15 easy summer dinners for when it’s too hot to cook

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Weeknight dinners can be hard to figure out anytime of year but when temperatures soar and you don’t feel like turning the oven on it’s easy to feel at a loss. Instead of ordering takeout, there are plenty of things home cooks can do that require minimal effort and no heat.

“When the summer season starts, I rely on lighter meals that require little cooking,” said Palak Patel, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education in an email to TODAY Food. “I use lots of seasonal produce, fruits and easy dressings to pull a meal together.”

Patel suggested putting chopped salads on the top of your menu.

“Use any number of vegetables (chopped into similar sized pieces), a can of chickpeas and your favorite seasoning like tahini, hummus or any citrus juice mixed with Dijon and olive oil. This is on rinse and repeat most summers with variations on dressing and vegetables.”

Chopped Caprese Salad by Reed Alexander

Cold blender soups like gazpacho can also hit the spot.

“Simply add heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to a blender and puree. Top it with any chopped seasonal vegetables and pre-made croutons.”

Gazpacho Soup by Natalie Morales

Avocado toast is another easy meal that everyone in the family will eat. “Avocado toast is a simple meal with good toasted bread, thinly sliced vegetables, crushed red pepper and za’atar,” said Patel. “Variations can include smoked salmon, frozen roasted corn, fresh tomatoes, shallots and microgreens.”

Al’s Garlic Avocado Toast by Al Roker

“Take advantage of fresh summer produce that is delicious raw,” Ann Ziata, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education told TODAY in an email. “Tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, jicama and even summer squash are wonderful tossed with a little vinaigrette.” Ziata said her go-tos in hot weather are cucumber yogurt soup and gazpacho.

If you’re crunched for time, she suggests using jarred roasted bell peppers, artichokes, olives and canned beans which are all quick and easy to add to a recipe.

Arugula, Roasted Bell Pepper and White Bean Salad by America’s Test Kitchen

If you do feel like getting fancy, she suggested using a vegetable peeler to create “carpaccio” salads. “You can marinate ribbons of root vegetables like beets, turnips and carrots in citrus juice with a little olive oil and fresh herbs,” she said. “If you have a spiral vegetable slicer, you can make zucchini noodles and smother them in fresh pesto.”

Pasta without the guilt: Healthy pesto zoodles by Jessica Sepel

Need more inspiration for weeknight dinners that bring the flavor but not the heat? Read on: