20 No-Cook (or Barely Cook) Recipes to Save Your Summer Days

[Photographs: Vicky Wasik, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Sasha Marx] If the weather by you is anything like New York right now, it’s hot. It’s there’s-no-way-I’m-turning-the-oven-on hot. At times like these, we turn to recipes that require only the bare minimum of cooking—and, moreover, are served cold. We don’t want to slave and sweat over a meal these days—we want it to be so close to effortless that we can pretend we didn’t make it at all but instead had it served to us on a quiet little stretch of private beach. If you want a tasty dish that can be pulled together with the least possible heat or if you just don’t want to spend your precious summer days cooking, let these 20 quick and refreshing recipes come to your rescue.

Icy-Cold Korean Cucumber Soup (Oi Naengguk)[Photograph: Vicky Wasik] This icy cucumber soup is an easy and refreshing way to beat the sweltering summer heat. The water-based soup is infused with fresh cucumber flavor while soy sauce and vinegar add bright, savory, and salty notes. For even more flavor, you can add rehydrated and blanched miyeok (wakame) seaweed or even very thinly sliced onion and julienned carrot. It’s a soup that delivers cool, savory results using only a few ingredients.
Icy-Cold Korean Cucumber Soup (Oi Naengguk) Recipe »Back to the full list Korean Marinated Cucumber Banchan (Oi Muchim)[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

These Korean cucumbers are tart, spicy, and sweet all at once. To draw out their moisture, the cucumbers are massaged with salt, sugar, and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) before being drained and squeezed. Then, we toss them with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, and garlic. Complete with crunch, succulence, and acidity, it’s a revamped version of pickled cukes that works as both a side or a snack.
Korean Marinated Cucumber Banchan (Oi Muchim) Recipe »Back to the full list White Bean and Tuna Salad[Photograph: Sasha Marx]We guarantee that a dish made up of pantry staples won’t disappoint in flavor or quality. Case in point: this creamy white bean and tuna salad. Here, cooked white beans and rich, flaky oil-packed ventresca (tuna belly) are amplified by ingredients like briny vinegar, pungent red onions, fruity olive oil, fresh parsley, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. This hearty but light salad requires only about five minutes of work, making it a low-effort, warm-weather meal that’s as filling as it is delicious.
White Bean and Tuna Salad Recipe »Back to the full list Summer Rolls With Jicama, Watermelon, and Herbs[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

