9 No-Cook Summer Recipes You'll Love (2024)

9 No-Cook Summer Recipes You'll Love (1)

When temperatures spike and turning on the range is an exercise in self-torture, let Mother Nature come to the rescue. Right now,farmers' marketsand supermarkets are cascading with vibrant, nutrient-packed ingredients that can become delicious, no-cook summer meals with minimal effort.

A dish can be as simple as a perfectly ripe tomato stuffed with precooked shrimp or as refined as a seviche of glistening scallops paired with a crunchy corn relish. The recipes can be easily modified to take advantage of whatever looks best at the market. Best of all, none requires an oven, a stove-top burner, or even a grill. (Burn fat around the clock—with no dieting ever—with the simple clean-eating recipes featured in Eat Clean, Lose Weight, and Love Every Bite!)

We're not advocating a trendy "raw" diet—just a menu that serves up a healthy balance of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and good-for-you fats. Even the desserts deliver a blast of antioxidants and a dose of calcium. But the biggest beneficiaries are your tastebuds: These flavorful, nutritious, filling, low-calorie, refreshing, and even sweet and creamy summery creations are so easy and appealing, you may be tempted to serve them well into autumn.

Shrimp Salad–Stuffed Tomatoes

PREP TIME20 minutes
MAKES4 servings

¾ lb peeled, cooked rock shrimp, cutin½" pieces (here's what you need to know before you buy shrimp)
1 c chopped fennel bulb
Juice from ½ lemon
⅓ c reduced-fat mayonnaise
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
4lgyellow or red tomatoes
4 leaves Bibb lettuce
4 fennel fronds (garnish)

1. COMBINEshrimp, fennel, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to moisten in medium glass bowl.
2. SLICE½" from stem ends of tomatoes. Hollow out each tomato withspoonby removing seeds and some of the flesh.
3. MOUNDshrimp salad into tomatoes. Place each tomato onlettuceleaf, garnish with fennel frond, and serve.

NUTRITION(per serving)210 cal, 20 g pro, 14 g carb, 9 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 135 mgchol, 4 g fiber, 330 mg sodium

Scallop Seviche with Crunchy Corn Relish

Scallop Seviche

PREP TIME15 minutes
CHILLING TIMEAt least 1 hour (up to a day)
MAKES4 servings

½ lb bay scallops (or sea scallops, cut into ¼"-thick rounds)
3 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 med jalapeño chile pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped (wear plastic gloves when handling)
Juice from 4 limes
½ c roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1 sm mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped

1. MIXscallops, onion, pepper, and lime juice in medium glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. REMOVEscallop mixture from refrigerator. Drain juice and discard. Mix in cilantro and mango. Dividesevicheinto 4 portions and serve with Crunchy Corn Relish (recipe below).

Honeydew and Blueberry Freeze

PREP TIME12 minutes
CHILLING TIME2 hours
MAKES4 servings

1 c honeydew melon chunks
2 tsp fresh mint leaves + additional for garnish
16 oz fat-free plain Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp sugar
1 c blueberries

1. PLACEmelon, mint, 1 cup of the yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar into blender and puree until smooth. Transfer puree toplasticcontainer. Repeat with blueberries, remaining 1 cup yogurt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and transfer to another plastic container.
2. FREEZEpurees for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to break up ice crystals.
3. REMOVEfrom freezer a few minutes before serving. Spoon mounds of each frozen puree into 4 glass dessert cups or wine glasses and garnish with mint leaves. If purees are too firm to serve, microwave on medium power to soften slightly, about 10 seconds. (These 5 slimming, homemade ice pops will cool you off fast.)

NUTRITION(per serving)140 cal, 8 g pro, 28 g carb, 0 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 5 mgchol, 1 g fiber, 120 mg sodium

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Plum and Nectarine Trifle

PREP TIME35 minutes
STANDING TIME30 minutes
CHILLING TIME4–24 hours
MAKES6 servings

3 plums, pitted and thinly sliced
2 nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced
¼ c honey
1 Tbsp raspberry or white balsamic vinegar
8 oz low-fat vanilla yogurt
8 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
10 oz fat-free loaf cake (we used Entenmann's) or angel food cake, cut into ½" slices
¼ c slivered almonds

1. TOSSplums and nectarines with honey and vinegar and let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, stirring once or twice, inmediumbowl.
2. WHISKyogurt and cheese until smooth insmallbowl.
3. BUILDtrifle in2-quartclear-glassserving bowl: Line bottom ofbowlwith half of the cake. Sprinkle on some ofjuicefromfruit. Spread half of the fruit over cake in a layer. Sprinkleonhalf of the almonds. Spoon on half of the yogurt mixture.
4. USEremaining cake to make a second layer. Top with remaining fruit. Spoon on remaining yogurt mixture to cover fruit. Decorate top of trifle with remaining almonds.
5. COVERand refrigerate 4 to 24 hours before serving.

