Here is the Israeli Salad Recipe I was telling you about last week that pairs so well with Grilled Chicken Shawarma. The salad itself bursts with all the good flavors of summer – fresh veggies and herbs, tossed in a simple lemony dressing. On its own, it is clean, plant-based, healthy and detoxing. I could eat this every single day!
Made with simple fresh ingredients, Israeli salad tastes of fresh summer produce – healthy, vibrant, light! To me, this is like summer in a bowl.
And it pairs well with sooooo many things! A great thing to just have on hand. Spoon it into a toasty pita with a little hummus, and lunch is ready.
Or serve it as a side salad to your favorite Middle Eastern-inspired main. I am excited for you to try this- because I KNOW you are going to love it!
How to Make Israeli Salad! | 30-Second Video
What to serve with Israeli Salad?
- Chicken Shawarma
- Lebanese 7-Spice Chicken
- Sheet-Pan Shawarma with a yummy VEGAN Tofu alternative you might like.
- Zaatar Meatballs
- Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Herb Salad and Yogurt Sauce
- Slow-Roasted Lamb Shawarma
- Falafels
- Tahini Sauce
- Hummus
- Homemade pita bread
- Baba Ganoush
- Cauliflower Shawarma
Ingredients in Israeli Salad:
- tomatoes: use vine-ripened summer tomatoes for the BEST flavor.
- cucumber: English, Turkish or Persian- or any thin-skinned cucumbers work best here!
- red onion
- red and yellow bell pepper
- fresh herbs (Italian parsley, mint or cilantro, or a mix of all three)
- zest of one lemon (organic if possible)
- Lemon juice
- olive oil
- Salt and pepper
How to make the BEST Israeli Salad (a few tips!)
There are two things that you can do to elevate this salad and really make it come alive!
- The first is to use really fresh ripe summer ingredients. Ripe Summer tomatoes truly make all the difference!!!
- The second is to cut all the veggies very finely. (Take your time here friends, put on a podcast or music and really just be thoughtful about it. Don’t make this when you are in a hurry, you just won’t enjoy it. Cooking is so much about the process, so try to figure out how to be present and enjoy it!)
-
USE a good sharp knife with those tomatoes. So sharpen them up! Or if need be, splurge and buy yourself a good set of chefs knives. You will never regret it- especially if your goal is to eat more veggies.
The easiest way to Dice a Tomato
- The secret to finely dicing a tomato is to leave the stem end intact and place it on the cutting board.
- Thinly slice one way (don’t cut all the way through), then crosscut the other way – and don’t cut all the way down!
- Leave the bottom stem end intact.
- Then turn the tomato on its side, and slice downward. Perfect tiny diced tomato!
- This technique makes dicing a tomato sooooooooo much easier!
More Salad Recipes you may enjoy:
- Lebanese Slaw
- Classic Greek Salad
- Lemony Lebanese Tabouli (Tabbouleh)
- Heirloom Tomato Salad with Toasted Walnuts & Smoked Blue Cheese
- Tomato Watermelon Salad
- Antipasto Salad
- Rainbow Chopped Salad with Herbed Yogurt Dressing
- 40 Vegan Salads
Israeli Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: salad, vegan, gluten free,
- Method: Chopped
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A refreshing Middle Eastern chopped salad, called Israeli Salad, that is healthy, vegan and gluten-free. Clean flavors, plant-based, detoxing, and perfect for summer! Best made when tomatoes are in season!
Ingredients
- 2 extra large tomatoes, finely diced
- 1 English cucumber, finely diced
- 1 cup red onion, finely chopped (1/2 of a medium red onion)
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 cup fresh herbs (Italian parsley, mint or cilantro, or a mix of all three)
- zest of one lemon
- Lemon juice (start with 1/2 a lemon, add more to taste)
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Chop the first 6 ingredients into a very small fine dice. The smaller, the better. Take your time with this and a sharp knife really makes this easier!
- Place in a large bowl and toss with the lemon zest, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper.
- Taste and adjust lemon and salt to your liking.
Notes
Serve with Grilled Chicken Shawarma, or toasted pita bread and hummus.
Israeli Salad will keep 3-4 days in the fridge, but best on day 1-2.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 83
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 11.4 mg
- Fat: 5.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 7.8 mg
I make this all the time, but add a can of chick peas, and sometimes substitute the parsley with dill. