This recipe for quick and easy Israeli salad is the perfect compliment to almost any main dish. Use fresh cucumbers and tomatoes to make a tasty side for either meat or dairy meals. As with most salads, the fresher the ingredients, the better the salad. This recipe is kosher, pareve, vegan, and gluten free. Read on to learn how to make the best quick and easy Israeli salad recipe.
The National salad of Israel
If you have ever been to Israel (or if you live in Israel) then you are no stranger to pita and Israeli salad. It is served in every restaurant from high class dining to the shawarma stand on the street corner. It seems like you can't order a plain hamburger in Israel without a scoop of that heavenly tomato and cucumber salad showing up somewhere on your plate. It is also common to see Israeli served with breakfasts, lunches, or dinners when dining at home.
Ingredients used
There are a lot of different styles of Israeli salad, this recipe is just for the basic salad. Here is what you need to make a quick and easy Israeli salad:
- tomatoes - roma or vine ripened
- cucumbers - Persian or English
- olive oil - as a base for the dressing
- lemon juice - the flavoring for the dressing
- salt - for flavor
- black pepper - to taste
- onion - for flavor
- orange pepper - for color and flavor
A Step by step guide to making this recipe
Time needed: 10 minutes.
Quick and easy Israeli salad step by step
- Cut and salt tomatoes.
Cut the tomatoes into cubes about ⅓ inch thick. Salt the tomatoes and let them sit for about 5 minutes. The salt draws a lot of liquid out of the tomatoes and you want to dump that out before mixing them into the other ingredients.
- Cut the cucumbers.
Cut the cucumbers into cubes about ⅓ inch thick.
- Mix in the parsley and onions
Mix the parsley and onions into the cucumbers.
- Stir in the tomatoes.
Stir in the tomatoes, orange peppers, lemon juice, and olive oil.
FAQ
Also called salat yerikot yisraeli, or Arab salad, Israeli salad refers to a dish that has lots of different variations, but generally includes cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions. This combination of chopped veggies has been touted by some as the "national dish of Israel" since you can find it everywhere in Israel.
If you are using the Persian or English cucumbers, you will not want to peel them. The peel on these cucumbers is thinner and does not have a distinct flavor that would need to be discarded. If you are using the larger American cucumber you should peel them because the peel is waxy and has a bitter taste that is not good for this salad. Obviously, peeling the cucumbers will add some time to the preparation of the salad.
Just put the leftover salad into an airtight container and stick it into the refrigerator. It should keep 3-5 days. When you serve the Israeli salad after it has been sitting for a little bit, the tomatoes release a lot of water and you should pour some of it out before serving.
No. Tomatoes and cucumbers do not freeze well and will get mushy when they thaw. They will not taste fresh and freshness is really the whole appeal of this salad.
Variations
Israeli salad is low carb and full of flavor. This is the kind of salad that has something in it that everybody likes. In case you are looking for something different, here are some of our favorite additions:
avocado
mint instead of parsley
feta
chickpeas
chopped jalapeno
Serving suggestions
Serve as a side dish to:
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Easy Roast Whole Chicken
- Lamb Stew with Rosemary
- Kosher Salami Flatbread
- Quick and Easy Baked Ziti
More recipes like this one
Quick and Easy Israeli Salad
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- Sharp Knife
Ingredients
- 4 tomato medium sized
- 6 persian cucumber 2 English, medium sized
- ¼ onion finely diced
- 1 bell pepper any color
- 2 tbsp parsley fresh, minced
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh, half a lemon, squeezed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop tomatoes, salt, drain the excess liquid.
- Chop cucumbers and bell pepper into very small pieces. Finely dice onion and mince parsley. Combine with tomatoes in a mixing bowl.
- Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over salad and toss to coat.
- Toss and serve.