This salad, which has numerous variations in cultures all over the world could have been named after many other locations, but I call it Israeli Salad because it is in Israel that I really fell in love with it! A seemingly ubiquitous salad that was served not only everyday throughout our stay, but at any meal; breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. It didn’t seem like a complete day in Israel if we hadn’t partaken in some form of this deliciously crunchy and refreshing salad. I love that about travel, how it can tweak your mindset about something. I’ve always thought of this as a summer salad, but now I find myself making this year round, and hope you will too!
The ingredient list for this salad is short and easily adaptable to other vegetables currently in season or just looking particularly appealing in the grocery store or farmer’s market. As long as you keep the traditional cucumber, tomato and onion, allow your imagination be your guide when experimenting with other ingredients. Radishes and fresh sweet peppers make lovely additions! The cucumbers you use can be any of the many varieties. Persian cukes are my current fav, and if I can get them at a cost that doesn’t break the bank I’ll opt for those….but they can be pretty pricey! English cucumbers, which can also sometimes be pricey, are nice as their skins are usually thinner and don’t require peeling. They also usually have a nice sweet flavor and small seeds that are easy to digest so they don’t need to be seeded. Likewise, for the tomatoes, simply use whatever is looking the best. I love the little grape tomatoes for their consistent flavor year round!
I’ve heard it said that the smaller the dice of the vegetables the more love and thoughtfulness one has put into preparing this salad. I’m not sure I believe that to be true and wouldn’t advise spending much time worrying about the exact size of your cubed/diced veggies! I just make a (minimal) effort to cube the veggies to be equivalent in size. Once everything is cut up, a quick toss together with the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper and you have created a wonderful salad!
I always think of this as a snappy salad, crunchiness and freshness are its’ hallmarks. It can go it alone as a side salad, delicious tucked into pita sandwiches or a bright compliment to any kind of mediterranean bowl. So many ways to enjoy this dish! Let me know how it shows up on your table!
Israeli Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups English cucumber, cubed 1 large cucumber
- 2 cups tomatoes, cubed 3 medium tomatoes
- 1 cup red onion, diced 1/2 medium onion
- 1 cup red pepper, diced (optional)
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (more to taste) 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare veggies by cubing, chopping and dicing. Exact sizes of cut up veggies are purely a matter of personal preference.
- Toss everything together in a large bowl. Serve immediately or allow the flavors to blend together for a few hours in the fridge. The onions tend to become stronger over time so this salad is best eaten the day it is made.
