31 Easy No-Cook Dinners to Make in July
It’s the middle of summer, and the oven is definitely off-limits. But while there are plenty of work-arounds (the grill, the stove, the slow-cooker), we honestly 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 giant sticky mess, the last thing we’re craving is a hot meal. Instead, we like to opt for simple, no-cook dinner options; here’s one for every night in July (bonus: the less time in the kitchen, the more time at the beach).
July 1: 15-Minute Gazpacho with Cucumber, Red Pepper, and Basil
We spend all year waiting for fresh summer produce, and this cold soup is the best way to showcase it. All you need is a good blender or food processor, and dinner is done.
July 2: Chopped Greek Chickpea Salad
This easy dinner has everything we love about a Greek salad, with some canned chickpeas for a boost of protein. Follow Coterie member Monique Volz’s lead and make extra to pack for lunch the next day.
July 3: Rainbow Collard Wraps with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce
Feel free to use up whatever veggies you have in the house. Everything tastes delicious with this peanut sauce.
July 4: Burrata Arugula Berry Salad
Unleash your inner Yankee-Doodle with this red, white and blue salad. (We’ll assume someone else is bringing the hot dogs.)
July 5: Kelp and Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai
We’re always ready for takeout on a Friday night (especially the Friday right after a holiday). This healthy alternative swaps out the greasy noodles for kelp and zucchini noodles, and BBQ-stuffed bodies are forever grateful.
July 6: The Lighter Cheese Board
We love Saturday night entertaining in the summer, especially when there’s almost no work for the hostess. Throw together some cold meats and cheeses, fresh fruit and some pickled veggies and (a super Insta-worthy) dinner awaits.
July 7: Zucchini Salad with Lemon and Parmesan
Somehow, we always have too many zucchinis in the summer (we blame the neighbor’s overzealous garden). Instead of succumbing to sugary zucchini bread, make this nutritious dinner instead.
July 8: Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Stuffed Peppers
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 dinner ever.
July 9: Taco Salad
If you’re looking for greasy meat and fried tortilla chips, this is not the salad for you. Packed with plant-based protein, it’s everything we want out of a summer Taco Tuesday.
July 10: Italian Deli Pinwheel Sandwiches
Bread, schmead. Wrapping up meats and veggies and slicing them into little wheels is so much more fun than just making a boring old sandwich.
July 11: Joanna Gaines’s Peach Caprese Salad
We tend to trust Joanna Gaines’s opinion on most things, and caprese salad is most certainly one of them. She uses ripe summer peaches instead of tomatoes, and we might never make it the old way again.
July 12: Watermelon Poke Bowls
We love the flavors of a poke bowl, but we admit that we’re still a little bit squeamish about handling raw fish ourselves. Subbing in fresh watermelon gives us the best of both worlds.
July 13: Avocado Green Goddess Sandwiches with Havarti
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.
July 14: Zucchini and Fresh Corn Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
Put the weekend’s farmers market haul to good use in this super-summery salad by Coterie member Heidi Larsen. (Tip: double the vinaigrette recipe and use it on fresh greens all week long.)
July 15: Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board
Salad in a bowl? Not that exciting. But salad on a board feels like an elegant evening out (even if it’s really just Monday night dinner at the kitchen table).
July 16: Tuna Salad and Chickpea Stuffed Avocado
This easy dinner has it all: It’s low carb, full of proteins and healthy fats, and kind of adorable. Plus, the creaminess of the avocado means you can go totally mayo-free (a little Greek yogurt does the trick).
July 17: Italian Chopped Salad
On first glance, this looks like an ordinary chopped salad. But a few extra ingredients (spoiler alert: sesame and poppy seeds) give it the extra flavor we never knew it needed.
July 18: Buffalo Chicken Wraps with Blue Cheese Dressing
There’s nothing we crave more than spicy buffalo dressing and funky blue cheese. Here, they’re rolled up in a wrap with pre-cooked chicken and plenty of lettuce for crunch.
July 19: Chile Basil Coconut Ceviche
We never knew ceviche could be so easy to make at home. One fancy Friday date night coming right up, thanks to Coterie member Aida Mollenkamp.
July 20: Ultimate Party Sub
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.
July 21: Rainbow Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
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 freshest tomatoes you can find.
July 22: The Best Sesame Soy Broccoli Salad
This quick salad has a fantastic balance of flavors and textures—crunchy almonds, sweet dried cranberries, red onion and a tangy salty-sweet soy dressing. We never imagined raw broccoli could be this good.
July 23: Zoodles with Avocado and Mango Sauce
Pureed 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, and you’ve also got a light and zesty sauce for raw zucchini noodles.
July 24: Ginger Scallion Chicken Wraps
A great way to use up leftover chicken (or pick up a rotisserie bird, if you don’t have any on hand). (Thanks for saving our weeknights, Coterie member Gaby Dalkin.)
July 25: RAINBOW 'RAW-MAINE' TACO BOATS
These little lettuce boats are stuffed with all sorts of goodies—veggies, avocados and a quick beet hummus—and drizzled with an addictive tahini dressing.
July 26: Shredded Thai Salad with Avocado
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, it’s hearty enough for a full meal.
July 27: Lunch Kebabs with Mortadella, Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
They’re called lunch kebabs, but we’ve been known to make them for a quick, easy dinner.
July 28: Cold Sesame Cucumber Noodles
There’s nothing we love more than cold sesame noodles from our favorite Chinese takeout place, but they’re not the healthiest. Swapping the noodles for cucumber and adding some store-bought tofu solves all of our problems, while totally fulfilling the craving.
July 29: Sonoma Chickpea Salad
Whip up this protein-packed vegan dish in 15 minutes. Close your eyes, take a bite and you'd never guess it's not chicken salad.
July 30: Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Chévre Ranch
We’re so obsessed with this salad, we’ve cleaned out the farmers market’s entire stock of sugar snap peas. Chévre ranch dressing, we just can’t seem to quit you.
July 31: Avocado Chicken Salad
The only way to improve a classic chicken salad? Add avocado, for extra flavor and creaminess.