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The 15 best things we *didn't* cook in August

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Tomato Burrata Salad: no heat required!

By Leslie Brenner

We’ve done a lot of not-cooking this insanely hot month — and loved it! Opening a tin of sardines, squeezing a lemon, arranging greens, slicing height-of-the-season tomatoes: That’s the kind of low-stress prep it takes to make something delightful without going near the stove.

Especially this time of year, when there’s so much great produce. That’s right — we’re talking about dishes you can accomplish without so much as coddling an egg or toasting bread.

Put a few of them together — add a bottle of rosé or orange wine, if you’re so inclined — and you’ve got a royal spread.

1. Mikie’s Marinated Olives

Whether you scoop up your favorite selections from the olive bar, or just open a jar of Castelvetranos, this easy toss with fresh herbs, citrus and garlic is welcome at any gathering.

Every French home cook has this tangy raw carrot salad in their bag of delicious tricks.

RECIPE: Carottes Rapées

3. Amá’s Guacamole

Every guac is great this time of year — from a traditional one to a Thai-inspired renegade. The celery-happy version in Josef Centeno’s wonderful Amá cookbook is lovely, light, and particularly summery.

RECIPE: Amá’s Guacamole

4. Leela Punyaratabandhu’s Green Papaya Salad

The combination of lime juice, fish sauce and peanuts makes Southeast Asian green papaya salad highly craveable during summer. Leela Punyaratabandu’s excellent version from Simple Thai Food gets the balance just right.

Cool and satisfying, with some richness from raw almonds or cashews and tang from sherry vinegar, this chilled soup is one of our favorites ever. It’s vegan — and unlike traditional bread-thickened Gazpacho Sevillano, it’s gluten-free.

RECIPE: The Greenest Gazpacho

6. Cucumber, Radish and Feta Salad

A touch of orange-blossom water makes this minty little number transportingly good.

RECIPE: Cucumber, Radish and Feta Salad

7. Marinated Goat Cheese

Keep a log of organic goat cheese in the fridge (unopened, it keeps for ages) as an insurance policy for when you need this quick app on the fly. (Follow the “skip the heating” suggestion in the recipe.)

RECIPE: Marinated Goat Cheese

8. Fuchsia Dunlop’s Spicy Sichuan Chicken Salad

This jazzy, sesame-fragrant cold chicken salad is one of our favorite dishes from one of our favorite cookbooks, Fuchsia Dunlop’s Every Grain of Rice. It’s a great use for store-bought roast chicken.

I usually have everything on hand to make this delicious toss of an Italian-inspired salad: a can each of tuna and cannellini beans, a red onion, some parsley and celery. A squeeze of lemon or drizzle of vinegar adds lift and bounce.

RECIPE: Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad

10. Sabzi Khordan (Persian Herb Platter)

The platter of herbs that accompanies just about every Persian meal can make a fabulous meal on its own — especially when it includes good feta and walnuts and it’s served with a nice flatbread.

RECIPE: Sabzi Khordan (Persian Herb Platter)

11. Tomato and Burrata Salad

This is the moment for the classic salad, as tomatoes are bursting with flavor. Use mozzarella or ricotta if you can’t find burrata.

RECIPE: Tomato and Burrata Salad

12. A16’s Raw Zucchini Salad with Green Olives, Mint and Pecorino

Mint, green olives and salty Italian cheese come together harmoniously in this unusual and pretty fabulous raw zucchini salad. It’s adapted from Nate Appleman and Shelly Lindgren’s A16 Food & Wine cookbook, inspired by their San Francisco pizza place.

RECIPE: A16’s Raw Zucchini Salad

13. Smoked Trout ‘Rillettes’

Make this once or twice — after that, you’ll be able to whip it up with your eyes closed. It’s so delicious, we make it every couple of weeks, all year long.

The Levant region’s minty, sumac-y green salad has crispy pita; our bread-less one may infuriate purists, but we think it’s pretty swell — and gluten-free.

RECIPE: Fattoush-ish

15. Gazpacho Sevillano

Help yourself to our award-winning version of the world’s most famous cold soup!