The Best Heatwave-Friendly Recipes – According To Chefs

What to cook when you don’t want to cook. 

The mercury is rising and heat is sweltering. The last thing anyone wants right now is to turn on the cooker. Yes, take-out is an option, but what about when you still want to flex your culinary skills and keep cool?

We asked leading chefs to share their best heatwave-friendly recipes – no stove needed. From zesty, citrussy salads to soy-soaked smashed cucumbers, these dishes lean in heavy on flavor while simultaneously keeping the cook and the kitchen cool.

Six heatwave recipes to try now

The Bouquet — Petros Dimas

Hosting a dinner party and need to impress? Try The Bouquet – a simple but beautiful take on a side salad by Makris chef Petros Dimas.

Ingredients:

— 30-40 pieces of seasonal salad leaves, green, edible flowers, and herbs

— 2-3 chive stalks

For the vinaigrette:

— 10ml extra virgin olive oil from the farm

— 10 ml aged vinegar from the farm

— 5ml lemon from the farm

— pinch of salt

— pinch of pepper

— 10g macadamia nuts

— 10g parmesan-style cheese

— 10g pear pearls

Method:

For the dressing:

Stir all the ingredients of the vinaigrette so they are well combined. The goal is to combine the liquid ingredients without breaking the nuts or pearls.

Bundle the selection of leaves, flowers, and herbs together, and tie it together with chive stalks rather than string as you would a regular bouquet. Place the tied bouquet on the center of a soup plate, and pour the vinaigrette on top.

Smashed cucumber salad with soy, ginger, sesame, and fragrant basil — Luke Selby

“When the weather is hot, I always gravitate towards dishes that require very little cooking but deliver plenty of freshness and flavor,” says Luke Shelby, former head chef at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and chef partner at Pale Hall. “Smashed cucumber salads are a staple across Asia for good reason.” Selby’s cucumber salad could be used as a side for salmon or grilled chicken, or simply served alone as a light, refreshing supper.

Ingredients:

— 2 large cucumbers

— 2 spring onions, finely sliced

— 1 red chilli, finely sliced

— A generous handful of coriander leaves

— A generous handful of fragrant Thai basil leaves, torn

-1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

— crispy shallots (optional)

For the dressing:

— 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely grated

— 2 cloves garlic, finely grated

— 3 tbsp light soy sauce

— 2 tbsp rice vinegar

— 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

— 1 tsp honey

— juice of 1 lime

Method:

Using the flat side of a large knife or a rolling pin, gently smash the cucumbers until they split. Tear them into bite-sized pieces and place in a colander with a generous pinch of sea salt. Leave for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture before patting dry.

Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, lime juice, grated ginger, and garlic to create the dressing.

Transfer the cucumbers to a serving bowl and gently toss with the dressing, spring onions, chilli, coriander and fragrant Thai basil. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and, if desired, a scattering of crispy shallots for extra crunch.

Allow the salad to rest for 10 minutes before serving so the cucumbers can absorb the dressing.

Tomato and cucumber somen with sashimi, Kyle Connaughton

“We like to lean into the Japanese concept of shokibarai, which translates to foods that ‘ward off the summer heat,’” says SingleThread owner/head chef, Kyle Connaughton. “These dishes take the best ingredients of the summer and make a cooling lunch or dinner that has an incredible, invigorating, electrolyte-like quality.” Connaughton’s fresh sashimi noodle recipe does require turning the stovetop on to boil water, but the pay off is worth it.

Ingredients:

— 1 small cucumber sliced into thin rounds

— 3 teaspoons sea salt

— 3 ½ cup dashi

— 1 cup ponzu sauce  

— 2 bunches somen noodles

— 4 ounces sashimi grade hamachi/yellowtail 

— 10 small cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered 

— 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

— 1 tablespoon light sesame oil (untoasted)

— 2 teaspoons sesame seeds 

— 12 small basil Leaves

— 8 shiso leaves, green or red or a mix, roughly torn into pieces

— Edible flower petals, such as nasturtium, or flowering baby cucumber

Method

Toss the cucumber with the salt in a small bowl and chill in the refrigerator. In a separate bowl combine the dashi, ponzu, and chill. Bring water to the boil and add the dried somen noodles to the boiling water and cook for about five minutes until tender. 

Slice the hamachi sashimi into 12 thin slices. Transfer the fish to a plate and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the bowls.

Drain the somen and then run them under cold water. Immediately portion the somen noodles into four bowls. Quickly rinse the cucumbers in cold water and gently pat them dry. Spread out the slices of sashimi evenly amongst the bowls and divide the tomatoes and cucumber evenly on top of the somen noodles.

