4 Apps for Healthy Summer Dishes That Are Best Served Cold
When summer temperatures soar, sometimes you just want to enjoy a cool, refreshing meal (and avoid turning on the stove whenever possible). Here are some great digital resources for summer meal ideas that let you stay cool.
1. Chilled Soups
The Soup Healthy Cooking Recipes app includes a whole selection of chilled soups. Cucumber, coconut, asparagus, and carrot are just a few of the delicious vegetables that highlight these recipes.
Tap the Start Cooking button under each recipe to page through the steps one-by-one. It makes the cooking process even simpler.
While some of the recipes do call for the ingredients to get a quick sauté, others (such as the Chilled Cucumber Soup) don’t require any cooking. There’s also a selection of blender soups, including gazpacho. Experiment to find your new summer favorite.
Download: Soup Healthy Cooking Recipes for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)
2. Simple Sandwiches
Go beyond the basic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The BBC Good Food app includes over 100 sandwich recipes with ingredients like chickpeas, camembert, and avocado.
For a picnic vibe, check out the recipes for an egg and cress club sandwich or the crispy chicken and smashed avocado baps. Inventive takes on the BLT (a bagel with lettuce and tomato), as well as a turkey bánh mì, can expand your sandwich repertoire as well.
With detailed cooking instructions, suggested side dish pairings, and plenty of detailed photographs, this app will make your next sandwich anything but boring. Best of all, BBC Good Food app includes an optional Cook Mode that prevents your screen from going dark while you assemble these delicious meals.
Download: BBC Good Food for iOS | Android (Subscription required, free trial available)
3. Super Salads
Salads are a summertime classic. The Garden Plate app includes many recipes with ingredients like quinoa, watermelon, falafel, and pomegranate.
The free version of the app features recipes for Japanese sesame kale, Autumn arugula, and falafel salads, in addition to many more selections. Upgrade to the pro version for access to recipes like the apple and celery root salad.
Each recipe includes a thorough ingredient list you can add to an in-app shopping list for easier trips to the grocery store. The detailed instructions walk you through every step, whether that includes making falafels from scratch or roasting a variety of vegetables.
For a fresh approach to salad recipes (and many more vegetable-based dishes), the Garden Plate app offers a great selection of delicious options. For even more choices, check out the many salad apps and blogs available to make the most of your leafy greens.
Download: Garden Plate for iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
4. Smoothies and Smoothie Bowls
Put your blender to work. With recipes like the Cotton Candy Smoothie Bowl and the Cherry Dragonfruit Banana Vanilla Smoothie, the FullyRaw by Kristina app has plenty of recipe ideas.
Videos demonstrate the exact way to prepare each recipe, and Kristina explains what to look for in each of the fresh ingredients. (For instance, speckled bananas tend to blend up especially well.) Because smoothies are an easy way to add more vegetables to your diet, many of the recipes include ingredients like kale, beets, or spinach.
An integrated shopping list function makes it easy to shop for multiple recipes at once, while handy directions for the recipe point out potential substitution ideas. You can even learn how to make your own almond milk to use in the smoothies.
With its colorful design, detailed ingredient lists, and gorgeous photographs, the Fully Raw app is an incredible resource for smoothies and many more plant-based meals.
Download: FullyRaw for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)
Enjoy Chill, No-Heat Meals All Summer Long
If the idea of a hot meal is less than appetizing during the hottest months of the year, then consider the variety of delicious dishes available. Whether you’re interested in fresh salads or icy-cool smoothie bowls, these apps can help you enjoy healthy, tasty fare without breaking a sweat.