For a quick no-cook snack or appetizer, try these light summer rolls. Dip the rice paper wrapper in water before filling to make them pliable and sticky, then add juicy watermelon, crisp jicama, and bright herbs. To balance out the brightness of the wraps, dip them in a rich and funky dressing made with creamy coconut and fish sauce.
Summer Rolls With Jicama, Watermelon, and Herbs Recipe »Back to the full list Summer Tomato Tonnato Salad[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]When tomatoes are in peak season, one of our favorite ways to show them off is in this simple no-cook salad. The Italian tonnato sauce combines oil-packed tuna, mayonnaise, and fresh tomatoes, mimicking the flavors of a classic tuna sandwich. To balance out the sweet acidity of the summer tomatoes, we add spicy Calabrian chilies and nutty toasted black sesame seeds. The result is a salad that’s full of flavor and also happens to be easy on the eyes.
Summer Tomato Tonnato Salad Recipe »Back to the full list Raw Corn Salad With Shiso and Basil[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Since shiso is a member of the mint family, we like to use it for a refreshing change of pace to summer salads. Its grassy, peppery, and slightly bitter notes make it the perfect counterpart to sweet raw corn, spicy radishes, tangy feta cheese, juicy tomatoes, and crisp sliced cucumbers. The shiso is what makes this salad special, so the rest of the ingredients and proportions are really up to you.
Raw Corn Salad With Shiso and Basil Recipe »Back to the full list Watermelon Gazpacho With Calabrian-Chili Crema[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]This recipe adds a twist to the classic gazpacho flavors of tomato, cucumber, and onion with the addition of juicy watermelon. Calabrian chili–spiked crema adds richness and a touch of heat while toasted almonds in place of the traditional bread keep things light, nutty, and creamy. It all comes together with the help of a blender, making it a satisfying no-cook meal that’s perfect for summer.
Watermelon Gazpacho With Calabrian-Chili Crema Recipe »Back to the full list Peruvian Tiradito With Aji Amarillo and Lime[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]Sashimi-style fish slices meet the spicy, citrusy flavors of ceviche in this Peruvian and Japanese fusion dish. A wide variety of fish will work here, such as salmon, yellowtail, fluke, or corvina. The yellow aji amarillo chili peppers, ginger, garlic, fresh lime juice, and cilantro make up the chili-citrus sauce, which can be prepared with a blender. Once the sauce is spooned on top of the fish, you’re left with a bright dish that will fulfill any sushi cravings.
Peruvian Tiradito With Aji Amarillo and Lime Recipe »Back to the full list Spicy Tuna Salad With Young Ginger and Lemongrass[Photograph: Leela Punyaratabandhu]For such a quick no-cook dish, this spicy tuna salad brings a ton of flavor. Young ginger is ideal for this recipe, but it’s also hard to find in the US, so regular ginger will work fine—just soak the matchsticks in water to mellow them out. Add lemongrass, chilies, lime juice, and fish sauce, and you can turn a blah can of tuna into something refreshing and exciting.
Spicy Tuna Salad With Young Ginger and Lemongrass Recipe »Back to the full list Classic New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]Just like the giant specimens you’ll find in the French Quarter, this muffuletta is packed with salty meat, briny olive salad, and provolone cheese. Using a food processor makes it super easy to assemble, it requires zero cooking, and the flavor actually improves if the sandwich is left to sit for a while—so make it an hour ahead of time if possible.
Classic New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe »Back to the full list Vegan Jicama and Pomelo Salad With Spicy Thai Dressing[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]Jicama, pomelo, and napa cabbage form the base of this sweet, sour, and spicy salad. Bean sprouts and peanuts add even more crunch, while shallots lend pungency and cilantro brightens up the whole mix. Top it with a Thai-style lime-based dressing, and your meal is ready in just 15 minutes.
Vegan Jicama and Pomelo Salad With Spicy Thai Dressing Recipe »Back to the full list Sichuan Shirataki Sesame Noodle Salad With Cucumber, Sichuan Peppercorn, Chili Oil, and Peanuts[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]A cold noodle salad makes a light but filling lunch, and shirataki noodles are the perfect choice to make it a quick one, too. They require no boiling and won’t clump up, and they also pick up lots of flavor from a sauce of oil infused with Sichuan peppercorns and chilies, black vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, and peanuts. The only cooking required—such as it is—is heating the oil up on the stovetop.
Sichuan Shirataki Sesame Noodle Salad With Cucumber, Sichuan Peppercorn, Chili Oil, and Peanuts Recipe »Back to the full list The Best Egg Salad[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]Sure, egg salad is fast and easy, but it doesn’t have to be just a humble convenience food. A simple but perfectly balanced egg salad can be a thing of beauty. For an exceptional outcome, steam-cook your eggs before roughly mashing them with fresh mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, scallions, and parsley. No special ingredients—just bright flavors and textures.
The Best Egg Salad Recipe »Back to the full list DIY Instant Noodles With Vegetables and Miso-Sesame Broth[Video: Natalie Holt]We’re not above a packet of instant noodles now and again, but making your own with fresh vegetables, miso, ginger, and rice noodles is so easy and fun that the supermarket stuff hardly seems worth it. Make one big, satisfying soup for dinner, or fill individual jars ahead of time to take to work: just add boiling water, let it sit two minutes, and your adorable lunchtime portion of soup is ready. And best of all, we’ve got three other DIY instant noodle recipes for you to try.
DIY Instant Noodles With Vegetables and Miso-Sesame Broth Recipe »Back to the full list Easy Make-Ahead Carrot and Chickpea Salad With Dill and Pumpkin Seeds[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]Chickpeas, carrots, and pumpkin seeds make this salad as protein-packed and healthy as it is cool and refreshing. Use leftover cooked chickpeas, or just rinse and drain canned ones. The nuttiness of the seeds is drawn out with a quick “roasting” in the microwave, and a simple vinaigrette of garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and tons of chopped dill gives the salad more and more flavor as it sits.
Easy Make-Ahead Carrot and Chickpea Salad With Dill and Pumpkin Seeds Recipe »Back to the full list Spicy Salami Sandwich With Olive Tapenade and Goat Cheese[Photograph: Marvin Gapultos]For a sandwich that’s super flavorful and truly meal-worthy, make your own tapenade by pulsing black olives, garlic, capers, fresh parsley, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice in a food processor. Spread it on an herby focaccia roll and top with spicy salami, arugula, roasted red pepper, and goat cheese. The ingredients pack come together to pack a punch in every bite.
Spicy Salami Sandwich With Olive Tapenade and Goat Cheese Recipe »Back to the full list Cold Soba Noodles With Kale, Avocado, and Miso-Sesame Dressing[Photograph: Yasmin Fahr]Asian noodles are a great way to bulk up a meal without adding much cooking time. In this case, soba noodles need just a few minutes of cooking before being served with wakame seaweed, kale, bean sprouts, and avocado. A sesame-miso dressing provides a light layer of extra flavor for this healthy dish, and it all comes together in less than 30 minutes.
Cold Soba Noodles With Kale, Avocado, and Miso-Sesame Dressing Recipe »Back to the full list Marinated Kale and Chickpea Salad With Sumac Onions[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]Marinating kale for an hour in olive oil and salt tenderizes the green while keeping it crispy—and, what’s more, it’ll remain that way for days afterward. This step eliminates the need to massage your greens. Turn the kale into a simple but flavorful salad by adding chickpeas, red onion, sumac, and a light dressing.
Marinated Kale and Chickpea Salad With Sumac Onions Recipe »Back to the full list Shrimp Salad With Butter Lettuce and Pumpernickel Bread[Photograph: Carrie Vasios Mullins]A shrimp salad flavored with dill, lemon, and Dijon is light and simple enough to evoke summer. It only involves a few minutes of cooking, and serving it on pumpernickel bread turns it into a meal. To avoid rubbery shrimp, be sure not to overcook it.
Shrimp Salad With Butter Lettuce and Pumpernickel Bread Recipe »Back to the full list Spicy Thai-Style Pomelo, Green Bean, and Zucchini Salad[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]Thai pomelo combines with fresh green beans, raw zucchini, shallots, and mint in this ultra-fresh salad. A Thai dressing featuring garlic and chilies adds hot, sour, bitter, and sweet notes all at once—we recommend pounding them in a mortar and pestle to extract the most flavor. And in a pinch, you can replace the pomelo with grapefruit.
Spicy Thai-Style Pomelo, Green Bean, and Zucchini Salad Recipe »Back to the full list

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