Beat the heat with these 12 recipes from the Star Tribune archives (2024)

Shrimp Salad With Peas, Dill and Tarragon

Last summer, Rick Nelson became obsessed with this recipe from "How to Dress An Egg," a collaboration between New York City chef Ned Baldwin and longtime cookbook author Peter Kaminsky. He wasn't alone: The story was one of the most popular on our website last summer. Find the recipe here.

Cold Caprese Soup

Each June, Meredith Deeds starts to crave tomatoes, long before they're in season. "Fortunately, I can almost always rely on cherry tomatoes to deliver that taste, no matter what time of year it is," she wrote in June 2020. "Rather than do what I typically do — cut them in half for a salad topping or just sprinkle them with a little sea salt and pop them in my mouth — an unusually hot day inspired me to use them in a cold soup." Find the recipe here.

Make-at-home frozen co*cktails

"When the weather is hot, it's gotta be frosty," said Amelia Rayno in 2017. Truer words were never spoken. Get a variety of slushy recipes — from Watermelon, Lime and Tequila Frozen co*cktail to a frozen gin and tonic — right here.

Strawberry Fool

It doesn't take much to improve on fresh strawberries. In 2015, Beth Dooley wrote, "My grandmother made a strawberry fool by fork-crushing the berries and folding them into cold lightly whipped cream to serve in parfait glasses. She would say, 'To do any more to these strawberries, I'd be the fool.' " Find the recipe here.

Elote 'Caesar' Salad

"The original Caesar salad was created in Tijuana by Italian-American restaurateur Caesar Cardini, so taking the idea of the famous border-town salad and giving it a Mexican street food twist seemed like a natural," said Meredith Deeds in 2019. And poblano peppers and sweet corn do just that. Find the recipe here.

Cucumber, Tomato, White Bean and Avocado Salad

There's not much more refreshing than cucumbers on a hot day (they say cool as a cucumber for a reason). Last summer, Beth Dooley offered this salad: "With plenty of crunch, body and tang, this simple salad makes a terrific side dish and satisfying meal." Find the recipe here.

Minted Pea Purée With Chive Cream

We go way back to 2014 for this recipe, which was taught during a class at Cooks of Crocus Hill in Stillwater. It's perfect for those nights when small bites are just right for dinner. And if they're small bites with bacon, even better.

Honey-Garlic Beef Lettuce Wraps

"As the heat of summer intensifies, so does our desire to eat light," writes Meredith Deeds in 2018. "In the summer we still want something crave-worthy, though, and these light but satisfying Honey Garlic Beef Lettuce Wraps fit the bill perfectly." Pacify your carnivore and find the recipe here.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Author and cooking teacher Robin Asbell knows exactly what to do on these blistering hot days. "Now is the perfect time to make your dinner in a blender," she said in 2018. "It's time for gazpacho, with a fruity twist." Go ahead, throw caution to the wind and mix fruits and vegetables. Find the recipe here.

Any Berry Sorbet or Granita

"Sorbets and granitas capture the just-picked sun-kissed flavor in icy, bracing, refreshing treats," Beth Dooley said in 2020. No cooking required, you'll just need a food processor, freezer and a whole bunch of berries. Dooley calls it "the best of summer in a glorious scoop." Find the recipe here.

Blueberry Salad

This salad from Yum! Kitchen and Bakery first hit the menu in 2007, when the Star Tribune asked a handful of chefs for their best blueberry recipes. It became so popular that they sold the dressing by the bottle. Find the recipe here (you'll have to scroll down a bit).

Deviled Eggs

Former Taste editor Lee Svitak Dean gave us a deviled egg road map in 2018 that you'll want to keep on hand. "These hard-cooked halves, gloriously filled with inspiration from the kitchen, disappear like, well, ice on a hot day," she said. "It never fails: You can have a table overflowing with delicious splendor, sweet or savory, and the one dish that gets the most attention will be this most common of homespun recipes." From basic deviled eggs to ones stuff with smoked salmon, find the recipes here.

Potato salad x 2

Knowing people are selective when it comes to potato salads, we'll offer two. Beth Dooley's 2017 story teaches us how to make a better potato salad, and that includes being open to dressing it with something other than mayonnaise. (Find that recipe here.) And just a few weeks ago, Meredith Deeds offered a fresh take on the traditional salad, with roasted potatoes, green beans and tomatoes that still has mayonnaise, but it's served on the side. (Get the recipe here.)