Israeli Chopped Salad

Israeli Chopped Salad ~ this healthy Middle Eastern chopped vegetable salad is the perfect dish for summer gatherings because there’s no mayo to spoil, and the veggies retain their crunch for days.  Don’t forget about it during the rest of the year, though, it makes the perfect side dish for almost any meal.

This Israeli Chopped Salad is a refreshing change from most of the salads we eat here in the States, even though none of the ingredients are in any way unusual, it’s just the way it all comes together that makes it a little different.  In Israel you’d get a variation of this dish at every meal, they even eat it with breakfast!  That’s an idea I could get into, I think it would be wonderful to wake up to a plate of fresh crunchy vegetables doused in olive oil and lemon juice.  For this recipe I’ve taken our favorite falafel stand’s version up a notch with a few extra ingredients.  It makes a great picnic or barbecue salad because it stays fresh and crunchy, and there’s nothing to wilt or spoil.

The classic Israeli salad is basically just chopped cucumber, tomato, and peppers, simply dressed with olive oil and lemon.  There can be parsley, mint, or some greens mixed in.  My version is bumped up a little bit with extra bell peppers that I had leftover from my RAINBOW SALMON SKEWERS.  They make it extra colorful and extra crunchy.  I also add red onion and feta cheese.  The whole thing is really festive.

The key to this salad is in the chopping.  All the ingredients should be cut in uniformly sized small chunks. If you fall in love with this salad you might want to get one of those cool vegetable choppers to make quick work of the job.  I did the best I could with my knife.

The dressing is a simple mix of olive oil and lemon juice with some dried oregano and thyme.  While I usually use fresh herbs in salads, I like the flavor of the dried herbs in this dressing.  It’s fine to make it a few hours ahead, the flavors will get a change to mingle.

Here are some more ideas for salads that would make excellent additions to any picnic or barbecue!

• TORTELLINI SALAD WITH ARTICHOKES AND EDAMAME
• MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SALAD
• RYE AND CARROT SALAD
• LAYERED RAINBOW SALAD

Reader Rave ~

“I took this to a get together and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten more compliments on a dish. Not only is it healthy but it’s colorful and delicious. It also goes well with anything. I will be making this more often!!!”  ~  Corinne

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3.52 from 37 votes

Israeli Chopped Salad

Israeli Chopped Salad ~ this healthy chopped Middle Eastern salad is the perfect dish for summer gatherings because there's no mayo to spoil, and the veggies retain their crunch for days. 

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Israeli, Middle Eastern

Prep Time 15 minutes

Yield 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 red green, orange, and yellow bell peppers
• 1 Persian cucumber no need to peel
• 1 pint small cherry tomatoes halved
• about 4 oz feta cheese
• about 4 - 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cut all the ingredients except the tomatoes in a small, even dice.
• Toss with the oil, lemon juice, and herbs. Add the salt and pepper according to taste.
• Taste to adjust the seasonings, and then refrigerate until needed.
• Garnish with a few fresh herbs like parsley, mint, or thyme just before serving.

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