Pour about two to three ounces of the reserved dashi ponzu mixture into each bowl, ensuring the noodles are submerged but not swimming in the liquid. Drizzle with the olive and sesame oils. Garnish with the sesame seeds, torn basil and shiso, and flower petals. Serve immediately.

Baked beetroot and Wensleydale cheese salad — Eugene Korolev

Alarm bells might start to ring when you see the words ‘preheat’ and ‘oven’ at the beginning of this recipe but fear not – less than ten minutes of heat is required for Eugene Korolev’s (of London’s upscale Ukrainian restaurant, Sino) beetroot, Wensleydale, cranberry, and fennel salad.

Ingredients:

— 1kg ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped 

— 250g organic cooked beetroot

— 150g Wensleydale cheese with cranberry

— 1 bulb fennel

— 30g sunflower seeds

— Organic rocket

— 40ml walnut oil

— 1 clementine

— sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the beetroot into quarters, place on a baking tray, drizzle with a little walnut oil, and a pinch of sea salt, and roast for seven minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

Scatter the sunflower seeds on a separate tray and toast in the oven for two minutes until lightly golden. Set aside to cool. Thinly slice the fennel and mix with the juice of the clementine and the remaining walnut oil. Leave to marinate for five minutes, then strain, reserving the dressing.

Arrange the rocket on a serving plate. Add the fennel, then the beetroot pieces. Spoon over the reserved clementine-walnut dressing, then scatter with toasted sunflower seeds.

Finish by grating the Wensleydale with cranberry over the top to serve.

Barbecue chicken with red pepper and zucchini salad — Jun Tanaka

When it’s too hot for the hob, smart chefs turn to the BBQ. Jun Tanaka, chef-patron at The Ninth, suggests a recipe that is far more elevated than the standard hot dogs and hamburgers.

Ingredients: 

— 2 baby chicken (spatchcocked)

— 50g feta cheese (crumbled)

— 2 courgettes (sliced length ways)

— 100g roasted red peppers (cut into strips)

— 1 Tropea onion (Sliced)

— 20g extra virgin oil

— 10g Balsamic vinegar 

For the dressing: 

Olive dressing:

— 100g Kalamata olives (chopped)

— 1 shallot (chopped)

— 1 red chilli (chopped)

— 40g capers 

— 10g sherry vinegar

— 25g extra virgin olive oil

Method:

To make the olive dressing, mix all the ingredients in a bowl. 

Lightly oil the skin of the baby chicken, season with salt and pepper and place skin side down on the barbeque. Cook for 10 minutes or until it is well charred. Flip over and cook for a further 10 minutes. Test the done-ness using a thermometer. It should be around 170°F. Rest for five minutes. 

Place the sliced zucchini , peppers, and Tropea onions into a bowl. Season and add the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. 

Place the chicken on a plate, coat with the olive dressing. Add the feta and serve with the zucchini and pepper salad. 

Gazpacho by Merlin Labron-Johnson

Perhaps the most craveable summer dish, gazpacho is among the most refreshing and delicious warm-weather suppers. Plenty of high-end delis offer a pre-made version, it’s simpler than you’d think to prepare at home – and crucially, requires absolutely zero stove time.

This recipe from The Pharmacy – Merlin Labron-Johnson’s newly relaunched Somerset restaurant – packs a bit of a punch via padron peppers. Add more if you like it hot; less to turn down the heat.

Ingredients:

— 1kg ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped 

— 300g padron peppers, chopped 

— 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

— Half a red onion, peel and chopped 

— 2 cloves garlic

— 100ml olive oil

— 100ml pickle brine 

— 2 tbsp good quality red wine vinegar 

— 2 large slices of old bread, crusts removed 

— 1 tsp smoked paprika powder

— Sea salt

Method:

Combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and cucumbers in a large mixing bowl and season generously with sea salt. Place the vegetables on a tray and put in the freezer for one hour. 

Remove the tray from the freezer and leave the vegetables to thaw on the tray, collecting any juices that are extracted during the thawing process. Add the vegetables to a blender along with the bread, olive oil, pickle brine, vinegar, and the smoked paprika. Blend on full speed for a few minutes until very smooth. 

Pass the mixture through a sieve and season with sea salt and a little more vinegar if necessary. Leave to chill in the fridge for a minimum of four hours and serve very cold in cold bowls with croutons, extra olive oil, and a few chive blossoms.