16 Healthy Recipes That Don’t Require Any Cooking at All (2024)

When you need dinner, but it’s just too hot to use the stove or oven, try one of our favorite healthy no-cook dinner recipes, including soups, salads, wraps, and sandwiches. Not only are these recipes short on prep time, but they’re light on calories—each has fewer than 450 calories per serving.

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Chickpea Salad with Tuna

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Whisk together a simple dressing with ample lemon juice for extra flavor, then simply toss with chickpeas, vegetables, and herbs. Folding in tuna adds another boost of protein (in addition to what’s in the chickpeas) and healthy omega-3 fats for a satisfying and healthy lunch you can take with you.

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Chickpea-Herb Flatbreads

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Save time by buying flatbreads, pitas, or naan, rather than baking or grilling crust for pizza. Unlike often-greasy delivery pizza, slices of this healthy no-cook dish are loaded with vitamins and fiber from tomatoes, cucumbers, and chickpeas.

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Turkey-Cucumber Sandwiches with Cilantro Spread

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Turkey takes center stage in this easy, healthy recipe that also includes pretty cucumber ribbons and a citrus-cilantro yogurt sauce that looks (and tastes) incredible. With 27 grams of protein, this is one sandwich that won’t leave you hungry an hour later.

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Antipasto Sandwiches

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Sandwiches are the go-to idea for no-cook meals, but this one isn’t your ho-hum PB&J or meat and cheese. Well, it’s meat and cheese, but the winning element here is the homemade spread combining purchased pesto (or homemade) with lots of vegetables to make a chunky, giardiniera-like relish that elevates the flavor of the salami and mozzarella.

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Sesame-Shrimp Noodle Bowl

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If you think cooking noodles is as boring as waiting for water to boil, here’s your perfect pasta recipe—simply soak the bean thread noodles in hot water while you stir together the Asian-inspired sauce. Toss them together with piles of herbs, vegetables, and tofu, and you have a fast and fresh healthy no-cook meal with 33 grams of satisfying protein.

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Stacked Veggie Sandwiches with Pimiento Cheese

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Satisfy your hunger in a way that would make any Southerner proud: with pimiento cheese. This inexpensive, healthy no-cook meal delivers all the peppery goodness you remember, plus a surprising amount of protein for a vegetarian sandwich. The secret ingredients? Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.

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Pizza Lettuce Wraps

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With help from a few large lettuce leaves, it’s possible to enjoy the flavors of homemade pizza without turning on the oven or stove. This easy, healthy, no-cook meal has only 5 grams of fat and, thanks to cannellini beans, it packs in a plentiful 12 grams of protein per serving.

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Burrata and Stone Fruit

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For this modern twist on the traditional Caprese salad, layer pieces of creamy burrata cheese with slices of nectarines, plums, peaches, and/or apricots. (We’re partial to using a combo.) Then sprinkle on mint and finish with hot chili oil for a taste bud-tempting hot-and-cool finish. While it’s fancy enough to flaunt at dinner parties, this summery dish also works well for lunch.

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Creamy Gazpacho

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Use this chilled (or room temperature) soup as a starter course that introduces everyone around your table to plant-based eating. Yes, there are loads of vegetables in this healthy no-cook soup, but the silky creaminess comes from blended tofu. It’s a delicious, surprising way to work the soy-based protein into a meal.

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Lemony Tuna Salad

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Tuna is an all-star protein you can turn to for healthy dinners that need no cooking. The combination of lemon, red onion, and cherry tomatoes ensures a bright and fresh meal that’s also perfect for a keto diet.

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Veggie Noodles with Cashew-Cilantro Pesto

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In the mood for noodles, but not to turn on your stove? Try vegetable noodles instead. We’re not just talking about zucchini noodles—carrots, cucumbers, and daikon can also act as substitutes for noodles in this flavorful, yet light, recipe.

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Fresh Taco Salad

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Now, this is how you make a south-of-the-border-style salad. Transform the traditional taco toss with our version, which is packed full of fresh ingredients. Jicama, jalapeño peppers, and avocado add delicious flavor to this healthy recipe. Top it all off with a cilantro-ranch dressing for a creamy finish.

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White Bean Tuna Salad

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This delicious salad is ready for dinner in just three easy steps, and best of all, there’s no cooking required. Just combine the ingredients, shake up the homemade dressing, and enjoy.

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Gazpacho Verde

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Go green with a refreshing blend of spinach, avocado, cucumber, and celery. The cool summer soup gets a kick from green salsa and lime juice. The kicker (well, besides the spicy salsa): The entire healthy no-cook recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare.

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Caprese Salad Pita Pockets

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If you’re torn between a salad or a sandwich, we say: Why not both? This classic mozzarella, tomato, and basil salad gets a hearty twist in a pita pocket alongside salad greens, cucumber, and a bit of dressing. If you need a quick meal to take to go, pack the pita, salad, and dressing separately, so everything in this inexpensive, healthy meal stays fresh and crisp.

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Tofu Spring Rolls

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A quick dunk in water turns rice paper pliable and ready to shape around fresh fillings. We call for tofu, cucumbers, carrots, and mint, but feel free to customize with any quick-prep ingredients you have on hand. (Sweet peppers, shrimp, bean sprouts, and Thai basil would all be brilliant swaps or additions to this inexpensive, healthy, no-cook meal.)