Summer Picnic Recipes That Aren't Sandwiches

Pack a flask of this easy, make-ahead soup and bring along a variety of toppings.

Quick to make and very tasty, this Argentine-inspired main requires just a few ingredients and gives great results. For a picnic, make the chimichurri and put it in a lidded container with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidization.

This toss-together vegetarian salad is an easygoing dish. It can be made and refrigerated up to two days before using. Add the basil and croutons just before you set off on the picnic.

If you think fried chicken makes a picnic, try this delicious—and easier to make—option: a hearty salad inspired by the famous chicken and bread salad at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco.

If you've always belonged to the camp that believes nothing finishes off a picnic like a brownie, it's time to meet this cookie with a brownie twist. You'll soon see that a dessert that offers the best of both worlds is exactly what your outdoor meal needs.

A crowd pleaser at picnics, this easy-going farfalle salad features chickpeas, crisp green beans, sharp red onion, and salty capers in a delicate, creamy mayo-based dressing with lemony undertones.

Tossed with vinaigrette not mayo, this potato salad is light, transports well, and doesn't need refrigeration. We call that a winning picnic recipe.

Cut thick wedges of this Spanish-style, potato-zucchini tortilla for a hearty vegetarian main. Bring a container of the rich romesco sauce in your picnic basket.

Pack this chicken salad into a to-go container, wrap the romaine leaves separately, and you're ready to go. When it's time to eat, spoon some salad onto each leaf—but that spoon is the only utensil you'll need.

Use zucchini or yellow squash—or both!—in this easy summery salad that also features carrots, bell peppers, and sweet Vidalia onion. It's a colorful addition to a picnic meal.

Have to have a pasta salad? Try this light, herby recipe and you'll never go back to mayo-heavy dishes again.

The Greek classic spanakopita—savory spinach and feta wrapped in phyllo—transforms nicely into a more portable slab pie. To keep things easy, we used store-bought pizza dough and added mozzarella to make the pie more substantial.

When potato salad met coleslaw: This tasty salad combines the best of these two popular summer sides. And it's a sturdy, fresh-tasting salad that will stand up to being taken on a picnic.

Are we cheating? We said this was a sandwich-free picnic spread! There's no bread here, and no ice cream either, in these inventive "ice cream" sandwiches that won't melt. Instead of the cold stuff, spread creamy mascarpone cheese between two cookies—we recommend Jules Destrooper butter waffles, which taste like sugar cones and get a little soft from the filling, just like the classic freezer-case version.