Salad

There have been Lebanese living in Latin America for more than 100 years, and the community in Mexico is particularly large, so creating a Mexican version of tabbouleh is not as odd as it might seem. This version is less time-consuming than the original, because cilantro can be chopped up, stems and all, whereas parsley leaves need to be picked off the stems.

This simple salad is designed to highlight the delightful spotted cargamanto beans. You can use either the red or white variety; both lose their mottled colors when cooked. Because these beans are so meaty, we use a dressing inspired by chimichurri, the Argentinean sauce for grilled meats.

Adding large flakes of pleasantly pungent smoked mackerel to a straightforward potato salad gives it a deeper, more savory dimension. Smoked mackerel comes in herbed and peppered varieties as well as plain; all of them will work well here—especially the peppered version.

Mango, kiwi, and pineapple are enhanced with a little lime syrup for a tangy, and not incidentally yellow and green, fruit salad.

Just what we want on a sultry evening—tender shrimp and creamy beans are the mouthwatering core of this cool salad sparked with a lemony vinaigrette.

This raw dish is all about the best ingredients you can find. A great goat cheese and a fruity, high-quality olive oil will result in flavor that's as stunning as the presentation.

The tang of citrus and the refreshing flavor of fennel give this side dish a lightness that other rice preparations just can't match.

A nice side for grilled chicken or steak.

Mizuna (a Japanese salad green) is available spring through summer at specialty foods stores and Asian markets. If you can't find it, use mixed greens instead.

The basil oil would also be delicious drizzled over fish, vegetables, or chicken.

Why you'll make it: Because it's everything that's good at the market right now in one good-for-you salad.

Why you'll make it: Because it's the classic side salad reconsidered, with lush peaches standing in for tomatoes.

This gorgeous centerpiece dish comes together in three easy steps.

Just saying the words "Dungeness crab" creates a sense of place. Its juiciness and depth of flavor is the secret to this salad because it strikes a perfect balance with the sweet-tart dressing. Don't substitute Atlantic blue crab here; its delicacy won't work to the salad's advantage.

Can your local deli counter inspire a cool Vietnamese-style meal? Definitely. Here, roast beef, already cooked to medium-rare (perfection, in our opinion), is a main player.

Homemade Thousand Island dressing, a timeless crowd-pleaser, is tossed with coleslaw for a quick and crunchy no-cook take on chicken salad.

The vegetables, along with the canned Italian tuna, in this colorful tossed salad create a positively satisfying meal. (Using an imported brand of tuna will make all the difference.)

Quinoa is a fast-cooking, protein-packed whole grain. Steamed, it makes a perfect partner for lime-spiked black beans and fresh tomato.