No Cook Recipes for Hot Summer Days - What to Make without the Oven or Stove

No one wants to turn their stove or oven on when it is swelteringly hot. The task of preparing dinner can become so unpleasant in the summertime. Today I am trying to save the day by sharing a collection of no cook recipes for hot summer days.

The secret to some of these no cook recipes is using rotisserie chicken. Buying rotisserie chickens from the grocery store is one of my favorite time saving hacks – and it also allows you to make a variety of meals without doing the cooking yourself!

Shopska Salad

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This salad is easy to prepare and so refreshing. Shopska Salad is a common food in the Balkans, and I first discovered it when I went to Serbia last year. When I returned to Chicago I started making the salad at home. This salad is made with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper and topped with cheese. It is lightly dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Ranch Chicken Burritos

If you take the bacon out of these burritos – you have a no cook meal! Just buy a bag of microwavable rice, and heat the refried beans and chicken in the microwave too. You can also opt to make a burrito bowl if you wanted to have a lower carb meal.

The Allis Chopped Salad

I recreated my favorite salad in Chicago – The Allis makes an amazing chopped salad with red pepper, beets, cucumber, cheddar, hard boiled egg, chicken, and bacon over lettuce with ranch dressing. Thanks to a rotisserie chicken, pre-boiled eggs, and store-bought steamed beets you can get around cooking, you just might want to leave out the bacon. If you really want to save time, I think you can recreate this no cook recipe at the Whole Foods salad bar.

Gazpacho

In the original recipe I did quickly boil the tomatoes so that I could peel off the skin, but you can definitely skip this step if you have a high-powered blender. This traditional Spanish soup is served chilled, it is easy to make in large batches, and thanks to the combination of tomato, lime, and cucumber it is so refreshing!

Buffalo Chicken Avocado Toast

Avocado toast is one of the most popular no-fuss no cook recipes out there, the problem is that is usually isn’t very filling. I’ve solved that problem by adding a layer of rotisserie chicken toss in buffalo sauce, and then I sprinkle that with chopped celery and blue cheese.

Mango, Avocado, Jalapeño, Yogurt Dip

This snack might sound like a random list of ingredients, but Mango, Avocado, Jalapeño, Yogurt Dip is one of my favorite snacks. It is sweet and spicy healthy summertime snack.

Avocado Caesar Salad

What started as one of the caesar salad kits, a rotisserie chicken, some tomatoes, and an avocado become a filling salad that can be prepared in just minutes. Break out your blender and blend an avocado into the caesar dressing – it is wonderful. Then assemble the salad, top it with sliced tomatoes, and sliced chicken and drizzle the dressing over. If you want extra protein you can add a chopped hard boiled egg.

Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Caper, and Dill Avocado Toast

This avocado toast is inspired by my husband’s love of smoked salmon. Toast is coated with a thin layer of cream cheese, a generous layer of avocado, and then smoked salmon and capers. It is a fun variation on a classic flavor combination.