Quick

The secret ingredient in this smooth sauce is silken tofu. Blended silken tofu makes a great base for sauces that seem creamy, but are actually pure soy goodness. Look for it in your supermarket’s produce section (as well as in natural foods stores). Complete this meal with some fresh bread and a bountiful tossed salad. Or serve it with any of the mixed greens salads on pages 50 to 53.

One of my favorite ways to use summer’s heavenly ripe tomatoes is to toss them, uncooked, with warm pasta.

A lovely cold dish to be enjoyed in late summer, this is a great vehicle for the season’s ripe tomatoes. This is delicious with Creamy Pinto Bean Puree (page 16) for a satisfying summer meal.

Broccoli is one of the most harmonious additions to pasta salad. Try this in the menu with Pizza Margherita (page 154).

I’m not one to eat pears out of hand, but I like them—slightly underripe—in salads. Contrasted with the pleasant bite of goat cheese and the sweetness of dried cranberries, this salad is a party for the palate.

This salad makes an earthy companion to light pasta dishes. Look for packages of fresh mixed wild mushrooms in the produce section of well-stocked supermarkets. They contain a melange of three or four varieties, which may include cremini, shiitake, oyster, or others.

A few choice ingredients contribute to this elegant potato salad. If you like goat cheese, you’ll love this one.

Here’s a salad sure to brighten a winter meal, when clementines are in season.

This is a modified version of Greek salad. I like to serve it with spinach dishes, as suggested in the menu with Spinach Rice (page 92). Or serve it with Hummus (page 229) and warm pita bread if you are expecting company for lunch.

Pickled beets are an appetizing addition to a salad of mixed greens.

Here’s a light grain salad using versatile, quick-cooking couscous.

Like slaws, this salad is nifty served with sandwiches and veggie burgers. It’s a great choice for taking on picnics as well.

Avocado is one of the most sensuous foods I know. Don’t be afraid of its fat content—it’s the kind of fat that’s good for you. See the menu with Tomato and Green Chili Quesadillas or Soft Tacos (page 173).

Black beans and corn team up to create a substantial salad that’s a great potluck or party dish.

The shape, texture, and unique flavor of chickpeas make them a perfect salad ingredient. I will often add chickpeas to a salad when the meal’s main dish is on the lighter side. See the menu accompanying Pasta with Asparagus (page 67).

I often make this to serve with a light pasta dish such as Pasta with Asparagus (page 67).

A hefty salad like this one can easily share center stage with a grain or pasta dish as shown in the menus for Bulgur with Cabbage and Green Beans (page 109) and Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes (page 64).

A rich, delicious vehicle for showcasing summer’s wonderful tomatoes, this salad is an enticing partner for light pasta dishes or pasta salads. See the menu accompanying Farfalle with Mushrooms (page 76).

Sometimes Israeli salad is embellished with fresh herbs, olives, or radishes, which you can add if you’re so inclined. But here it is in its essential form, the way my father-in-law, Arie Tabak, makes it. He also serves fresh rye bread with it, to soak up the delicious liquid that forms as it stands.

This is a good palate-cooler to serve with curries and other spicy dishes. Use a creamy-textured yogurt.