No cook meals for when it's just too hot for the stove

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Too hot to cook? Here are 14 easy, no cook meals that don’t require a stovetop or oven. Great for sweltering days!

Sometimes it’s just too hot to cook. When it’s 100 degrees outside, or when the hiking trail calls, who wants to labor over a hot stove?

Here’s a round-up of no cook meals that come together in a flash.

Tortilla pinwheels

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 – a standard hummus recipe, olive hummus, or pizza-flavored sun-dried tomato hummus.

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

Vegan tuna salad

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

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!

Picnic sandwich

This vegetable-packed picnic 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

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, and 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.

Vegan bagel sandwich with hummus

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.

Vegan chicken salad sandwich

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!

Spinach salad with strawberries

This light, bright spinach salad with strawberries is packed with spring onions, celery, pistachios, and vegan feta cheese. It’s finished with balsamic vinaigrette.

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

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

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 with spicy peanut sauce

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 salad with avocado

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.

Pesto rice

Pesto rice isn’t exactly a no cook meal, but it’s pretty darned close! Use frozen rice (store-bought or homemade). Then simply warm it in the microwave, and toss it with pesto.

You can eat the pesto rice on its own, or use it as the bottom layer of a bowl. Top it with chopped tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and/or chickpeas.

No cook appetizers

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

Want to beat the heat with even more meal ideas?

Use the air fryer to avoid turning on the oven. Here are some of my favorite vegan air fryer recipes.

Or use the outdoor grill instead with these vegan barbecue ideas.

Finally, make a meal out of hydrating juices and smoothies. I have lots of ideas in the beverages section of my recipe index.