Raw

Buttery chunks of avocado, little hits of radish heat, and a simple, lemony vinaigrette make this salad a crisp and refreshing balm.

Salsa verde cruda This all-raw salsa can be thrown together in just ten minutes. And because it's made with tomatillos rather than tomatoes, it's less sweet and more refreshing than the more familiar red salsa. (We also think it's more interesting for topping Mexican dishes such as huevos rancheros or for eating with tortilla chips.)

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Dinner After Dark: Sexy, Sumptuous Supper Soirées by Colin Cowie. This is the most basic tomato salad, given the Southeast Asian and Indian name for pickles or side dishes. It is simple to prepare, relies on the best fresh ingredients, and serves as a wonderful garnish or refresher alongside the Tomato Lamb Bredie and in addition to chutney.

Wishy-washy greens needn't apply: A gorgeously balanced symphony of peppery and bitter greens, cut with a lemony vinaigrette that makes the feta go creamy, and an occasional pop of sticky, sweet date, this is sure to become your go-to salad all summer long.

The flavors get stronger the longer the cucumbers marinate.

A habanero chile gives these onions a nice bit of heat.

Veal in Switzerland often presupposes sauerkraut, but we prefer a lighter take. With crunchy radishes and bitter frisée, this salad brings its vinegar note in the form of a spicy mustard dressing.

Fiery habaneros impart brightness to a rich pork dish like Yucatecan-style pork.

Though you can certainly buy preserved lemons, we prefer the rich, clean taste of homemade. This technique, adapted from Paula Wolfert's, brings a multidimensional freshness and a wonderfully distinct pungency to the lemons, which are as much a revelation in salads, soups, or even cocktails as they are alongside the grilled fish. There's no need to rinse them first, but do discard the pulp — only the rind is eaten with the grilled sardines.

Fresh radishes (plentiful at the market this time of year) add color and crunch to this slightly sweet vinaigrette-based slaw.

Here's a very simple salad that's loaded with Southeast Asian flavor.

Ensalada de jícama con melón Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, by Tom Gilliland, Miguel Ravago, and Virginia B. Wood. For more on Cinco de Mayo, click here. Chef Miguel Ravago also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. Although many fresh condiments in Mexican cuisine are called pico de gallo ("rooster's beak"), this refreshing salad from the Mexican state of Jalisco is known as Pico de Gallo. Depending on the seasonal availability of fresh fruit, Miguel has found that the salad is equally good made with Rio Star grapefruit, pineapple, blood oranges, cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew melon. The contrast of sweet fruit, crunchy jícama, tangy lime juice, and a little dash of chili powder makes for a delightful palate cleanser.

Ají ecuatorianoají ecuatoriano Served on the table as an accompaniment to soups, this fresh sauce gets its tart, vibrant flavor from the tamarillo (tree tomato), native to South America. A small red tomato can be substituted.

Prized by gardeners during the Renaissance, celery root, or celeriac, has a light celery flavor and a dense flesh that is perfect for shredding into slaws. This salad is wonderful with the chicken and biscuits or the flank steak. Enjoy any leftovers the next day.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Andrew Irving's book, How to Cure a Hangover. For those who don't like alcohol the morning after. The Pussyfoot Cocktail contains all the old favorite juices and is a classic hangover cure.