When it’s hot outside, the last thing anyone wants is to spend hours over a stove. That’s where these barely-cook summer dinners come in. From hearty salads and flavorful wraps to cold noodle bowls and quick-prep nachos, these dishes are big on taste and short on effort.

Each recipe is simple, refreshing, and satisfying—with minimal cooking and prep required.

Let the ingredients shine, keep your kitchen cool, and enjoy effortless summer dinners that feel like a breeze.

1. Italian Chop-Chop Salad by Menachem Goodman

2. Salmon Garbanzo Salad by Elky Friedman

This salad is a really great way to pack in the protein (without becoming fleishig). It’s a perfect lunch salad, but works great for dinner any day. What appeals to me the most about this salad is its originality: it doesn’t have the expected vegetables. Plus: The marinade on the salmon is absolutely fantastic! Remember this one for those times when you need a quick, easy, and tasty salmon recipe.

3. Loaded Sheet-Pan Nachos by Chaya Suri Leitner

With the hot summer days coming up, who wants to stand in the kitchen cooking full meals? Especially when the kids always seem to be running to play outside… This makes a great light, fun supper that the kids can eat quickly before running off to play.

4. Layered Salmon Salad by Amy Stopnicki

The perfect fish dish to serve on Shavuot. It’s super easy to make, has tons of flavor, and looks beautifully served!

5. Ultimate Summer Steak Salad by Sara Goldstein

If you haven’t tried grilling peaches yet, you’re missing out! The quick cooking brings out their juiciness and intensifies their sweetness. They are great served as a warm dessert with a side of vanilla ice cream, or tossed in a salad along with a perfectly grilled piece of steak.

6. Cold Pasta Primavera by Zeta Olive Oil

An easy elegant pasta dish that is simple to throw together. Serve it with a simple salad and dinner is ready!

7. Cold Noodle Salad With Peanut Dressing by Sina Mizrahi

Thanks to the creamy peanut dressing, this Thai-inspired salad is bursting with flavor. Udon noodles are more accurately thick wheat-based Japanese noodles typically eaten in broth, similar to ramen. Here, the noodles add heartiness and bulk, and the vegetables add the perfect touch of crispiness. Serve alongside a meat dish for a complete meal.

8. Smoked Turkey Pasta Salad by Sara Goldstein

A good pasta salad is a picnic right of passage. This one combines delicious summer flavors like beautiful heirloom tomatoes and corn.

9. Spinach-Cheese Ramen Noodles by Chavi Feldman

This sophisticated version of mac ’n cheese could not have come together more quickly and easily! I included an option to add some pizza sauce, but I personally enjoyed it more without.

10. Deli Roll Pinwheels with Chopped Salad by Jamie Geller

Lighten up the traditional deli roll by making these healthier pinwheels. Loaded with flavor and whole grain they are a filling lunch or dinner served with an Italian-inspired chopped salad.

11. Caesar Salad with Cheese Toasts by Nechama Norman

This is a great Caesar salad with a twist. If you have ever been in Israel long enough, you know what toast is: any regular sandwich toasted in a panini machine – hence the name toast. I once went out with a friend and tasted a salad similar to this. I wanted to come up with something equally delicious, relatively easy to throw together, and a little different in presentation. I used wraps instead of bread to make this component Mezonos, so that the salad is suitable anytime, not only for shalosh seudos.

12. Curried Smoked Turkey Salad Wraps by Chanie Apfelbaum

I’m a big fan of traditional curried chicken salad, so I upped the ante here by incorporating ready-made smoked turkey leg. The smokiness is a great counter to the sweetness in this dish. I especially love the low-carb variation!