Another

israeli salad

The ubiquitous Israeli side dish

Israeli salad

Does the world—or the internet—need another recipe for Israeli Salad? Maybe no, but like every classic dish that everyone makes, everyone’s version is just a little bit different from everyone else’s. So here’s mine.

I like to cut all the vegetables into a smallish dice. I go heavy on the leafy green herbs and add some Middle Eastern spices.

What do I love about this salad that comes with almost everything in Israel? It’s beautiful in its simplicity.

The first thing that grabs my attention are the vibrant colors. It’s juicy from the ripe red tomatoes and crunchy from the cucumber and peppers. It’s super refreshing and complements whatever you serve it with.

So, what’s the difference between a great Israeli Salad and one that’s just…meh? It’s all about the vegetables. (and fruits…tomatoes are a fruit…) They need to be super fresh and perfectly ripe. Tasteless, mass-produced supermarket tomatoes won’t do here. Try to find a farm stand, or even better, grow your own. That said, you want to make this salad now, so it’s a bit late to start growing the tomatoes for it…Just get the absolute best tomatoes you can find. My first choice would be big red round tomatoes, but if the best ones available happen to be cherry tomatoes, I will go with those.

The best cucumbers to use are small, unwaxed cukes that usually come pre-packaged, several together. If you can’t find those, get one of those English hot-house cukes. I’m not always a fan of green bell peppers—I usually go for the red ones—but this salad really wants both. Again, get the best you can find.

There are other vegetables that work nicely in this salad, and I list them as optional additions. I use lots of roughly chopped parsley and mint. Depending upon my mood and availability, I might also add basil and/or cilantro. I almost always add dill. I love dill. The classic dressing for Israeli Salad is good olive oil and lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice, seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Sunflower seeds add a nice flavor and crunch. Just a touch of smoked paprika, not enough to be identifiable, adds a little “je ne sais quoi.” I also like to add sumac. It enhances the lemon flavor and adds bright color. Za’atar almost always goes into mine, as well.

What’s za’atar? The word, za’atar can mean two different things. First, it’s a green herb that grows wild in the Middle East. We know it as hyssop. If you can find fresh hyssop, all I can say is…awesome! Chop it up and toss it in, with sesame seeds and sumac.

Za’atar also refers to a spice mix that includes, or should include dried hyssop and usually has sesame seeds, among other things. This one is the commercial one that I often use. Many brands use oregano and/or thyme instead of hyssop, but this is the real thing. It contains sumac, so if I’m using this za’atar I leave out the sumac.

Israeli Salad, The Twisted Challah Style

Vegetables vary in size, so I’m going by weight here. No need to be exact; it’s just a guideline. Add more or less of any of them, according to your personal taste. Try to keep the size of the pieces uniform.

Ingredients:

toss together:

  • 1 lb ripe red tomatoes, small dice

  • ¾ lb mini cucumbers or English cucumber, smallish dice

  • 1 medium sized green bell pepper, smallish dice

  • 1 medium sized red bell pepper, smallish dice

  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced (both the white and the green)

  • a good-sized handful of chopped flat Italian parsley

  • a slightly smaller handful of chopped fresh mint

  • as much or as little as you want of fresh dill, cilantro, fresh oregano, and/or basil

  • 1 tablespoon or more of za’atar spice mix

  • other optional vegetables—consider kohlrabi, radishes, celery…

  • also optional—hearts of romaine, cut into 1” pieces

For the dressing:

whisk together:

  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 6 tablespoons best quality olive oil

  • ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • optional: a little ground Aleppo pepper, if you’d like to add some heat.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently with your hands.

Optional Garnish: finish with a handful of sunflower seeds, or chopped walnuts or hazelnuts. Add a little more za’atar to the top.

Consider adding a little crumbled feta or soft goat cheese, if you’d like.