Middle Eastern Chopped Salad is one my favorite salads to make. It comes together so quick and all you need is a couple of ingredients. This salad is a staple in Libya and is served as a side dish with so many different libyan dishes. There are alot of different variations of this salad. The main ingredients are tomato, cucumber, red onion, and then you can add any type of herb you have on hand – parsley, basil or mint works really well. The dressing is VERY simple – olive oil, salt, black pepper ( optional), sumac and lemon juice.
Very easy, right!
Jump to Recipe
Ingredients
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Red Onion
- Jalapeno
- Basil ( parsley or mint)
- Salt
- Black Pepper ( optional)
- Lemon Juice
- Sumac
Middle Eastern Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 5 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
- 1 small jalapeno, finely chopped optional
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 persian cucumbers, finely chopped
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tsp ground sumac optional
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil taste and add additional oil to your liking
- 7 large basil leaves, julienned parsley (1/3 cup chopped) or mint
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeno, red onion, and basil ( parsley or mint). Season with salt and black pepper and mix toss.
- Set aside for about 2 minutes – doing this will help to release the juices from the tomatoes. Now add the ground sumac, good quality olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix the salad really well. Taste and add additional seasoning to your liking.
Notes
- Make sure all the veggies are diced the same size.
- This salad is great served with basmati rice and a main dish. This is also perfect to add into a falafel or chicken wrap.
- If you would like to make this salad even more hearty, add feta cheese, kalamata olives and a cooked lentils or chickpeas.
