20 Cooling Summer Recipes for When It’s Too Hot to Cook
ByAcademy of Culinary NutritionLast updated onReading Time: 7 minutes
Summertime is one of our favourite seasons: the gloriously vibrant summer produce, the lingering hours of sunlight, the relaxed vacation vibes from everyone around us, traveling with kids, lazy weekends spent with friends. When the heat is blistering, though, you don’t always feel like standing over a cooktop in the kitchen. That’s why we love making cooling summer recipes for when it’s too hot to cook.
The summer can lure us away from healthy habits, especially when a hot kitchen deters us from whipping up a homemade meal. However, we need energy for those exciting summer activities – and that comes from eating real, nutritious foods.
Here are some of our favourite cooling summer recipes for when it’s too hot to cook. These gems will help you stay cool, stay nourished and enjoy the fresh bounty of fruits and vegetables that summer has to offer.
Spiralizers are a fun kitchen tool to use in the summertime. You can make noodles out of anything, and they make the veggies you might not normally eat raw taste wonderfully palatable. In this vegan salad, you’ll be tantalized by a variety of textures tossed in a bright citrus dressing.
An unconventional salsa that is loaded with flavour twists like mint and jalapeno. You’ll have no problem digging into this recipe with your favourite gluten-free chips.
Nope, we didn’t miss a typo. This quick + easy salad recipe is a green salad with a salmon salad – perfect for lunch or dinner when it’s too hot to cook.
All you need to make this chilled vegan soup is 10 minutes and a blender. We know you can make it happen – and then have more time for lounging on the patio.
Take advantage of summer berries while they’re here and use them to blend up an awesome vegan smoothie bowl. And you know what’s a perfect topping for your smoothie bowl? More berries!
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Don’t worry, this roundup isn’t all salads and smoothies. Case in point: this delectable raw, gluten-free and grain-free peach cream pie. Instead of the oven, your food processor and freezer do all the work.
A dairy-free and vegan frappe that has a nutritious protein boost. And since there isn’t any sugar in this recipe, you can add your own natural sweeteners as you see fit. For a coffee-free version, try substituting Dandy Blend.
Kale pesto is old news. Try this ultra-flavourful garlic scape pesto, which is dairy-free and can be used in a multitude of ways – dip chips or crudites in it, spread it on toast, toss into pasta, or dollop onto salads.
The beautiful thing about this gluten-free and vegan recipe is there is no need to blanch the tomatoes! Instead, there is a secret technique to getting the veggies soft and smooth.
This gorgeous tri-coloured treat is like a cross between vegan cheesecake and Neopolitan ice cream. With the freezing time for each layer, you’ll need to wait awhile to devour them, but there isn’t a lot of active prep time to make up for it. The best things come to those who wait, right?
Rice vermicelli noodles are a fabulous gluten-free no-cook alternative when you don’t want to turn up the heat. But you can barely see them in this photo because this salad is bursting with fresh veggies – which is how we like it!
Check out the gorgeous colour of this soup! For a dairy-free version, sub in your favourite brand of dairy-free yogurt or try cashew sour cream. And, for those of you who are into food photography, this post offers some behind-the-scenes tips for getting great food shots.
A three-ingredient raw chocolate brownie that tastes like dense, fudgy heaven. Great to nibble on for dessert at your next BBQ, or to take as a snack when you’re on the go.
The spiced tomatoes that pool in the centre of this hummus recipe take hummus-eating to a whole new level. A beautiful visual on the plate for guests, too – you may need to make a double batch.
A raw alternative to granola that only needs 6 ingredients. Eat this on its own as a snack, use it to top your smoothie bowl or chia pudding, or mix it with nuts and dried fruit as a healthy travel snack.
A fun twist on a pizza, with coconut yogurt for the ‘sauce’ and fruit, and whatever else you desire as the toppings (chocolate chips anyone?). A great way to get the kiddos to eat their fruit!
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