No-Cook Meal Ideas for When You Don't Want to Turn on the Stove

As much as we love a home-cooked dinner, there are days when nothing satisfies like no-cook solutions that come together in a flash. The logical season to enjoy such meals is summer, when the dog days of heat and humidity feel relentless, and the obvious go-tos are salads—but there's no need to limit yourself to a bowl of greens. We connected with a cookbook author who's an expert at no-cook "cooking" and picked up some fresh, stove-free inspiration.

When to Serve No-Cook Meals

Summer weather is a key motivation for putting together a no-cook meal—and so is summer's bounty of earthly delights. "When I think as to why I use no-cook recipes, it's to make the most of fresh, seasonal tender vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, salad leaves, sweet greens, and tomatoes—all these just need to be chopped and partnered with cold cuts, cheeses, and no-need-to-cook fish or pulses for protein," says Susie Theodorou, food stylist and author of No-Cook Cookbook: Fresh and Healthy Meals to Assemble, Eat, and Enjoy. (Pulses, as you may know, refer to the edible seed in legumes and include chickpeas, lentils, and beans.)

No-Cook Occasions

Summer aside, there are plenty of other times when the last thing you want to do is bring the heat. No-cook dishes fill the bill in these circumstances (and many more):

• When time is of the essence: "I no-cook cook when I am in a hurry or super hungry," says Theodorou. 
• Impromptu get-togethers: No-cook cooking is also the perfect solution when friends unexpectedly drop in. "It's very easy to pull a mezze together when I have not planned to cook," says Theodorou.

No-Cook Concepts

When conjuring up no-cook ideas, Theodorou keeps it simple, yet delicious. "Many of my recipes are also composed plates of three to four ingredients complementing each other," she says. For instance, her recipe for a Korean-style grain bowl layers marinated tofu, rice (from a pouch), kimchi, raw vegetables, and eggs over greens, with sesame dressing on top.

Some other favorites include:

• Burrata or mozzarella with sliced salami and crackers.
• Fresh fish crudo with good crusty bread or crisp bread.
• Charcuterie like prosciutto skewered on a stick with peaches and arugula.

Fresh Ingredients to Have on Hand

Theodorou’s no-cook meals make ample use of fresh ingredients, from produce to cheese. She keeps these staples on hand:

• Tomatoes: "Seasonal tomatoes have more flavor impact, but as we know, cherry tomatoes are pretty good all year round," she says.
• Salad leaves: Great greenery choices include kale, romaine, and iceberg lettuce.
• Avocados: For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, avocados bring richness in flavor and nutrients she says.
• In-season melons: Watermelon, honeydew, charantais (French cantaloupe) and Galia (a cantaloupe-honeydew hybrid) all do double duty. "They add a crunchy sweetness to salads mixed with cheese, salami, and smoked fish," she says.
• Cheese: "I think of cheese as fresh!” she says. "Halloumi cheese is always in my fridge," Theodorou says. Grated over salads, its saltiness lends a lift. Other prized preferences include feta and goat cheese marinated in oil, and for big flavor, blue cheese and Parmesan.

Pantry Staples

Pantry staples provide limitless possibilities.  She recommends keeping these ingredients at the ready:

• In the cupboard: Tinned fish and shellfish, beans and pulses in cans and jars; cooked grains in pouches that can be quickly microwaved.
• In the fridge: Cheese, cold cuts, and smoked fish all have a long shelf life, she says, and are good protein sources for salads or grains.
• Condiments: Asian, Latino, Italian, French, Spanish, and Greek condiments give immediate flavor impact, Theodorou says. And don't overlook international pickles.
• Salad dressings: A variety of salad dressings can also perk up meals. Theodorou keeps two or three kinds in the fridge.

Rotisserie Chicken Is an Essential

In addition, Theodorou suggests putting rotisserie chicken in heavy rotation. Her book illustrates the best way to carve a store-bought bird, including tips for cutting the white meat into pieces or shreds. "Rotisserie chicken is very much a non-cold food I turn to, and can adapt it into a family meal very easily," she says. "Sometimes it can be made into several dishes at the same meal—everyone has their favorite way to eat it." The pieces and parts can be used in myriad ways:

• In sandwiches or bahn mi.
• Served with beans and rice.
• As a taco filling.
• With coleslaw and crusty bread.
  

Straddling the Divide

While no-cook cooking can stand on its own for complete meals, there are times when Theodorou reserves this approach for one or two courses. "I also like to serve no-cook appetizers in conjunction with a cooked meal," she says. "My appetizer will be a dip or cheese plate; the dessert a creation of make your own sundaes." And she tops store-bought cookies with extras, like mascarpone and fruit.

Looks Count

When assembling these summer-perfect meals, it can be tempting to heap it all together on the plate, but that defeats the beauty of no-cook cooking. As a food stylist, Theodorou obviously has a leg up, and she believes that her readers can easily catch on. "The final flavour and look of the recipe have equal billing," she says. "I want the food to taste as good as it looks and visa versa."