While we appreciate any opportunity to break out our best pots and pans, there’s something to be said for learning how to cook without actually cooking. Easy, healthy salads are an obvious starting point, but you can take your stove-free expertise to the next level by learning how to cure everything from raw fish to egg yolks. Once you’ve had your meal, don’t forget to cap off the feast with a simple no-cook dessert. From bright ceviche to rich guacamole and elegant salads, here are our absolute best no-cook recipes.
Tom Colicchio’s Passion Fruit Ceviche
Lime juice is usually the sour staple in a ceviche, but James Beard award-winning chef Tom Colicchio also adds a dash of passion fruit to create a boldly refreshing summer appetizer. Crunchy potato chips bring contrast to the tender fish. Get the recipe »
Japanese Tea Leaf Salad
Don’t throw away those premium green tea leaves after you’ve steeped them—save them for this simple salad perfect over steamed rice or folded into eggs. Get the recipe for Japanese Tea Leaf Salad »
Hearts Of Palm and Avocado Salad
A simple salad that puts a ubiquitous supermarket staple to work. Canned hearts of palm have a vegetal, slightly nutty flavor similar to artichokes, and they combine perfectly with butter lettuce and avocado. Get the recipe for Hearts Of Palm and Avocado Salad »
Raw Celery Root Salad with Apples and Parsley
This light and delicious salad from chef Dan Kluger makes wonderful use of winter produce. Crisp, raw celery root (a.k.a. celeriac) mingles with tart, julienned apples, crunchy croutons, and a tarragon-infused, mayonnaise-based dressing. Get the recipe for Raw Celery Root Salad with Apples and Parsley »
Homemade Crème Fraîche and Preserved Lemon Salad Dressing
Crème fraîche: It’s one of those expensive grocery-store items that’s so easy and cheap to make at home yourself, you really have no excuse not to have it in your fridge at all times. Alana Chernila, author of The Homemade Pantry and The Homemade Kitchen, picks up a pint of cream on every grocery run, mixes it with a little cultured buttermilk (or buttermilk culture, a powder you can order online), and the next day, voilà, a bowl of slightly sour, thick, lush crème fraîche. “It’s perfect for adding tang and richness, and it doesn’t have that weird pucker of sour cream,” says Chernila, who finds herself adding it to salad dressings, drizzling it on tacos, and folding it into pumpkin pie. It will keep for up to three weeks in the fridge—more than enough time for you to pick up some cream and make yourself another batch. Get the recipe for Homemade Crème Fraîche and Preserved Lemon Salad Dressing »
Cucumber, Pear, and Sumac–Onion Salad
This twist on a classic Israeli salad, in which Asian pear stands in for tomatoes, is a refreshing counterpart to warm, spice-roasted meats like chicken or kebabs. Get the recipe for Cucumber, Pear, and Sumac–Onion Salad »
Spinach and Tofu Salad with Peanut–Miso Dressing
Tofu adds creaminess to this spare salad of spinach dressed with peanut butter and red miso paste. Get the recipe for Spinach and Tofu Salad with Peanut–Miso Dressing »
Marinated Mozuku Seaweed with Cucumber
In Okinawa, mozuku seaweed is eaten simply dressed with vinegar and soy sauce in this small appetizer. Get the recipe for Marinated Mozuku Seaweed with Cucumber »
Watercress with Spicy Chile and Sesame Vinaigrette
Peppery watercress, nutty sesame seeds, and earthy Korean chile flakes are brought together with an easy lemon vinaigrette in this wonderful cold-weather salad. Get the recipe for Watercress with Spicy Chile and Sesame Vinaigrette »
Blue Cheese, Grape, and Gem Lettuce Salad
Sweetly acidic green grapes off-set the funk of creamy Danish blue cheese in this seasonal salad tossed together with a creamy cider vinegar–walnut dressing. Get the recipe for Blue Cheese, Grape, and Gem Lettuce Salad »
Farmers’ Cheese with Onion and Pumpkin Seed Oil
This creamy Slovenian spread is fantastic spread on toast at brunch or served as a dip with crisp vegetables—like radishes and fennel—at cocktail parties. Get the recipe for Farmers’ Cheese with Onion and Pumpkin Seed Oil »
Classic Guacamole
Grind your cilantro, onion, and chiles into a paste before folding in mashed avocado for the deepest flavor. Get the recipe for Classic Guacamole »
Cured Fluke with Yogurt, Watermelon, Sunflower Seeds, and Togarashi
Breakfast, brunch, or snack, we could serve (and eat) this quick-cured, no-cook fish dish from John Karangis of Union Square Events, any time of day. It works exceptionally well as a summer starter, served with a savory lime yogurt and refreshing cubes of ripe watermelon, then sprinkled with flecks of shichimi togarashi: a spicy, tangy, earthy Japanese spice mix. Get the recipe »
Watermelon Gazpacho
Juicy sweet watermelons go savory in this summery no-cooking-required soup from Anna Watson Carl. Spicy bite comes from jalapeños and red onions, while tomatoes and tart lime juice provide acidity. Plenty of herbs and olive oil lend a fresh, grassy note, with cucumbers bolstering the melon backbone. Get the recipe for Watermelon Gazpacho »
Pimento Cheese Sandwich with Homemade Pickles
Adding sriracha to the chunky pimento cheese recipe in this sandwich ups the spice factor and helps to offset the creaminess of the cheddar. Get the recipe for Pimento Cheese Sandwich with Homemade Pickles »
Baja Ceviche Tostadas
Inspired by the street foods of coastal city Ensenada, this tostada is a perfect combination of citrus, spicy chiles, and fresh seafood. This recipe was developed by Border Grill Las Vegas executive chef Mike Minor. Get the recipe »