41 cold recipes

Easy, make-ahead side dish perfect for a barbecue or mid-day lunch.

Light Spanish-style cold tomato soup pureed with green pepper, onion, garlic, white wine, and lemon. A refreshing, vegan summer gazpacho served chilled with scallions on top.

Chilled minted pea soup with Boston lettuce and fresh mint, pureed silky and served cold. A vegetarian summer starter that takes 15 minutes on the stove.

Orzo pasta salad chock full of textures (olives, peppers, sweet green peas) and succulent shrimp simply dressed with olive oil and wine vinegar.

Italian asparagus. How to cook asparagus Italian-style. Classic flavor-packed cold marinated asparagus with an onion, caper, lemon and mint dressing. Perfect to make ahead and serve anytime with simple ingredients. It's even vegan and vegetarian.

Cold Spicy Tomato Soup with Avocado and Chives recipe

German-style cold potato salad dressed with vinegar, mustard, and dill seed. No mayo, no eggs. Naturally creamy from reserved starchy potato water.

Cold stuffed tomatoes filled with crunchy diced cucumber, cabbage, peppers, and celery, topped with curry-spiked mayo. A retro summer salad-stuffed appetizer that pre-makes for parties.

Classic cold sesame noodles with peanut butter, tahini, Hunan pepper sauce, and crunchy cucumber. Nutty, spicy, and slurp-worthy Chinese noodles ready in about an hour.

Cold dilly beans are crisp pickled green beans canned with garlic, fresh dill, and a hint of cayenne in a cider vinegar brine. A snappy, shelf-stable summer pickle ready in two weeks.

Chilled zucchini soup with marjoram, finished with cream just before serving. A silky, pale green summer soup that uses up the season's overgrown zucchini.

Curried cold asparagus soup with chicken broth, egg yolks, and cream, lightly spiced with curry powder and brightened with a squeeze of lemon. Elegant chilled spring soup for first courses.

Cold sesame noodles with a creamy peanut butter and sesame oil sauce, lightly spiced with hot sauce and soy. Quick lunch or potluck pasta salad ready in 15 minutes.

Cold asparagus side dish with a blended sesame-ginger vinaigrette made from toasted sesame seeds, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, and orange juice.

Velvety cold peaches and cream soup with amaretto and a whisper of nutmeg. A brilliant way to use overripe peaches, and just as good made with canned peaches in winter.

Cold vermicelli tossed in a creamy lemon-garlic tahini dressing with olive oil. A 30-minute Mediterranean-inspired noodle salad that works as a side or light vegetarian main.