No-Cook Side Dishes

Create a colorful salad that's packed with protein by combining chickpeas, tomatoes, and arugula. The salad is also full of flavor from the mixture of manchego cheese, lemon zest, and mint.

Side dishes don't get any easier than this one. All you need to do is slice up the tomatoes and drizzle with a mixture of olive oil, vinegar, and tarragon.

Gazpacho is a chilled tomato soup filled with other vegetables such as peppers, onions, cucumbers and green peppers. Serve it as a side dish alongside a sandwich for cool, summertime meal.

Offer a healthy side dish option at your next cookout by serving thin slices of summer squash instead of chips. Serve these fresh veggie "chips" with your favorite dip.

Perk up sliced carrots with the addition of white balsamic vinegar, cilantro, and oregano. Not only is this bright side dish great for picnics and cookouts, it's also a great source of vitamin A, which really is good for your eyes.

Marinated tomatoes are a great choice for summer entertaining because you can marinate up to two days ahead. This spiced-up version features jalapeño pepper, ginger and cumin.

Combine an assortment of colorful vegetables and stir in chickpeas and olives for a hearty vegetable salad that's easy to make and easy to take if you're headed to a picnic or potluck supper.

Add Mediterranean flavor with kalamata olives, feta cheese, parsley and rosemary. Once you've served this as a side dish, you can toss the leftovers with pasta for a main-dish pasta salad.