3 Quick and Easy Awesome Summer Salads

By Katie Gillespie
August 31, 2012 3:08 PM EDT

Summertime is all about celebrating the bounty of summer produce and enjoying the simplicity of ingredients just as they are. Summer is a great time to eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables and let your taste buds guide you to eating a fresh, healthy diet. These three recipes are incredibly quick and easy to make and they are simply delicious.

Avocado Corn Salad with Lime

Serves 2-4

2 ears of raw corn
1 large handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 avocado, cut in small chunks
juice of 1 lime
salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Cut the corn off the cob and break the large pieces up with your hands so they are all individual kernels. Place is a medium mixing bowl. Toss in the quartered cherry tomatoes and avocado chunks. Add the lime juice and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir gentlyâ??the avocado is delicate. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve immediately.

These and other recipes can be found at Serenity in the Storm. What are your favorite summer salads?

Raw Beet Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Serves 2

1 cup grated raw beet
1 cup grated raw carrot
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp brown rice vinegar
1 tsp ginger juice
3/4 low-sodium tamari
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Directions: Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Let sit for a bit to marinate. Serve.

Cucumber Tomato Salad with Vinegar

Makes about 3 cups

1 1/2 cups diced cucumber
1 1/2 cups diced tomato
2 Tbls minced onion (preferable a sweet onion)
1 Tbls white wine vinegar
1 tsp olive oil (optional)
pinch of salt and generous amount of freshly ground pepper

Directions: Put all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, keeping in mind that letting the salad sit in the fridge will help marry the flavors together.

About the Author

Katie Gillespie

Katie Gillespie lives in Seattle and writes the blog Serenity in the Storm, which features vegan food, news, and animal studies/advocacy-related topics. She is a graduate student in Geography and her work focuses on animals in the food system. In her free time, Katie putters around in the garden, experiments with vegan recipes in the kitchen, and volunteers at Pigs Peace Sanctuary in Stanwood, WA.