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    Home » Summer

    16 no cook meals for summer

    Updated: May 13, 2025 · Published: Aug 9, 2020 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 2 Comments

    Text overlay: 16 no cook meals. 4-panel collage with sandwiches, salad, and raw tacos.

    Too hot to cook? Here are 16 easy, no cook meals that don’t require a stovetop or oven. Great for sweltering days!

    Text overlay: 16 no cook meals. 4-panel collage with sandwiches, salad, and raw tacos.

    Sometimes it’s just too hot to cook.

    When it’s 100 degrees outside, who wants to labor over a stove?

    Here’s a round-up of no cook meals that come together without heat.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Tortilla pinwheels
    • Vegan tuna salad
    • Raw tacos
    • Cucumber tomato feta salad
    • Vegetable sandwich
    • Vegan egg salad
    • Bagel sandwich with hummus
    • Chef salad
    • Vegan chicken salad sandwich
    • Pickle rollups
    • Spinach salad with strawberries
    • Curried tofu salad
    • Avocado caprese salad
    • Spring roll tortilla wrap
    • Black bean corn avocado salad
    • Salad with oranges
    • No cook appetizers

    Tortilla pinwheels

    Tortilla pinwheels on plate.
    Make this recipe

    It doesn’t get simpler than tortilla pinwheels!

    Smear hummus onto a tortilla, top with lettuce, shredded carrots, cilantro, and/or chives.

    Then roll it up tightly, cut it into even bites, and serve!

    For this recipe, I use buffalo hummus and extra splashes of hot sauce.

    However, you could use any hummus that strikes your fancy:

    • Standard hummus
    • Olive hummus
    • Pizza hummus
    • Pickle hummus

    Or make it really easy on yourself and use store-bought!

    Vegan tuna salad

    Chickpea tuna salad sandwich on table with vegan mayo and bread.
    Make this recipe

    Tuna salad is one of the first things I ever learned how to “cook.”

    Vegan chickpea tuna salad is just as foolproof!

    Chickpeas are quickly broken up in a food processor with celery, dill pickles, vegan mayo, stoneground mustard, and seasonings.

    Then it can be used a sandwich filling, rolled into a tortilla or romaine leaf, stuffed into a hollow tomato, or eaten with crackers.

    Don’t have a food processor?

    Just leave the chickpeas whole. Or break them up with a knife before adding them to the other ingredients.

    Raw tacos

    Raw tacos on a platter with walnut taco meat, tomatoes, and jalapenos.
    Make this recipe

    Raw tacos have the fresh vibrancy of salad, but with the flavor of everyone’s favorite Tuesday night meal.

    The taco meat is made by quickly breaking up walnuts in a food processor with sun-dried tomatoes for stickiness, tamari for salty umami richness, and spices for flair.

    Then spoon them into romaine leaves with your preferred taco toppings like tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado.

    Cucumber tomato feta salad

    Tomato cucumber salad in bowl with vegan feta crumbles.
    Make this recipe

    Tomato cucumber salad just screams summer.

    Tomatoes and cucumber come together with a garlicky lemon dressing, and a dotting of vegan feta.

    Use your own homemade vegan feta cheese, use store-bought, or replace it with avocado!

    Vegetable sandwich

    Vegetable sandwich on plate with chips.
    Make this recipe

    This fresh & crisp vegetable sandwich was inspired by a favorite of mine from my local Co-op.

    It’s filled with red bell peppers, thin slices of onion, and spinach.

    But what really sets it off is the spreadable jalapeño cashew cheese inside.

    If you don’t feel like making the cashew cheese, it’s also good with your favorite store-bought spreadable cashew cheese or hummus.

    (Miyoko’s scallion cream cheese would be especially good here!)

    Vegan egg salad

    Vegan egg salad sandwich speared with cornichon.
    Make this recipe

    Speaking of no cook meals, did you know that you don’t have to cook tofu? It can be eaten right out of the package.

    (The process of making it is very similar to dairy-based cheese, but with soy milk instead of dairy.)

    Take advantage of this readymade protein option, and make vegan egg salad. The egg flavor comes from kala namak, a sulfurous salt.

    Simply break up the tofu. Then mix it in a bowl with vegan mayo, onion, pumpkin seeds, stoneground mustard, kala namak, black pepper, and the tiniest pinch of turmeric for color.

    It’s a wonderful on-the-go meal, because it’s almost instantaneous to make. Put it in a sandwich, wrap, or pile it on top of crackers.

    Bagel sandwich with hummus

    Bagel sandwich on table with potato chips.
    Make this recipe

    Only a toaster is required for this foolproof vegan bagel sandwich.

