9 Summer Meals So Easy You Don't Need a Recipe

We asked some of our favorite food experts what their favorite simple throw-together meals are for when they want to spend more time eating al fresco than preparing the food itself. Below are nine meal ideas to whip up this week.

Heather Cox of Eat Real Food NYC says, "My go-to is quinoa or rice with pesto and eggs or a piece of fish on top or fish tacos wrapped in lettuce leaves with homemade guac and salsa. It's super easy and really just involves chopping up a few ingredients and cooking some fish!"

"A cold soba noodle salad with spiralized cucumbers or whatever crunchy veggies or greens I have, mixed with a dressing made by whisking together tahini, a little bit of miso paste, lime juice, and water. This never ceases to amaze me!"

"To that I add the cooked quinoa that’s forever ready and waiting in my fridge, loads of fresh herbs, a sprinkling of chopped nuts, feta cheese, and quality olive oil. Done and yum!"

"I'd say my favorite throw-together summer meal is summer rolls, you can literally put anything in them. However, they are a bit tricky to fold."

"I love to fill my avocados with delicious things like chickpeas or tomatoes. There's no recipe needed for this, either. You can also just fill them with leftover salads, grains, or legumes."

Jesse says, "My quick dinner of choice is quinoa with whatever fresh veggies and herbs I have in my fridge topped with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper." We love her Japanese-inspired sesame and edamame bowl (pictured above).

"I love doing a really simple Pomodoro pasta salad with quinoa penne, halved fresh cherry or chopped heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, minced garlic, sea salt, good olive oil, and just a splash of balsamic. It's so delicious and easy—plus the tomatoes taste better the longer they sit."

"I always top it with a quick vegan Parmesan that I make by simply crushing nuts, nutritional yeast, and sea salt in a mortar and pestle. This dinner comes together in about 15 minutes and always hits the spot!"

"My favorite simple summer meal would probably have to be a smoothie bowl! They are quick, refreshing, nutrient-dense, and can be made with anything you have on hand. Almond milk, frozen fruit, nut butter, and spinach are my "base" ingredients, and then the add-in possibilities are endless! Hemp seeds, protein powder, cinnamon, avocado—it's easy to mix and match your flavors as needed!"