NUTRITION(per serving) 300 cal, 10 g pro, 58 g carb, 5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 15 mgchol, 3 g fiber, 280 mg sodium

Panzanella (Tomato and Bread Salad)

PREP TIME20 minutes
STANDING TIME20 minutes
MAKES4 servings

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ lb day-old crusty Italian bread (about ¾ loaf), cut into 1½" cubes (see note)
1 c roughly chopped tomatoes (about 1½ whole)
½ sm sweet white onion, thickly sliced
½ c fresh basil leaves
¼ c chopped fresh mozzarella cheese
3 sm tomatillos, peeled and finely chopped

1. COMBINEoil, vinegar, garlic, and freshly ground black pepper to taste in large bowl. Add bread, tomatoes, onion, basil, and cheese. Toss to coat. Let stand 20 minutes at room temperature.
2. TOSSagain, scatter tomatillos ontop,and serve. (Here are 17 more delicious recipes with fresh tomatoes.)

NUTRITION(per serving) 400 cal, 10 g pro, 54 g carb, 16 g fat, 3.5 g sat fat, 5 mgchol, 4 g fiber, 560 mg sodium

Note:If day-old bread is not available, spread cubes ontrayin single layer and allow to dry 2 to 4 hours.

Rice Noodles with Beef & Peanut Sauce

Thanks to cabbage, this dish packs a cancer-fighting punch. (Keep the cabbage love going with these5 tasty cabbage recipes.)

PREP TIME 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME 25 minutes
SERVINGS 4

4 oz rice noodles
¼ c creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
½ to ¾ tsp crushedred-pepperflakes
½ lb thickly sliced reduced-sodium deli roast beef, sliced into strips
3 c shredded Napa cabbage (about ¼ head)
1 c snow peas, trimmed and halved
2 scallions, chopped
¼ c chopped roasted peanuts

1. SUBMERGEand soak noodles in hot water 10 to 12 minutes.
2. WHISKpeanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, oil, and red-pepper flakes in small bowl.
3. TOSSwith drained noodles, beef, cabbage, and peas.
4. TOPwith scallions and peanuts.

NUTRITION(per serving)395 cal, 24 g pro, 37 g carb, 4 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 19 g fat, 3.5 g sat fat, 384 mg sodium

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Hummus, Pickled Pepper, and Avocado Wraps

Who needs meat? Hummus and avocado provide a dose of filling plant-based protein. (Making your own hummus is easier than you think! Try these 4 easy recipes.)

PREP TIME 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME 20 minutes
SERVINGS 4

1 c hummus
3 Tbsp harissa
4lg(10") multigrain tortillas
2 c sprouts (about 2½ oz)
1 avocado, sliced into wedges
½ sm red onion, thinly sliced
½ cucumber, sliced into matchsticks
⅓ c thinly sliced pickled Peppadew peppers (found near olives or in salad bar in store)
¼ c sliced radishes

1. STIRtogether hummus and harissa insmallbowl. Divide among tortillas and spread inevenlayer.
2. TOPwith sprouts, avocado, onion, cucumber, peppers, and radishes.
3. ROLLup tortillas and slice each wrap in half before serving.

NUTRITION(per serving)452 cal, 12 g pro, 61 g carb, 9 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 18.5 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 694 mg sodium

Tuna and Carrot Salad Sandwiches

Move over, salmon. Sustainable tuna is rich inomega-3s: A sandwich has a whopping 1,100 mg. (You can also give one of these7 super summer sandwichesa try.)

PREP TIME 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME 20 minutes
SERVINGS 4

2 cans (5 oz each) pole-caught water-packed white tuna
2 sm carrots, shredded
1 c finely diced Granny Smith apple (about ½ apple)
¾ c fat-free Greek-style yogurt
¼c raisins
¼ c chopped fresh parsley
1 sm shallot, finely diced
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 whole wheat baguette, cut into 4 pieces
4 leaves butter lettuce

1. COMBINEdrained tuna, carrots, apple, yogurt, raisins, parsley, shallot, mayonnaise, and vinegar in medium bowl.
2. SPREADthin layer of mustard over each piece of toasted baguette.
3. TOPwith 1 lettuce leaf and scoop of tuna-carrot salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

NUTRITION(per serving)369 cal, 29 g pro, 46 g carb, 4 g fiber, 14 g sugars, 7.5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 803 mg sodium

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Fun fact: Per calorie, kale contains more iron than beef. (Speaking of our favorite green, check out the newlove child of kale and Brussels sprouts: kalettes.)

PREP TIME 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME 20 minutes
SERVINGS 4

¼ c fresh lemon juice or red-wine vinegar
¼ c extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 oz baby kale or mesclun mix (3 cups)
½ rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 c canned lentils (6 oz), drained and rinsed
½ pt cherrytomatoes,halved
½ sm red onion, thinly sliced
½smcucumber, largely diced
½ c crumbled pita chips
3 Tbsp crumbled feta

1. WHISKlemon juice, oil, oregano, and a pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper in small bowl.
2. TOSSwith kale, chicken, lentils, tomatoes, onion, and cucumber. (Take a look at 11 more recipes that manage to make kale exciting.)
3. TOPwith pita chips and feta.

NUTRITION(per serving)335 cal, 23 g pro, 16 g carb, 4 g fiber, 3 g sugars, 21 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 413 mg sodium

9 No-Cook Summer Recipes You'll Love (2024)

Shrimp Salad–Stuffed Tomatoes

Scallop Seviche with Crunchy Corn Relish

Honeydew and Blueberry Freeze

Plum and Nectarine Trifle

Panzanella (Tomato and Bread Salad)

Rice Noodles with Beef & Peanut Sauce

Hummus, Pickled Pepper, and Avocado Wraps

Tuna and Carrot Salad Sandwiches

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

References