Quick Chilled Summer Dishes To Beat The Heat
Here are my favorite simple chilled summer dishes I make whenever it feels too hot to eat. It’s been heating up recently, and although Vancouver has fairly temperate climate, sometimes it still can get hot. For hot, humid days where you don’t have a lot of appetite, I have the recipes for you. These summer recipes take minimal ingredient prep, are served chilled, and decreases stove cooking time. If you’re looking for an easier meal in the summer, you have to try these summer dishes!
Spicy Sesame Cold Noodles
When summer in Taiwan gets unbearably humid, this Spicy Taiwanese Sesame Cold Noodles is always one of the first things I crave. The chilled noodles make every bite feel refreshing after a long day in the heat, especially with the crunch of sliced cucumber and carrots. The creamy sesame sauce is rich, nutty, and makes it so easy to slurp. With a scoop of my favorite homemade chili oil, it’s even better! I love that all the ingredients can be prepped in 10 minutes.
- 2 pack Noodles Any of your favorite noodles would work!
- 1 cup Cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 cup Carrots shredded
- 3 Eggs
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Sesame Paste cooked
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1.5 tbsp Black Vinegar
- 2 tbsp HOT Water
Taiwanese Braised Cold Dish 滷味拼盤
Growing up in Taiwan, a Taiwanese Braised Cold Dish Platter was one of my favorite things to pick up on a hot day. Every ingredient is infused with savory, spiced flavors. But, this is actually super easy to make at home. The best part is, you can pick your favorite ingredients to add, like kelp, daikon, egg, or tofu. Then, simply serve chilled so the flavors have time to deepen and settle. Since they’re braised, there’s not much oil at all. Trust me, simmer a big batch of your favorite ingredients, and put them in the fridge or freezer to enjoy anytime. Thank me later!
- 6 tbsp Four season scallion sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 3 Star Anise
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 3 dried shittake mushroom
- 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorn
- 1-2 cup Water
Braising Ingredients
- Kelp
- Hard Boiled Egg
- Medium-firm Tofu
Century Egg with Silken Tofu
When it’s too hot to cook but I still want something nourishing, light, and still high in protein, Century Egg with Silken Tofu is always a good choice. The silky tofu is cool and refreshing, while the century egg adds both a jelly-like texture and creamy, savory flavor. This can easily be a quick side dish to serve alongside dinner. But, sometimes I’ll enjoy it with a bowl of rice or mix in some chilled noodles for an easy meal on its own. It’s one of those classic Taiwanese dishes that proves the best summer recipes don’t need cooking at all.
- 1 pack silken tofu around 750g
- 3 Century Egg sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic chopped
- 2 stalks green onion chopped
- 2-3 red chili chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1.5 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- ½ tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 3 tablespoons Oil
- Cilantro to garnish
Tenzaru Soba: Shrimp Tempura with Cold Soba
Whenever Vancouver gets one of its rare summer heat waves, this Tenzaru Soba is an amazing way to cool down. The chilled soba noodles are light, refreshing, and incredibly satisfying dipped into the soba dipping sauce. Paired with crispy shrimp tempura, it feels special enough to make when guests are over, but still super simple. It’s a refreshingly hearty meal!
- 2 servings soba noodles
- 2 cups Dashi Stock
- ½ cup Soy Sauce
- ½ cup Mirin
- 1/4 cup Sake
Shrimp Tempura
- 1/2 – 1 lb shrimp tail on
- 1 cup ice cold club soda or beer
- 1 beaten egg
- 3/4 cup cake flour or all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Creamy Salmon Poke 2 Way
There’s nothing that reminds me more of Hawaii’s tropical weather than this Creamy Salmon Poke. It’s packed with healthy fats and protein without being heavy at all. Fresh salmon, creamy sauce, and plenty of crunchy cucumber make such a refreshingly satisfying meal in the heat. It’s amazing over rice, but extra refreshing wrapped in crispy seaweed especially when it’s too hot to eat a lot. Plus, there’s no cooking required!
- 1 pound Sashimi-grade Salmon
- 1/3 cup masago
- 4 tbsp Japanese Mayo
- 1.5 tbsp Gochujang Optional
- 1-2 stalk green onion chopped
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1/2 Cucumber
- Crispy Seaweed to serve
Spicy Korean Cold Noodles
You have to try a bowl of Spicy Korean Cold Noodles on a hot summer afternoon. The icy noodles, spicy sauce, and crisp vegetables create a perfectly balanced bite. Spicy foods are actually amazing for hot weather. The spiciness makes you sweat, cooling your body down naturally. With this recipe, every ingredient is pantry ingredient, so you can make this anytime.
- 2 servings Noodles
- 5 ounces kimchi chopped
- 1/4 cup kimchi juice optional
- 2 tbsp Korean red chili paste gochujang
- 1 tbsp korean red chili flakes gochugoru
- 0.5 tbsp sweetener optional, I like to use plum extract or you can swap for sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 0.5 tbsp sesame seeds
- 0.5 tbsp minced garlic
- 0.5 tbsp rice vinegar optional
- 1 tbsp noodle water
- 1 cup cucumber sliced
- 2 soft boiled eggs
- Sesame seeds to garnish
Yuzu Sesame Edamame Chopped Salad
This Yuzu Sesame Edamame Chopped Salad is the kind of recipe I make when I want something fresh and effortless, but still filling. The sesame yuzu dressing is citrusy and bright, and kickstarts your appetite right away. All you need to do is chop and mix! It’s even better after chilling overnight, because the veggies soak up the dressings super well. It’s an easy dish get creative by adding extra toppings and protein for an even more filing meal.
- 1 ½ cups edamame cooked and shelled
- 1 cup cucumber finely chopped
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 1.5 tsp sesame oil
- 4 tbsp kai dong Yuzu Sesame Dressing to taste
- 1 tsp furikake seasoning or more as desired
