15 No-Cook Summer Meals to Chill Out a Heat Wave

Pre-cooked shrimp saves you from heating up your kitchen when you make these fresh Asian wraps.

Cool tip: "Cook" the rice noodles by soaking them in hot water from your tea kettle for a few minutes until they're soft but not mushy.

Canned tuna goes fancy pants when it gets stuffed into rich, creamy avocado halves.

Cool tip: Learn how to tell if an avocado is perfectly ripe, and how to slice it to remove the seed.

It seems like everyone's wild about zucchini "noodles." Here, they get tossed with raw tomato sauce for the ultimate fresh-from-the-garden dinner.

Cool tip: No spiralizer? Here are the eight best spiralizers to buy, according to thousands of reviews.

Stop by the deli to pick up a roasted chicken, and you're well on your way to making a satisfying dinner without breaking a sweat.

Cool tip: Choose flexible lettuce for your wraps, such as iceberg, Boston, or butter lettuce.

"There's something to be said about a salad where the ingredients stand on their own for incredible flavor needing no more than salt, pepper, and a little fresh lime juice for dressing. Fresh and refreshing." — naples34102

Cool tip: Spring for real crab meat instead of imitation if your budget allows. If not, you can make this salad with cooked shrimp.

"Everything in this salad is fresh except the bread," says Tamara. "Prepare this salad with a loaf of artisan bread or rosemary bread that is a touch stale."

Cool tip: "If your bread is too fresh, toast it until it is about half as dried and crunchy as a crouton."

Another great no-cook option with leftover or grocery-store rotisserie chicken. "This is a very simple-to-make salad with bold flavors," says Jia T.

Cool tip: "The salad can be refrigerated overnight and still taste good the next day."

Strips of zucchini "noodles" and thinly sliced cabbage combine with a savory sauce featuring almond butter, honey, ginger, soy sauce, miso, garlic, and cayenne pepper.

Cool tip: Use a veggie peeler to slice zucchini lengthwise to create long thin 'noodles.'

Hummus and arugula combine with chopped dates, and pumpkin seeds over rounds of naan bread. Finish with a generous drizzle balsamic vinegar.

Cool tip: If you prefer, substitute pita rounds for the naan.

This classic no-cook summer soup will only taste as good as the produce you use, so save this recipe for the peak of tomato season. Although it takes just a few minutes to make, be sure to let it chill in the fridge for the recommended two hours to let the flavors fully blossom.

Cool tip: Some reviewers topped theirs with avocado, sour cream, or cooked shrimp. You go ahead and dish it up your way.

Deli-roasted chicken to the rescue, once again. Mix Greek yogurt with your favorite store-bought Asian-style salad dressing for a wonderfully easy sauce.

Cool tip: Make extra sauce to serve with spring rolls.

"The combination of mustard with the cream cheese and chives was inspired! I used fresh spinach because I had it and we thought the wraps were fabulous! As a matter of fact, I may have to make them again tomorrow," Bibi says.

Cool tip: No need to heat the griddle. Just use pre-cooked bacon!

"Quick, simple, and delicious! The only variations to this recipe that I made were using Hawaiian red salt in lieu of sea salt, going heavy on the sesame oil, and I added a little sriracha," Eric says.

Cool tip: Bulk up your poke bowl with veggies like arugula, avocado, cucumber, shredded carrots, and diced yellow peppers. 

Citrus juice cures white fish in less than two hours. Together, the marinade and mangoes bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Cool tip: "Serve with tortilla chips, avocado, lime wedges, and salt to garnish," recipe creator gem recommends.

Pre-cooked shrimp tossed together with hearty soba noodles and garden-fresh vegetables get a big boost of flavor from an outstanding miso/ginger/rice vinegar dressing.