As a severe heatwave grips parts of Australia, with temperatures predicted to hit the 40s in Victoria and South Australia, the last thing anyone wants to do is turn on the oven or stand over a hot stove. The good news is that a satisfying, flavourful meal doesn't require any cooking at all.
A collection of eight ingenious no-cook recipes from celebrated chefs and food writers offers the perfect solution for sweltering days. These dishes prioritise fresh ingredients, vibrant flavours, and, most importantly, keep you cool in the kitchen.
Vibrant Salads and Chilled Soups
Meera Sodha's no-cook salad combines juicy tomatoes and creamy chickpeas with a unique rose harissa dressing. Sodha recommends seeking out jarred, cooked chickpeas for their superior texture, though tinned are a suitable alternative. The star is the rose harissa, a floral and spicy paste available from Middle-Eastern grocers.
For a colourful and aromatic option, Mandy Yin's spicy glass noodle and prawn salad is a feast for the senses. Packed with fresh herbs like basil, mint, and coriander, it features a tangy, umami-rich dressing made from anchovies. The recipe advises letting the dressed noodles sit for at least 15 minutes to absorb all the flavours fully.
When only a chilled soup will do, Rukmini Iyer's watermelon and tomato gazpacho is a refreshing choice. Sweet watermelon is blended and sieved, then chilled for an hour. While the recipe includes homemade rosemary croutons, store-bought versions or crunchy crackers work perfectly. For extra freshness, add cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and cucumber when serving.
Creative Proteins and Toast Transformations
Yotam Ottolenghi's silken tofu with crunchy salad and marmalade dressing demonstrates how a clever sauce can elevate simple ingredients. A bitter-sweet dressing of marmalade and lime is drizzled over silken tofu and vegetables, topped with salted peanuts and sesame seeds. For maximum impact, the tofu can be marinated overnight.
Justin Tsang's salmon noodle salad utilises convenient glass noodles (also known as bean thread vermicelli) and store-bought hot-smoked salmon. The noodles simply need soaking in boiling water before being tossed in a zesty lime-soy dressing, making for a light yet protein-packed meal.
Alice Zaslavsky offers a clever vegetarian twist on a classic with her honeydew carpaccio with coriander pesto. Thinly sliced ripe honeydew melon is paired with cucumber, lime, and green chilli. For those who find coriander soapy, basil makes an excellent pesto substitute.
Global Inspirations and Ultimate Convenience
Drawing inspiration from Korean summers, Meera Sodha's Korean-style cold noodle salad (Bibim-guksu) features buckwheat soba noodles in a gochujang-based sauce. The dish includes radishes, sugar snap peas, and red cabbage, but any finely sliced summer vegetables will work. Smoked tofu is suggested, though five-spice hard tofu is a good alternative.
Finally, when minimal effort is paramount, Anna Jones's inventive toast toppings prove that toast need not be boring. Suggestions include elevating smashed avocado with honey, red-wine vinegar, and grainy mustard, or trying a smashed pea and preserved lemon spread. These ideas transform humble toast into a chic, small plate in under ten minutes.
These eight recipes provide a diverse and delicious arsenal for navigating a heatwave without sacrificing flavour or resorting to tedious cooking. From substantial salads to refreshing soups and clever shortcuts, they are the ultimate culinary defence against the summer sun.
