“I love standing over a hot stove on a sweltering summer night,” said no one ever. When temps are high, we try to spend as little time sweating away in the kitchen as possible. (More time to hang in the yard or soak up the A.C., no?) The key to staying cool *and* getting dinner on the table is having plenty of no-cook recipes up your sleeve. Read on for seven meals to cook this week that come together in a flash and don’t require the stove or oven.
Here’s What to Cook Every Night This Week (June 19 – 25)
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Published Jun 16, 2023
Evgeniia Siiankovskaia/Getty Images
Shopping List
Produce
6 garlic cloves
2 lemons
4 stalks celery
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 English cucumber
6 bell peppers
4 large orange or yellow tomatoes
1 seedless cucumber
1 pound heirloom tomatoes
2 red onions
2 peaches
6 ounces spinach
2 large shallots
12 figs
1 mango
3 avocados
Two 1-inch pieces ginger
2 zucchini
3 carrots
1 red cabbage
1 green cabbage
2 cups snow peas
1 head butterhead lettuce
2 tomatoes
1 bunch marjoram or oregano
2 bunches parsley
2 bunches scallions
2 bunches basil
1 bunch chervil
2 bunches mint
1 bunch radishes
1 bunch cilantro
Meat
1 rotisserie chicken
4 ounces prosciutto
6 ounces sliced ham
4 ounces sliced salami
4 ounces sliced soppressata
6 ounces sliced turkey
Dairy
6 ounces Greek yogurt
2 ounces blue cheese
6 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
Grains
4 thick slices white or sourdough bread
1 large loaf ciabatta
Canned and Packaged Goods
Two 15-ounce cans white beans
2 ounces toasted sliced almonds
6 ounces frozen mango
3 ounces canned full-fat coconut milk
½ pound smoked tofu
3 ounces chopped peanuts
Pantry Ingredients: fine-grain sea salt, extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, seasoned rice vinegar, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, tamari, crushed red pepper flakes, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, sesame seeds, mayonnaise
Monday: Five-Minute Bean Salad
Fresh herbs and a few pantry staples turn canned beans into something worthy of a dinner party. If you prefer your beans crispy, pan-fry them in olive oil until they turn golden instead of serving them straight from the can. Serve with crusty bread and dressed greens to round out the meal.
Tuesday: Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Stuffed Peppers
The humble rotisserie chicken is a lazy cook’s best friend. Here, it’s chopped and tossed with fresh produce and a mayo-free dressing that’s pleasantly tangy and creamy. Feel free to sub your favorite rolls or wraps for the bell pepper boats.
Wednesday: Yellow Tomato Gazpacho
Complete with homemade sourdough croutons. (OK, they require a few minutes of toasting in a pan, but we wouldn’t necessarily call that “cooking.”) If you have a countertop blender or immersion blender, this summer stunner is within reach. Finish each bowl with a drizzle of good olive oil and fresh herbs.
Thursday: Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board
Wanna know the best thing about this 15-minute meal? It’s not the funky blue cheese, the savory prosciutto or the sweet summer figs (although they’re all high on the list), but rather that all the toppings are easily accessible instead of buried at the bottom of a serving bowl.
Friday: Zoodles with Avocado and Mango Sauce
What’s tropical, hydrating and ready to devour in an instant? These uniquely dressed zoodles, obvi. The raw coconut milk sauce calls for both fresh and frozen mango, so the zoodles are sure to cool you off at first bite. Save time by buying pre-spiralized zucchini instead of making your own.
Saturday: Shredded Thai Salad with Avocado
Between the carrots, bell peppers, cabbage and herbs, this might be the most colorful salad you’ll ever eat. Smoked tofu and avocado make it filling as is, but you could also add chopped rotisserie chicken, tinned fish or crispy rice noodles to make it even more satisfying.
Sunday: The Ultimate Party Sub
When in doubt, share a massive sandwich with your dinner mates and call it a night. This recipe calls for a mix of ham, salami, soppressata and turkey topped with two types of cheese and fresh veggies, but you can add or subtract any ingredients you want. Serve it with all the store-bought fixings: pasta salad, potato chips and pickle spears.
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.
