There are summer days that try the patience of even a dedicated home cook like myself. Yes, we are lucky enough to have air conditioning, but I’m still outside exercising and gardening. Lauren is perfectly happy to have yogurt and fruit on such a hot night, but that doesn’t work for me. I always want a proper dinner. Here are five no-cook meals that I turn to on sultry evenings.

Smoky Shrimp and Bean Salad is an absolute winner. Lots of veggies (cherry tomatoes, corn, and bell pepper) and a zippy Southwestern-inspired dressing keep things light and interesting. Technically, you’re supposed to poach the shrimp for this recipe, but I let my local fishmarket do this on hot days. I will use local corn rather than the recommended frozen. Just cut the kernels off the cob—there’s no need to cook them. Definitely serve with tortilla chips, plus ice-cold beer.

Featured Recipe

The Spanish know something about summer heat and make many fine chilled soups. Salmorejo is a creamy cold tomato soup made without a drop of dairy. Really juicy ripe round tomatoes are a must. Puree them in a blender and strain out the skins and seeds. Blend the tomato puree with bread (which makes the soup silky), sherry vinegar, a whisper of garlic, good olive oil, and salt. The soup needs to chill thoroughly, so make this recipe early in the day. Chopped hard-boiled eggs and sliced serrano ham are the traditional garnishes, but pureed soup is a blank canvas, so have some fun. What about parsley, fresh corn kernels, shaved zucchini, pickled shallots, or cheesy croutons? You do you!

August is tomato sandwich season in my kitchen. Mashed avocado, sprouts, and watercress make these 30-minute Marinated Tomato Sandwiches a light supper. Microwave the marinade (vinegar, sugar, salt, and sriracha) so that it can do its work in just 10 minutes. Toasted English muffins are lovely here (all those crags hold onto the mashed avocado and tomato juices), but use whatever bread you like. And, yes, technically toasting and microwaving are cooking. But not really, right? This recipe serves two but is easily doubled if that’s what you need.

A sliced tomato salad is a lovely base for so many summer meals. Tomato Salad with Steak Tips is a perennial winner in my home. But when searing something on the stovetop isn’t in the cards, I turn to high-quality, ready-to-eat tuna packed in olive oil. Parsley and tomatoes from the garden join pantry staples in this 30-minute Mediterranean tuna and tomato salad. Play around with the stir-ins. The recipe calls for thinly sliced shallot and halved kalamatas but cornichons, pickled jalapeños, jarred roasted peppers, green olives, preserved lemon, capers, sliced radishes, and diced celery are all nice options too.

I don’t often buy rotisserie chicken, but now is the right time to let someone else’s oven do the work. I dress up store-bought roast chicken by making Spicy Peanut Chicken Farro Bowls. Full disclosure: You will need to cook the farro. But since farro is my favorite grain, I often prepare a big batch (see these simple instructions) and keep the cooked farro in the fridge to use throughout the week. Cooked farro also freezes beautifully—just cool completely on a baking sheet and transfer it to an airtight container or zipper-lock bag. Crisp raw veggies and a creamy peanut dressing turn farro and chicken into an exciting supper. Play around with the veggies and try other grains—see “An Easy Way to Cook Grains” on the farro bowls recipe for instructions on using bulgur, brown rice, quinoa, or barley.

So we may not be cooking this week, but we are eating very well. Here’s hoping we all keep our cool.

P.S. If you’re looking for more no-cook recipes, check out this cool collection. Drop me a line at [email protected] and let me know what you think about this newsletter.