No-Cook Appetizers and Salads So You Don't Have To Spend A Minute by Your Stovetop
During summertime in the South, it can get too hot to even think of turning your oven or stovetop on. Luckily, hot summer temps don't have to hold you back from exploring delicious new recipes. These no-cook appetizers and salads showcase the best of summer's gorgeous produce. Without having to put much work in, you can still show up at the church potluck or neighborhood cookout with the prettiest appetizer or salad in sight.
Whether you're in the mood for an old-school no-cook appetizer like pimiento cheese or crab dip, or you want to branch out with no-cook recipes that will be new to guests like pimiento cheese-stuffed pickled okra and West Indies crab salad, these no-cook recipes have your back for every event. Busy weeknights call for quick, easy dinner recipes, and our no-cook salads fit the bill beautifully. Don't waste a minute of summer standing by the stovetop. These no-cook appetizer and salad recipes are summer time savers.
Creamy Avocado Dip
Recipe: Creamy Avocado Dip
Mayonnaise transforms avocados into a creamier version of guacamole. Serve alongside chips and veggies of your choice.
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Herbed-Goat Cheese Spread
Recipe: Herbed-Goat Cheese Spread
You're just 5 minutes and a few stirs away from setting this easy goat cheese spread out for your guests.Â
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Strawberry-Spinach Salad
Recipe: Strawberry-Spinach Salad
This recipe is made to serve 10, but you can easily double if you're expecting a larger crowd.
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Sweet Pea-Parmesan Dip
Recipe: Sweet Pea-Parmesan Dip
Everyone will enjoy eating their peas when you serve them up in the form of a dip.Â
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Classic Pimiento Cheese
Recipe: Basic Pimiento Cheese
This might be a simple pimiento cheese recipe with very few ingredients, but it surely doesn't taste basic. Set it up with crackers and crudité or make tea sandwiches with it for easy grab-and-go access.
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Fresh Fruit Salad
Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad
Every luncheon, potluck, and brunch spread could use a simple, delicious fruit salad, like this lightly dressed one.
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Spring Mix Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese
Recipe: Spring Mix Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese
Making your own herbed goat cheese takes just a few minutes. You can prepare a day in advance so all you have to do on the day of serving is toss the remaining ingredients together.
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Texas Caviar
Recipe: Texas Caviar
This tailgate-favorite dip is actually pretty healthy, so go ahead and dig in.
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Marinated Feta With Cherry Tomatoes
Recipe: Marinated Feta With Cherry Tomatoes
Cheese and tomatoes are always a winning combination in our book.Â
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Cucumber-Chickpea Salad with Feta-Mint Vinaigrette
Recipe: Cucumber-Chickpea Salad with Feta-Mint Vinaigrette
Chickpeas serve as a crunchy alternative to croutons in this refreshing cucumber salad.Â
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Pineapple-Pepper Slaw
Recipe: Pineapple-Pepper Slaw
Fresh pineapple and peppers create a colorful coleslaw that just may become your family's new favorite slaw.Â
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Marinated Tomato-and-Herb Salad
Recipe: Marinated Tomato-and-Herb Salad
Make the most of fresh herbs from your garden by using them to make this tomato salad that's ready in just 10 minutes.
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Creamy Broccoli Slaw
Recipe: Creamy Broccoli Slaw
Follow this simple recipe to upgrade bagged broccoli slaw and turn it into a refreshing summer dish.
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Tomato Sandwiches
Recipe: Tomato Tea Sandwiches
What's a shower or luncheon without an arrangement of tea sandwiches? This recipe takes a Southern classic and makes it portable for parties.
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Spicy Pineapple Slaw
Recipe: Spicy Pineapple Slaw
This crunchy, festive slaw recipe combines sweet pineapple with spicy jalapenos for a side dish that can get the party started.
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Orange-Basil Yogurt Dip
Recipe: Orange-Basil Yogurt Dip
You can prepare this savory, sweet, and tangy dip up to three days in advance of serving.Â
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Marinated Watermelon Tomato Salad
Recipe: Marinated Watermelon Tomato Salad
Two summer favorites, watermelon and tomato, come together to create a refreshing summer salad you'll want to serve immediately.Â
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Creamy Feta-and-Herb Dip
Recipe: Creamy Feta-and-Herb Dip
This rich homemade dip is so much better than store-bought, and yes, guests will be able to taste the difference.
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Mango-Rose Fruit Salad
Recipe: Mango-Rose Fruit Salad
In this fruit salad, chopped banana, apple, strawberry, pineapple, and grapes are covered in a creamy mango mixture that gets a delicate floral aroma from rose essence.
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Tomato-and-Watermelon Salad
Recipe: Tomato-and-Watermelon Salad
Combine sweet, juicy watermelon chunks with fresh tomato, onion, and a red wine vinaigrette for a salad that is the essence of summer.
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Creamy Crab Dip
Recipe: Creamy Crab Dip
Fresh lump crab is the star of this easy dip recipe, and the flavor of Lowcountry favorite Old Bay seasoning shines through.
