Here are some quick and easy summer salads for those hot summer days when you want something a little lighter to eat and easier to make. Using the freshest produce from the summer season, you can create flavorful meals in minutes with just a few simple ingredients. Each recipe makes 2-3 servings.

Super Salads: More than 250 Super-Easy Recipes for Super Nutrition and Super Flavor

Sweet Jicama Salad:

You will need one and a half cups of jicama (peeled and cubed), 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved), 1 tbsp (or to taste) capers (rinsed and drained), 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped), and store-bought red wine vinaigrette dressing - as desired (enough to moisten). Combine the jicama, tomatoes, capers and parsley in a bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss well. Taste and adjust dressing if needed. To Serve: Serve salad on a bed of salad greens with a spoonful of hummus placed in the center of the greens and then the jicama salad on top with pita chips on the side. The hummus gives an added richness and flavor to this fresh summer salad.

Cottage Cheese Salad:

In a mixing bowl, combine one 16 ounce container of low-fat cottage cheese, 1 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts (drained), one-quarter cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained), and one-quarter cup finely diced oil-cured black olives, mixing until fully combined. To Serve: Scoop salad over cold cooked and cubed potatoes with some roasted vegetables from the deli on the side.

Summer Corn Salad:

You will need, one and a half cups fresh corn kernels or frozen kernels (thawed and drained), two-thirds cup crumbled blue cheese or avocado chunks, one-half cup celery (thinly sliced), one-quarter cup red onion (diced), one-quarter cup pitted black olives (roughly chopped), one-half cup packaged croutons, and bottled Italian dressing (as desired). In a bowl, combine all the salad ingredients, tossing with as much dressing as desired. Mix well. To Serve: For a very simple meal, serve this corn salad on crisp salad greens or shredded cabbage and pair it with your favorite sandwich.

With just a few simple, fresh ingredients you can make flavorful and healthy summer meals in minutes. These recipes are a great choice for quick meals anytime.

Laura Cokherell, is a food lover and health enthusiast. Visit her site at Quick Salad Recipes.com where you will find a wide variety of quick meal recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner (including more summer meal ideas), snacks, and dessert. These simple recipes with few ingredients, minimal preparation, and fresh, natural food will easily create healthy everyday meals quickly.