This Hot Zucchini Soup Will Keep You Cool—Really

What does “feel-good food” mean? It depends on who you ask. That’s why, each month, our Feel-Good Food Plan—with nourishing recipes and a few wild cards—is hosted by someone new. For August, deputy food editor Hana Asbrink is taking a mellow approach to the most vibrant season of the year.

Happy August, friends—how is your summer going? It has been a hot one here in New York City and I’ve relied on a steady diet of watermelon, chilled noodles, and fruit slushies from the neighborhood smoothie spot to stay cool. I love air-conditioning myself from the inside out with frosty foods. But today, I’m sharing another method for beating the heat: Go hot.

As in many cultures, Koreans believe eating piping hot food brings relief during warmer months. Fight heat with heat, if you will. Doing so raises your body temperature, encouraging you to sweat and cool off. Samgyetang, a gurgling chicken and ginseng soup with sweet rice, garlic, and jujubes, is an iconic dish enjoyed during summer, most notably during sambok, the three hottest “dog days” outlined by the lunar calendar.

Inspired by samgyetang and another Korean favorite, spicy sundubu jjigae, I created this Silken Tofu Stew With Clams and Zucchini. Quick-cooking bivalves and summer’s bumper-crop squash join forces with soft tofu in a calm, comforting soup. Whether you’re physically sick or mentally fried, this recipe will refresh you in a gentle way.

Read on for the full meal plan—and a few other pick-me-ups for the month.

August’s Feel-Good Recipes

We’ve hit peak summer. I’m happily keeping busy with weekend getaways and farmers market trips, but some days, the weather zaps my energy and keeps my ambitious plans at bay. (Eventually I will sign up for that pottery class. I will!). Dinner is when I hit the reset button. These recipes are fast for busy days and energizing for the endless humidity. Pick your favorite to make this week, then keep it going to cook them all before Labor Day.

If zen were a soup

Anytime a clear soup gets made at work, our test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin quickly identifies it as something I would enjoy. It’s true. I love a quiet broth. Anything akin to dashi, consommé, or bone broth, and I’m there. This recipe is right up my alley, showcasing a light broth, soft tofu, and sweet clams. If you can find it at your local H Mart or Asian grocer, extra soft tofu packaged in a cylindrical tube has great texture and is supremely satisfying to remove from its case (just use a sharp knife to cut down the middle before squeezing the tofu out of each half, or scooping out with a spoon).

A rice cooker supper

My trusty Zojirushi rice cooker is my BFF, no doubt about it. Not only is a rice cooker an express stop to perfectly cooked grains, it’s also a multi-dimensional appliance you can lean on to bring a full meal together. Here, you layer in a mixture of rinsed rice and quinoa, shiitake mushrooms, and lightly seasoned salmon fillets for a hands-off meal, topped with a scallion-soy dressing. And the leftovers make a great lunch.

One-Pot Salmon and Shiitake Rice

It doesn’t get easier than this salmon and shiitake mushroom mixed rice dish that comes together in a single pot. Don’t forget the scallion seasoning sauce.

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You Need a Zojirushi Rice Cooker—But Which One?

The official rice cooker of the Bon Appétit test kitchen is a Zojirushi. Which model is right for you?

No-cook noodle sauce

I started taking tennis lessons during COVID—a gift from me to me—and there’s almost nothing I look forward to more each week. When I get back from the court, I am a hot mess and need to eat something reviving ASAP. This recipe is perfect. It’s a nod to chilled Korean kongguksu with a bold exclamation mark of fiery chili crisp to finish, and it conveniently scales down to one serving. (If I’m really wiped from tennis, these handy mul naengmyeon kits from H Mart save the day.).

Cold Soy Milk Noodles With Chili Crisp

This spin on Korean kongguksu is a lightning-fast dinner for hot nights.

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Very speedy shrimp

You know what’s nice after a long day in the sun? Not having to cook. Yeah, I said it! But when that’s not an option, I go for dishes that minimize my time in front of the stovetop. Shrimp is a go-to for me (I always have a bag in the freezer) because they cook faster than fast. Case in point: this bright and zesty, 20-minute recipe worthy of its “Gorgeous” moniker. It ranks high on the low-effort, high-impact matrix—great for those impromptu, rosé-fueled summertime gatherings.

This kicky, herby sauce comes together entirely in the blender. You’ll want to sop up every last drop with grilled bread.

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More Feel-Good Finds for the Month

Sweet relief from bug bites

Ever since I was a kid, I was always the one mosquitoes attacked first. It’s a small price to pay that I readily accept in exchange for long summer days (and occasionally having ice cream for breakfast). Over the years I’ve tried all manner of pre-bite repellents and post-bite balms. These After Bite roll-ons are small enough to carry around; keep one in the fridge for an extra cool respite after your next golden-hour hang. (There is also one for kids or anyone with sensitive skin.)

Shows I can’t stop watching

My summer has been filled with television (sometimes it feels good just to zone out, amirite?). I indulged in an entire season of RHONY on a flight and caught up on a host of reality shows spanning sports (Break Point and Formula 1: Drive to Survive are both great) and real estate (Owning Manhattan is fun, Buying London even better). So no one is more surprised than me that I haven’t caught a single episode of the cultural zeitgeist that is The Bear. Soon.

See you all next month, when Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit’s editorial operations manager, will host September’s Feel-Good Food Plan.