We’re up to our short-shorts in the season of embracing cooking less, in every sense. Of keeping the oven off, of eating on the road and by the beach, of desserts that are just peaches and dinners that are just a tomato and a hunk of cheese.
In that spirit—because we need to, and because we can!—here are 36 summer-appropriate Genius Recipes so simple that, after you make them once, you may not need the recipe again. You can make them all in 5 ingredients flat (not counting salt, pepper, olive oil, water, or optional garnishes, you sticklers)—for every meal, and every humidity level.
For Breakfast (Mostly Eggs):
For Lunch:
For Dinners of All Stripes:
And for Dessert! (Mostly Ice Cream):
P.S. I unearthed most of these by searching “genius recipes” and using our handy recipe search filters, including “5 Ingredients or Fewer” and “Summer”—feel free to do the same and customize to your Vegan, Make-Ahead, One-Pot, Side Dish, Chocolate and/or Labor Day needs.
From our new podcast network, The Genius Recipe Tapes is lifelong Genius hunter Kristen Miglore’s 10-year-strong column in audio form, featuring all the uncut gems from the weekly column and video series. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss out.
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