No-cook meals: 40+ ways to enjoy peak summer produce without turning on your stove

10+ no-cook ideas for tomatoes

This is the time of year when tomatoes abound, and they will look nothing like the cottony commercial varieties you see at the supermarket year round. When seeking tomatoes at peak ripeness, go for fruits that look vibrantly colorful — whatever their color should be, whether bright red, purplish or green — and that feel heavy in hand and smell amazing when sniffed at the stem.

When it comes to cooking (or “un-cooking” as it were), there are many, many, many ways with tomatoes. Some of our favorite salads include tomatoes: Caprese, of course (make a meal of it by layering the components on toasted crusty bread); Watermelon, Feta, Tomato Salad (or avocado, feta and tomato salad); a cornbread panzanella (seasonal produce plus leftovers for a double win; other bread works great, too); a tomato-chili crisp combo that went viral in 2022 (bulk it up with anything from torn mozzarella to hunks of tinned fish); and a Southern standard, the tomato cracker salad. Or combine generous slabs of tomato, cucumber and feta (and sometimes rings of green bell pepper) with red onion slices, dried oregano, olive oil and red wine vinegar for a Greek diner classic; some people like to add Kalamata olives or pepperoncini for extra punch.

Tomatoes are equally irresistible in pasta alla crudaiola (its name derived from the Italian term “crudo,” meaning raw), a summertime staple showcasing juicy, basil-flecked tomatoes and generous shavings of salty ricotta salata — boiling the pasta is the only cooking required, but you could use leftover pasta for a truly no-cook version. And please don’t sleep on gazpacho (or its creamier southern cousin, salmarejo): There are many takes on this refreshing Andalusian cold soup, including Sarah Copeland’s sunshiney version made with yellow tomatoes. (If you opt for the red-tomato classic, you might accompany it with a viewing of Pedro Almodovar’s 1988 black comedy, “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” in which gazpacho took a star turn.)

10+ no-cook ways to eat corn

Select ears that look and feel firm and unshriveled, with green outer husks and plushy tassels that are white, pale yellow or light brown. Fresh sweet corn should be used as close to harvest as possible, but it will keep for a day or two. Store it in the fridge wrapped in damp paper towels, noting that it will get starchier and less sweet the longer it sits.

While super fresh and sweet peak-season corn is delicious raw, zapping it in the microwave cooks it in a flash and makes it easy to remove the husk and silks — no stove required. To use corn in recipes, you’ll need to cut the kernels off the cob: This Bundt pan trick, borrowed from “Bon Appetit,” is foolproof. We’re also a fan of this brilliant horizontal hack.

Corn complements the no- and low-cook table in so many ways. Puree kernels into a Sweet Corn Gazpacho. Toss them into a salad with tomato and avocado. Stir them into tangy Thai-inspired Corn Salad (this version from the Kitchn incorporates charred corn as well, but you can skip that step). Toss with black beans, chopped onions and peppers, and fresh cilantro for a hearty taco filling. And since we’re allowing ourselves a few low-lift liberties, like boiling water for noodles, add fresh corn to a Mexican elote-inspired pasta or Dan Pelosi’s Summer Corn Tomato Pasta (feel free to skip the veg-cooking step and rely on the residual heat of the pasta instead). For dessert, turn corn into a creamy, no-churn ice cream.

10+ no-cook recipes for cucumbers, summer squash and melons

Look for cukes, zucchs and other summer squashes like crookneck with taut, vibrant skins — no mushy spots. Melons should smell fragrant at the stem when ripe. All of these cucurbits need to be eaten right away, ideally within a few days, though turning any leftover cucumbers into refrigerator pickles is a flex you’ll appreciate later.

Cucumbers are natural partners for dips, their mild flavor an excellent foil for bold-flavored scoops like hummus and Shadi Hasanzadenemati’s hot-pink Persian Yogurt Beet Dip, made with pre-cooked beets. Or turn the cucumbers themselves into a dip: Tzatziki is always a crowd-pleaser, and there are many ways to make it. Or if you’ve made a double batch of refrigerator pickles, follow the trend of pickle everything and make them into Cookie and Kate’s Dill Pickle Dip. For a preparation that centers the cuke’s flavor and cooling qualities, try Gina Homolka’s creamy, herby cold Cucumber Soup, which she describes as being “like salad in soup form.”

On extra-hot days, combine cucumbers and melon in Diana Yen’s sweet-savory Smashed Cucumber and Melon Salad, which borrows a page from the classic Chinese pai huang gau (spicy smashed cucumbers) and offers a double dose of cooling, hydrating produce. Tuck a rainbow of julienned cucumber and other veggies into Vietnamese summer rolls with seasoned precooked tofu and rice vermicelli. Make a Spicy Watermelon Gazpacho with Jalapeno or Sara Moulton’s Three Melon Soup. Frozen melon is a flavorful way to add body to smoothies and popsicles. Or go ’50s retro and fill half a cantaloupe or honeydew with a scoop of cottage cheese. Combine cucumbers with tomato, onion and herbs in a Shirazi salad or take a spicier turn with an Indian kachumber.

And don’t forget about zucchini/summer squash: You may be used to eating them cooked but they’re crunchy and refreshing raw. Try them in No-Cook Peanut Zoodles with tofu or a lemon-garlic sauce with crunchy pine nuts (this recipe from Oh My Veggies calls for roasted cherry tomatoes, but you can use fresh or skip them altogether).

10+ no-cook recipes for summer’s other stunners

Peppers, whether sweet or scorching, are excellent in salsas, salads, mocktails and cocktails, and as a vehicle for all manner of dips, from store-bought hummus to homemade “jalapeno popper” spread.

Stone fruits and berries are delicate creatures and should be used right away. Make peach or plum and burrata toasts, a monochromatic fruit salad, fresh peach salsa, peaches and cream overnight oats or couscous with fresh and dried apricots.

Scallions and herbs are gorgeous this time of year, too. Use scallions in Cold Silken Tofu with Spicy Soy Sauce or Cucumbers with Pickled Ginger-Scallion Sauce. Or combine scallions and your favorite leafy herbs into creamy, fragrant green goddess dressing (a traditional version or make it vegan) to perk up pretty much everything.

Lastly, to use up a kitchen sink of seasonal goodies, try Dishing Up the Dirt’s Summer Crunch Salad, which has a little bit of (almost) everything.