Healthy No-Cook Summer BBQ Ideas

Healthy No-Cook Summer BBQ Ideas

Do you know the feeling when it gets so hot in the summer you can’t bear to turn on the oven, stand over a grill or cook on the stovetop? No-cook dishes are a great way to keep it cool and simple in your kitchen. Use summer produce for flavorful, crunchy dishes that don’t require a lot of prep time.

Summer Salads

There’s no one way to make a salad. If you’re starting with greens, choose a variety of fresh lettuces or dark leafy greens for more texture and flavor. Add raw veggies like chopped tomatoes, cucumber, corn, red onion and/or shredded raw beets, cabbage or carrots. To bulk up the salad, add avocado and/or nuts and seeds like walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. For a tangy dressing, make a pickle juice vinaigrette. If you’re craving something sweet, don’t discount the delicious simplicity of a summer fruit salad with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. As dietitians love to say, berries are nature’s candy.

Try our recipes for - 

• Crunchy Cucumber Salad

• Cucumber, Melon & Arugula Salad

• Citrus & Red Onion Salad

• Kale and Cabbage Salad with Tahini Dressing

• Green Salad with Miso Ginger Dressing

• Crunchy Apple and Cabbage Slaw 

• Mixed Bean Salad with Persillade Sauce

Dips and Spreads

A variety of dips and spreads do not require cooking, just blending or mixing to the desired consistency. Every creamy dip and spread includes a source of fat. Choose heart-healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, cashews, tahini, almonds, pine nuts and other nuts and seeds. Dips and spreads can be prepared in advance, making them particularly easy for summer BBQs. For dipping vessels, choose raw veggies like cucumber slices, baby carrots, bell pepper strips, green beans and endive. 

Try our recipes for - 

• Cilantro-Lime Avocado Dip

• Turmeric Tahini Sauce (use less water for a thicker dip)

• Spicy Cashew Dressing (use less water for a thicker dip)

• Arugula Pesto

If you have already-cooked products like canned beans on hand, try - 

• Italian White Bean Dip

• Kalamata Olive Hummus

• Dill Pickle Hummus

Summer Soups

While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we hear “soup,” a chilled summer soup can be quite refreshing. Gazpacho, a dish originating from Southern Spain, is a classic no-cook chilled soup. A great gazpacho starts with juicy tomatoes, sweet (and maybe spicy) peppers and crunchy cucumbers. Other chilled soups utilize beets, corn, watermelon, marinated mushrooms, melon and more.

If health and safety guidelines have your BBQ looking more like a picnic, salads and dips are also perfect for dining al fresco. Pack a picnic like you would put together a snack plate with lots of delicious nibbles.