15 Salads for People Who Can’t Cook
Can’t boil an egg or water for that matter? You never set foot in a kitchen to make a meal because you can’t cook to save yourself. If this is you but you’d like to try, you have come to the right place. This collection of salads, sweet and savoury, requires no cooking whatsoever! Surely that’s a good place to start?
When it comes to cooking, I believe there are 3 groups of people. Those who cook out of necessity because if they don’t, they’ll starve to death, the home cooks who love to cook and do so for pleasure and lastly the group of people who believe they can’t cook at all.
In my lifetime, I have met many people who tell me they can’t cook. Apparently, they genuinely can’t even boil water or toast a piece of bread without burning it.
They don’t know their way around the kitchen simply because they never set foot in it. It also does mean they are very lucky people because someone is obviously doing the cooking for them! Or they’re completely broke because Uber Eats is their best friend.
I believe there are 2 schools of thought here. Either you can’t cook because you don’t want to or you can’t cook because you simply don’t know how.
If you fall under the category of “don’t want to” and you’re reading this, then I applaud you for being here at all!
Have you perhaps had a change of heart and want to give something a go or perhaps you want to impress or surprise a loved one?
Whatever the reason, we have created a collection of savoury and sweet salads that you can put together entirely with zero cooking.
Yup, just raw ingredients that are chopped and tossed together. If you’re going to give something a try, might as well try something you can’t destroy on the cooktop or oven.
Now, for those of you who can’t cook because you have never been taught how to, this collection is also perfect for you as no cooking is required!
This will start your home cooking journey by learning some basic kitchen skills just as slicing, peeling and chopping. It will also help you become comfortable in the kitchen.
Perhaps another reason you may not be so confident in your cooking skills is that you may not know your produce. There are lots of fruit and vegetables that don’t look the same in a dish as they do in its natural form.
At The Devil Wears Salad, we continue to learn too and are still sometimes surprised. There have been a few “that’s what it looks like?” in our time.
If the grocery shop daunts you, perhaps start slow by asking a friend who is a great cook to go with you, ask your partner to get the ingredients for you, google images before you go or don’t be afraid to ask the grocer when you’re there.
Farmer’s markets are a great place to wander, and the farmers love nothing more than to talk about their beloved produce.
The hard part about anything deemed difficult is the first step. Take the plunge and give it a try. If it’s bad, just pick out the good bits and toss the rest if it’s really inedible. Main thing is you gave it a red-hot go.
We are confident that these raw salads are a great place to start. Some of these recipes are also suitable for the kids. An excellent way to get them involved as you teach them some basic knife skills.
Just to clarify, raw does not mean boring or tasteless. There are recipes in this collection that are a bit naughty, some that may take a little longer to put together and ones that can be considered a no-brainer.
We hope you’ll find something comfortable to start your cooking journey with. Enjoy!
No Cook Salad Recipes – Savoury
Prawn and Avocado Salad with Golden Kiwi
1/15
Deliciously sweet with a shot of zing, Prawn and Avocado Salad with Golden Kiwi is a perfect meal for one, two or ten!
The honey sweetness of golden kiwi paired with fresh prawns; buttery avocados tossed together with tangy red shallot vinaigrette creates contrast but a delectable balance.
Head to your fish monger and get yourself some fresh cooked prawns. Even better, if you can find cooked prawns that are already cleaned for you so you don’t have to worry about it!
Easy Tomato Burrata Salad
2/15
It might be super quick to prepare but this is no ordinary Tomato Burrata Salad recipe.
Celebrating sweet juicy tomatoes layered with creamy burrata cheese, fragrant basil and tangy-sweet balsamic glaze, this is our version of the Burrata Caprese. Perfect for easy entertaining all summer long.
Yellow Doll Watermelon Salad with Bocconcini
3/15
Turn an everyday, humble watermelon into the star of the table. Add some creamy bocconcini and sweet tomatoes and we will show you how to make this Yellow Doll Watermelon Salad a conversation starter!
Red Tamarillo Salad with Basil
4/15
Whipped up in 15 minutes, this Red Tamarillo Salad is super easy to make.
Enjoy the sweet and tangy tamarillo fruit accompanied by aromatic basil, sweet pops of cherry tomatoes and creamy chickpeas. No cooking required; this salad really aims to please!
Spicy Chinese Tofu Skin Salad
5/15
Bold spicy Asian flavours that will definitely get your taste buds moving. Delicious texture with tofu skin, cucumber and cauliflower mixed with a chilli black vinegar dressing that is spicy, sweet and sharp all at the same time.
Head to an Asian grocer to look for the tofu skin and yes, the cauliflower is eaten raw so no roasting or blanching required!
