Five Weeknight Dishes: This chopped salad is flexible and fun

By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times

There are times when you don’t want to cook, and there are times when you can’t bear to cook — that extra tablespoon of desperation keeps you from walking into the kitchen and turning on the stove. I feel that most acutely at the height of the summer, when it’s just too hot to do much of anything.

So: Don’t cook! And if you do decide to cook, keep it minimal. The recipes below are fast, summery and require little in the way of effort.

1. Chopped Salad With Jalapeño-Ranch Dressing

This chopped salad is fresh, festive and excessive in a celebratory way. While most salads opt for the lightest layer of dressing to optimize the produce’s flavors, this one calls for the dressing to generously coat the crisp ingredients. Inspired by Caesar salad, ranch dressing and the dinner-worthy salads popularized at chain restaurants such as California Pizza Kitchen, this salad is punchy and satisfying, t...