Refreshing, nutritious and bursting with flavor, Israeli Salad makes for a beautiful side dish to countless Middle Eastern dishes.
Using a few basic fresh ingredients and a simple yet punchy dressing, this chopped salad is one that any home cook can master. Once you do, you’ll be serving up this delicious salad for picnics, packed lunches, potlucks and more!
Vegetables
Cucumber, tomato, and onion are the three main ingredients in an Israeli Salad, creating a perfect blend of both texture and flavor.
If you can find them, Persian cucumbers work best in this dish – this smaller variety has a slightly sweeter taste that will make this dish all the better.
To avoid your Israeli Salad being too watery, you’ll want to remove the seeds from the tomatoes before dicing them. With cucumbers, the seeds help to add extra flavor, though if you have trouble digesting them you will want to remove these too.
This can easily be achieved by cutting your cucumbers in half and scraping a teaspoon down the middle.
As with any diced salad, the key to success is to But will also help the dressing envelop all the ingredients and pack flavor into every bite.
Parsley
The addition of fresh parsley perfectly complements the vegetables in the Israeli Salad, with a vibrant, robust and slightly peppery flavor.
If you have any fresh parsley leftover from another recipe, Israeli Salad is a great way to use it up.
Whatever you do, don’t substitute it with dried parsley, as the flavor is not comparable when used in no-cook dishes and you won’t get that same bright green color which makes the salad look even more appetizing.
Dressing
A simple blend of olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning is all you need to make your Israeli Salad sing.
The type and quality of olive oil you use will make a big impact on the flavor of your Israeli Salad, so always use the best quality you can afford.
Extra virgin olive oil is a must here, as it has a much more pleasant taste than other varieties which will have been more extensively processed.
Similarly, fresh lemon juice as opposed to bottled will make a world of difference. Once you’ve added your dressing ingredients, make sure to give it a thorough stir to coat all those crunchy veggies.
Ingredients & Preparation Method
The full list of ingredients and exact measurements are listed in the recipe card. For now, listed below are the ingredients you’ll need, a quick video, and step-by-step guide to help you make this dish perfectly each time.
Ingredients:
A traditional Greek salad consists of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, olives, and optional feta cheese.
1 English cucumber; seedless
⅓ cup Curly parsley
½ cup red bell pepper diced
¼ cup red onions diced
1 Large tomato
Juice from 1 lemon
½ teaspoon Kosher salt; or to taste
½ teaspoon Ground black pepper; or to taste
⅓ cup Olive oil or avocado oil
Preparation Method:
Watch the video to help you prepare this healthy easy to make Israeli salad with ease.
Chop the vegetables: This includes the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper.
Chop the herb: We used fresh curly parsley, but the flat Italian parsley will also work. Finely chop the parsley to incorporate to the salad.
Cut the lemon: This will provide a hint of acidic flavor. Best to roll the lemon back and forth a couple times first on a flat clean surface as it make it easier to squeeze the juice out.
Season and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper.
Once the ingredients are prepared, place the ingredients into a bowl suitable for tossing. Start by adding the vegetables, then the herb, lemon juice, avocado or olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste.
Toss all the ingredients together and be ready to enjoy your simple, tangy, and Israeli salad.
What To Serve With Israeli Salad
This simple yet tasty salad goes with a wide range of dishes and is an ideal accompaniment to grilled fish, like this whole red snapper grilled fish recipe, and meat and kebabs, like this Homemade Doner Kebab.
For vegans and vegetarians, it can make for a substantial meal alongside Lebanese Falafel, and the pairing can also be stuffed into a pita for a satisfying lunch.
If you want to serve your Israeli Salad up on its own, the addition of cubed feta can make it a little more indulgent, while some drained chickpeas will give a boost of fiber and protein.
Recipe Notes:
- To avoid your Israeli Salad being too watery, you’ll want to remove the seeds from the tomatoes before dicing them.
- don’t substitute it with dried parsley, as the flavor is not comparable when used in no-cook dishes.
- The type and quality of olive oil you use will make a big impact on the flavor of your Israeli Salad, so always use the best quality you can afford.
More Mediterranean Dishes To Enjoy
If you loved this Israeli Salad recipe, try one of these dishes next:
It warms our hearts to see the recipes you make from this site, and we’d especially would love to know if you tried this recipe. Tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can see your beautiful dish.
Also, we would appreciate if could give it a star rating below!
Israeli Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Salad Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber
- ⅓ cup Curly parsley
- ½ cup Red bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup Red onions diced
- 1 Large tomato
- Juice from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup Avocado oil or olive oil
Instructions
- Set aside the avocado oil, salt, and pepper before preparing the vegetables to make it easier when it is time to incorporate it into the chopped veggies. Chop the vegetables: This includes the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper. Chop the herb: Finely chop the parsley to incorporate to the salad. Cut the lemon: Best to cut the lemon (or lime) in wedges as it makes it easier to squeeze the juice out.
- Once the ingredients are prepared, place the ingredients into a bowl suitable for tossing. Start by adding the vegetables, then the herb, lemon juice, avocado oil, then salt and pepper.
- Toss everything together until well combined.Serve as a side with your side of protein. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I used avocado oil instead of olive oil as a personal preference. However, olive oil is traditionally used to make this salad.
- You can use any tomato you would like; however, roma tomatoes are the best to use when making this salad.
- I used an English cucumber to make this salad. However, any cucumber can be used to prepare this Israeli salad. Be mindful that some cucumbers such as the waxed cucumber contain seeds; best to remove the seeds.
- I highly recommend using fresh herbs to make this salad. Using fresh herbs enhances the flavor of the salad. It also provides a sense of freshness.
- This salad can be made ahead. However, be mindful that cucumbers do release a lot of water. It’s best to prepare this salad and serve it right away for best result.
- Dill and basil can be used to make this salad as well as they are often use in Middle Eastern recipes.
Carol Little R.H. @studiobotanica
Super fresh and perfect summery salad!
I’ve never been to Israel but I have enjoyed this and similar versions around the Mediterranean!
Definitely a favourite. Thanks for sharing as it’s a great reminder — with summer around the corner!!
chihyu
I can taste all the delicious flavor from here. So fabulous!