Vegan Coleslaw with Pear and Carrot
6/15
Who loves coleslaw with fruit? We do! This vegan coleslaw recipe with the sweetness from the pear and crunch from the carrot is perfectly finished off with an Asian vegan vinaigrette.
The trick for this salad is to use a shredder or even a small peeler that has serrated edges. This will give you even strips and you won’t have to worry about how to slice the carrots or pears evenly. Any homeware or kitchen store will have this if you don’t already have one at home.
Tomato Artichoke Salad
7/15
Simple, fresh ingredients combined for a quick and easy tomato artichoke salad with a homemade basil mint salad dressing that is full of punchy summer flavours. This is a vegan and gluten free salad perfect for barbecues, picnics and potluck gatherings.
No need to fret. You can get marinated artichokes from the deli or even from a jar, just in case you were wondering what artichokes even look like, let alone how to marinate them!
Zucchini and Cucumber Salad with Dried Shrimp
8/15
Dive into a traditional style salad that heralds from the intertwining of Chinese and British Malay cultures of centuries past. This Zucchini and Cucumber Salad celebrates the fusion between the 2 cuisines, replicated nowhere else in the world.
Dried shrimp is available in packets in the Asian aisle of your supermarket or from any Asian grocer. It’s a staple ingredient so you won’t have any issues finding it.
Bocconcini Salad with Caper Vinaigrette
9/15
Creamy bocconcini mixed with sweet cherry tomatoes and strawberries along with a caper vinaigrette that explodes in flavour. A quick and colourful Bocconcini Salad perfect for the summer months.
Celeriac Mango and Guava Salad
10/15
Who would have thought a knobby, ugly root vegetable, sweet tropical fruits and a nasal clearing infused dressing could be so good? This Guava Salad is no simple flavour combination and you’ll be surprised how fantastic it tastes!
Just grab some skewers form the supermarket. This is a really fun salad to make. But if you’re not in a skewer mood, just chop them all up, toss and place on a plate. Won’t affect the taste whatsoever.
No Cook Dessert Fruit Salad Recipes
Red Fruit Salad with Dark Chocolate Biscuit Soil
11/15
Would you like to transform a simple Red Fruit Salad into a sophisticated, delicious masterpiece? Not only is it gorgeous, there is no cooking, is super easy and oh so stylish!
The chocolate biscuit soil is just your favourite chocolate biscuit smashed up. I know… fancy word for something so crazy easy! Not making you bake fresh cookies!
Best Watermelon Salad with Maple Syrup Dressing
12/15
Take advantage of the many varieties of melons to create a delicious fruit salad with a sweet and tangy flavour. This is the Best Watermelon Salad and is the perfect end to a great meal.
If you don’t already have one, you’ll need a melon baller to create the nice round fruit. You’ll be able to find them from any kitchen store. Too hard basket? Just cut them up. It’ll taste just as fabulous!
Plum Wine Infused Dragon Fruit Salad
13/15
Looking for a fruit salad with a little sophistication and a touch of sweet wickedness? We douse the stunning looking white dragon fruit with aromatic Japanese plum wine and add some blueberries to create mouthfuls of sensational flavours. This Dragon Fruit Salad is not for the faint hearted!
C’mon, how fun is this fruit salad? Vodka and gin will also do the trick if that’s your preference!
Pomegranate and Red Dragon Fruit Salad
14/15
We love colour in our salad recipes and understand how it can tie into the theme of a dinner. This Red Dragon Fruit Salad is delicious and eye catching, naturally dyed red in the juices of the dragon fruit.
You can also buy pomegranate arils on its own so you don’t have to deseed them yourself. A little more expensive but incredibly convenient.
Fruit Platter Presentation Ideas
15/15
Fresh fruit platters and fruit trays don’t have to be boring and lifeless. There are many ways to make them look extraordinary and elicit those “wow” moments! We give you the ultimate fruit platter presentation ideas and how to put them together.
I understand that this may look a little challenging BUT it’s really fun. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, this is great for you. Not to worry, you’re not cutting out those shapes. Just use cookie cutters….shhh…. don’t tell anyone!
More Salad Recipe Collections
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These all look amazing, and I lve having sides I don’t need to cook.
Right? We do too! Also helps to free up space on the cook top.
These are all incredibly beautiful! What a great resource when I’m looking for something healthy and easy!
Thanks Christina!
Oh wow, what a collection! SO many wonderful salads with interesting flavors. I’m making that coleslaw with pear and carrot today. Can’t wait!
Hope you enjoyed it Natalie! Nice and easy slaw.
Not only for those who don’t like to cook, but this is also a source of inspiration to many. Simple well represented salads that bring the feeling that life is just as easy and simple and more so, very beautiful.
Awww….thanks so much! We do try and appeal to as many people as possible.
I love that there is no cooking required!
Hahaha! As much as we love making salads all the time, we do like it when we don’t have to cook sometimes!