Israeli Tomato & Cucumber Salad
Every country in the Levant owns a version of this salad. I grew up calling this simple, healthy mixture of chopped fresh vegetables tossed with aromatic herbs, lemon juice and olive oil Israeli Salad. Don’t feel obligated to stick to this recipe, there are very few rules. Diced carrots, bell peppers, hot chiles, crumbled feta, garbanzo beans, olives, nuts and seeds are all lovely additions. Serve it with grilled meats and fish, on top of rice dishes, for breakfast with eggs, or with warm pita and hummus. Trust me, you’ll find a hundred uses for it in your home.
Watch Andrew make this recipe:
Israeli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
- 1 cup Roma tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup radish, sliced into thin disks, then half-moons
- 1 tablespoon mint, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon zhug (recipe follows)
Zhug
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 serrano chile, seeds and stem discarded
- 5 jalapenos, seeds and stem discarded
- 1 small shallot, halved
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons kale flakes
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Season to taste.
Zhug
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
