Bean and Tomato Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, vegetarian, gluten free, <10 ingredients
- Servings: 4 to 6
It’s less than ten ingredients, can be made in advance and doubled for a crowd, and contains 14 grams of protein per serving—even without meat.
34. Chickpea Caesar Salad with a Cheater’s Dressing
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly
- Servings: 4
The magical cheater’s dressing skips the usual raw egg and anchovies, but how? The secret is store-bought mayo…we won’t tell if you won’t.
35. Asparagus, Peas and Cucumber ‘Cacio e Pepe’
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
- Servings: 2
In truth, this is nothing like the pasta it takes its name from…but it’s so elegant and fresh, we don’t mind. You could also add some raw zucchini noodles in place of cucumber if you wanted to, or serve it on top of grilled chicken cutlets for some heft.
36. Salmon BLT Salad with Spicy Tomatillo Ranch
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein
- Servings: 2
If you aren’t familiar with tomatillos, they’re similar to tomatoes but are slightly less sweet and are perfect when drenched in ranch. (TBH, what isn’t?)
37. Tabasco-Gochujang Cured Salmon Poke Bowl
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, no cook
- Servings: 2
Poke at home? With raw fish? It’s actually super easy to pull off. But if you’d rather not spring for sashimi-grade salmon, substitute smoked. Or if you’re vegan, use meaty mushrooms, sticky tempeh or crispy tofu in the fish’s place.
38. Miso-Ginger Chicken Slaw
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: dairy free, gluten free, low carb
- Servings: 6
It’s like a cross between coleslaw and chicken salad, a combination that has us running to the kitchen. If you use a rotisserie chicken, you won’t even have to cook anything.
39. The Most Perfect Burrata Caprese Sandwich
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
- Servings: 4
You had us at the first mention of burrata. If you want to go all out, use homemade pesto. Otherwise, store-bought is totally fine.
40. Super Quick Avocado Shrimp Salad
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
- Servings: 2
Fresh, crunchy and ready in 15 minutes, this is summer eating at its best. You can use cooked, frozen shrimp if you want, but poaching them doesn’t take much time, and the results are worth it.