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Our Best Ambrosia Recipe Ever
Recipe: Our Best Ambrosia Recipe Ever
Toasted coconut chips add a layer of crunch and tropical flair to colorful ambrosia.Â
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Ham Salad
Recipe: Ham Salad
Whether with crackers, cheese puffs, croissants, or in tea sandwiches, your friends will love this old-school recipe at the luncheon or potluck.
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Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans
Recipe: Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans
This fresh, crunchy slaw has everything you could want in a side dish, and the presentation is much prettier than the time you spent on it would let on.
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Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
Recipe: Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
Summer produce shines in this simple salad that will start the meal off on a bright note.
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Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Pickled Okra
Recipe: Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Pickled Okra
This fun appetizer is about as Southern as it gets, and it's so ideal for a casual cookout.
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Whipped-Cream Corn Salad
Recipe: Whipped-Cream Corn Salad
If you don't have time to make corn pudding before the potluck, no worries! This no-cook salad has all the fluffy goodness you crave.
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Herbed Shrimp-and-Rice Salad
Recipe: Herbed Shrimp-and-Rice Salad
Your guests will never know this colorful, light salad was made with shrimp you didn't cook yourself and microwaveable rice, but they don't have to.
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Tomato, Peach, and Corn Salad
Recipe: Tomato, Peach, and Corn Salad
This summer stunner showcases all those gorgeously fresh fruits and veggies you picked up at the local farmers' market.
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Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Recipe: Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This fresh, 15-minute appetizer gives us another reason to love store-bought rotisserie chicken.
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Sesame, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad
Recipe: Sesame, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad
No one will guess that the most beautiful summer salad to hit the potluck only took you 10 minutes to throw together.
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Feta-Olive-Fresh Herb Cheese Ball
Recipe: Feta-Olive-Fresh Herb Cheese Ball
This springy cheese ball will brighten up any cheese and charcuterie platter.
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White Cheddar-Chive Pimiento Cheese
Recipe: White Cheddar-Chive Pimiento Cheese
Here's the secret to nice pimiento-cheese texture: Grate the cheese by hand, half on the large holes of a box grater and half on the small holes.Â
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Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Hummus
Recipe: Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Hummus
You can make a gorgeous platter of crudité and homemade pita chips to surround this Southern spin on classic hummus.
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Heirloom Tomato and Chicken Toss
Recipe: Heirloom Tomato and Chicken Toss
This farm-fresh salad might be the prettiest way to use up that rotisserie chicken in your fridge.
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Easy Summer Appetizer Board
Recipe: Easy Summer Appetizer Board
No Southern appetizer board is complete without spicy-sweet pickled okra.Â
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Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad
Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad
There's no need for fuss: This simple chicken salad recipe will do the trick at any luncheon.
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Smoky Brussels Sprout Slaw
Recipe: Smoky Brussels Sprout Slaw
Sweet, salty, tangy, smoky—this crunchy slaw recipe has it all, and everyone will be begging for your secret.
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Strawberry Caprese Salad
Recipe: Strawberry Caprese Salad
Celebrate spring with this fresh salad that can be served over French baguette slices as an appetizer or mixed greens as a starter salad.
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Strawberry-Tomato Salad
Recipe: Strawberry-Tomato Salad
The only directions needed for this pretty salad? "Stir together all ingredients." You're welcome.
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Squash Ribbon Salad
Recipe: Squash Ribbon Salad
You just need six ingredients and a veggie peeler to throw together this pretty summer salad.
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Mini Caprese Bites
Recipe: Mini Caprese Bites
These savory bites are the easiest appetizer for guests (and hostesses) on the move.
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West Indies Crab Salad
Recipe: West Indies Crab Salad
Showcase fresh lump crabmeat with this old-school recipe from Mobile, Alabama. Guests who haven't had it before will fall in love.
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Caesar Salad Bites
Recipe: Caesar Salad Bites
Everything you love about Caesar salad, in pick-up form! Don't fuss with tossing a salad (or said salad getting wilted and soggy during the party) with this colorful starter.
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Herbed Cucumber-and-Tomato Salad
Recipe: Herbed Cucumber-and-Tomato Salad
This Greek-inspired side dish is fresh, easy, and only gets better the longer it marinates.
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Cheddar-Horseradish-Walnut Cheese Ball
Recipe: Cheddar-Horseradish-Walnut Cheese Ball
Take the stress out of entertaining with a cheese ball that doesn't stand a chance at providing leftovers once guests taste a bite.
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Stuffed Endive with Herbed Goat Cheese
Recipe: Stuffed Endive with Herbed Goat Cheese
These veggie bites are a hostess-favorite appetizer. Why? They look pretty, they're easy to grab-and-go, they're not messy, and they're so easy to put together.
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Herbed Goat Cheese-Melon Party Bites
Recipe: Herbed Goat Cheese-Melon Party Bites
This four-ingredient appetizer looks beautiful but takes basically no work on your end, which makes it a busy hostess win.
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Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
Recipe: Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
We updated the classic caprese with farm-fresh cherry tomatoes for easy big-batch serving.
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Barbecue-Peach Summer Rolls
Recipe: Barbecue-Peach Summer Rolls
No need to break a sweat assembling all the rolls yourself. Make a small batch to kick-start the party, then offer a platter of the fresh ingredients with the dipping sauce so guests can build their own.