    (And if you’re really in a pinch, you could leave the bagel untoasted, or use sandwich bread instead!)

    It comes together with a slathering of hummus, cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers.

    Chef salad

    Vegan chef salads on table with slices of bread and container of non-dairy ranch dressing.
    Make this recipe

    Vegan chef salad is a full meal in a bowl! You’ve got satiating seitan, creamy avocado, and crisp veggies.

    It’s finished with a flavorful vegan ranch dressing.

    Vegan chicken salad sandwich

    Vegan chicken salad sandwich in basket with potato chips.
    Make this recipe

    This easy vegan chicken salad sandwich is made with store-bought seitan, celery, onions, pickles, seasonings, and vegan mayo.

    Use a food processor to break everything up into even pieces. Or use a kitchen knife.

    It’s great as a sandwich, stuffed into a tortilla, lettuce wrap, or in a big dollop on top of a salad.

    Plus, it takes only 15 minutes to make!

    Pickle rollups

    Hand holding pickle rolled in vegan ham and non-dairy cream cheese over platter.
    Make this recipe

    Vegan pickle rollups are so easy to prepare, a kid could do it! Made with just 3 ingredients, they tick all the pleasure sensors for creamy, crunchy, and smoky.

    Enjoy them as a filling snack or light lunch alongside a salad.

    Spinach salad with strawberries

    Spinach salad with strawberries and vegan feta.
    Make this recipe

    This light, bright spinach salad with strawberries is packed with spring onions, celery, pistachios, and vegan feta cheese.

    It’s finished with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

    If you don’t have homemade vegan feta on hand, use store-bought. My favorites are from the Herbivorous Butcher and Violife. Or replace the feta with diced avocado instead!

    Curried tofu salad

    Bowl of tofu salad on table by celery stalk.
    Make this recipe

    If you love it when sweet and salty come together, you’ll be all over this curried tofu salad.

    It’s one of those no cook meals that comes together in only ten minutes.

    This mayo-based salad includes curry powder, raisins, shredded carrot, and pistachios.

    It can be eaten on its own, piled onto a salad, spread into a sandwich, or spooned into a wrap.

    Avocado caprese salad

    Bowl of avocado caprese salad.
    Make this recipe

    This juicy salad is all summer!

    Avocado caprese salad is filled with tomatoes, diced avocado, and a fragrant basil vinaigrette.

    If you’ve ever said you could make a meal out of avocados, now is your chance to make that a reality!

    Spring roll tortilla wrap

    Tortilla wrap being dipped into bowl of peanut sauce.
    Make this recipe

    With this tortilla wrap, you get all of the flavor of a summer roll, but with the sturdy portability of a whole wheat tortilla.

    This wrap recipe gives the option of baking your own tofu. However, you can easily make it “no cook friendly” by using store-bought baked tofu instead.

    (Teriyaki flavor is my preferred choice here! It’s one of my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products.)

    The wrap is finished with a spicy peanut sauce for dipping or slathering inside.

    Black bean corn avocado salad

    Close-up salad with corn, avocado, bell pepper, and black beans.
    Make this recipe

    This black bean corn avocado salad is tossed in a garlicky lime dressing.

    You have protein from the corn and black beans. Plus, satisfying fat from the creamy avocado.

    Enjoy this salad on its own, as a side dish, or alongside tortilla chips for scooping.

    Salad with oranges

    Green salad on table with peanut dressing, blood oranges, and serving spoons.
    Make this recipe

    Green salad with blood oranges is a delicious mix of tangy, salty, and sweet.

    It’s finished with a peanut dressing that brings it all together.

    No cook appetizers

    Tortilla chip being dipped into pineapple salsa.

    Finish out your meal with any of these no cook appetizers on the side:

    • Pineapple salsa
    • Vegan ceviche
    • Guacamole
    • Vegan crab dip
    • Peach black bean salsa
    • Tofu ricotta

    More Summer

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      Quick pickled turnips (Middle Eastern style)
    • Wilted vegan turnip greens in yellow cocotte.
      How to cook turnip greens without meat
    • Tortilla chip dipping into salsa verde.
      Oven roasted tomatillo salsa verde recipe
    • Vegan fried summer squash dunked in creamy onion & garlic dressing.
      Crispy air fryer summer squash (or pan fried)
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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

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    1. Laura VZ

      August 09, 2020 at 10:27 am

      Those raw tacos look delicious!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        August 09, 2020 at 3:27 pm

        Thanks, Laura! Raw vegetables are so hydrating & flavorful right now. It’s the best time of the year for produce!

        Reply

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