28 No-Cook Recipes for a Heat Wave

Cooking over fire can improve food, but hot days and long schedules can make ovens and stoves impractical. Heat-free or low-heat recipes provide satisfying flavor without turning on appliances. Chilled cucumber soup combines buttermilk, sherry vinegar, jalapenos, and anchovies, paired with creamy avocado toast topped with feta and lemon juice. Chicken salad slaw uses crunchy elements and bold toppings like peanuts and nori. Corn salad with tomatoes, feta, and mint can be enhanced with white beans or cooked chicken. Chicken and herb salad with nuoc cham uses rotisserie chicken and a quick sauce of sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce, finished with mint and basil. Cold silken tofu with celery and peanut sauce offers a refreshing no-cook option.

"Luckily, plenty of recipes require no heat (or very, very little) and are just as flavorful and satisfying as cooked ones. Here are 28 spectacular ideas for heat wave days or when cooking just isn't on the menu. With nearly 2,000 five-star reviews, this cucumber soup from Melissa Clark doesn't shy away from bold ingredients like buttermilk, sherry vinegar, jalapenos and anchovies."

"Creamy avocado toast topped with feta and lemon juice acts as a perfect foil to the vibrant soup, while making sure no one walks away from the table feeling hungry. Recipe: Chilled Cucumber Soup With Avocado Toast The only encouragement you need to make this super delicious salad from Ali Slagle comes from our food stylist, who was hoping to save the leftovers from the photo shoot for herself, but the rest of the people on set had other ideas: The entire dish was devoured before any of it could be packed away!"

"Crunchy corn, juicy tomatoes, tangy feta, fresh mint, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of S and P is all you need to make this blissfully simple salad from Mark Bittman. Add a can of drained white beans or chunks of cooked chicken if you want a bit more oomph. Recipe: Corn Salad With Tomatoes, Feta and Mint This crunchy, satisfying salad from Yewande Komolafe relies on rotisserie chicken for heft and a quick homemade nuoc cham for the salty-sweet tang from its blend of sugar, lime juice and fish sauce."

"A finish of mint and basil makes it all feel especially fresh. Recipe: Chicken and Herb Salad With Nuoc Cham Digging into a block of silken tofu, cold from the fridge, is one of life's most refreshing experiences, and Ali Slagle's additions take it to the next level: sliced celery for crunch and a punchy peanut sauce"

Read at cooking.nytimes.com