On a hot day, or after a weekend of unrestricted brunching, a salad starts to look like the perfect meal (or perfect penance). And if you give any thought to the food pyramid, a salad is a super-easy way to squeeze in your daily rec of four servings of vegetables.

Another benefit to eating salad? Gorgeous skin. A thoughtfully made salad has all the nutrients you need for great skin: antioxidants, healthy fats, protein, essential minerals and more. Considering the growing body of evidence linking gut health to skin health, packing your diet with superfood salads may be the answer to your skin probs: acne, wrinkles, inflammation, dryness, uneven tone, and more.

Here are eight delicious superfood salad recipes to try for better-looking skin.

Do you suffer from dry skin? Then pack this light, glow-inducing salad for lunch. Watermelon and cucumber have water content of over 91 and 96 percent, respectively, which quenches your skin cells. Pistachios are super-healthy nuts with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and antioxidant vitamin E, all of which support hydration in skin.

Ingredients
4-5 cups watermelon cut into 3/4-1 inch cubes
4 Turkish cucumbers (or one English) cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4-1/2 Cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
1/4 cup toasted pistachios
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine or white balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Cracked pepper to taste
Pinch ground clove to taste

Directions
Place watermelon, cucumber and onion in a large bowl. Add herbs, feta and pistachios, and gently mix. Add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir to incorporate.

Recipe and image via feastingathome.com

If you're concerned about skin aging, this salad is a veritable fountain of youth. Avocado and olive oil are two of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which help make skin supple. Tomatoes are the primary source of lycopene, which protects against sun damage, as well as three other skin-brightening carotenoids: alpha carotene, beta carotene and lutein. Another cool fact: Eating tomatoes with healthy fats -- like the avocado and olive oil in this salad -- boosts the body's ability to absorb tomatoes' carotenoids by as much as 15 times its normal amount.

Ingredients
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in halves
8 ounces of mozzarella pearls
1/2 cup basil garlic oil sauce, adjust to taste
4 avocados
Lettuce or salad greens to serve with the avocados (optional)
4-6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar reduction sauce to drizzle, adjust to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place the tomatoes and mozzarella pearls in a bowl with the basil oil, and mix well. You can use this mixture immediately, or refrigerate until you're ready for it. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove pits and carefully peel the avocado halves.Place the peel avocado halves on a plate, over lettuce or salad greens, if you'd like. Spoon the tomato mozzarella caprese filling into the avocado halves. Drizzle with the balsalmic vinegar reduction, and serve.

Recipe and image via laylita.com

For a more radiant, even-toned complexion, this colorful, Mexican-inspired salad will brighten your outlook. Pepitas, aka pumpkin seeds, are full of collagen-building protein, and they're one of the best natural sources of acne-fighting zinc and glow-boosting vitamin E. Oranges and carrots are insanely rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C, the antioxidants associated with brightening skin.

Ingredients
1/3 cup pepita seeds (hulled pumpkin seeds)
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 avocado, chopped
4 cups spring mix
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 oranges, peeled, membrane removed and sliced into segments

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch sea salt

Directions
In a small blender combine the dressing ingredients and blend until combined. olive If you don't have a blender, whisk the ingredients together.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss the carrot slices with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until crispy and cooked through. Place the pepitas on a baking sheet and bake in the oven during last three minutes the carrots are roasting. They should be toasted, not burned. In a large bowl, combine the spring mix, orange segments, toasted pepita seeds, roasted carrots, cilantro and avocado. Toss with dressing.

Recipe and image via delishknowledge.com

Wrinkles and dullness got you down? This tropical salad will leave your skin smooth and glowing, like you've been on a Hawaiian vacation. Seaweed is one of the most nutrient-rich plants in the world, with potent antioxidants and B vitamins that fight the signs of aging. Ahi has plentiful omega-3 fatty acids, which are known for making skin look youthful. Mango is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, and folic acid, which are all essential building blocks of a bright, healthy complexion.

Directions
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ponzu sauce
1/2 teaspoon prepared wasabi
4 ounces sushi-grade tuna, diced in large chunks
1/2 mango, diced in large chunks
1/2 cup store-bought seaweed salad
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
2-3 cups loosely packed spring lettuce mix
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 teaspoon pink Hawaiian sea salt

Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, ponzu sauce and wasabi until well blended. Add the tuna, mango and seaweed salad to a bowl and drizzle with a tablespoon or so of the dressing. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and stir to coat. In a different bowl, add the lettuce and avocado, and top with the tuna mixture. Drizzle with more dressing as desired, and sprinkle with Hawaiian sea salt and more sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Recipe and image via foodiecrush.com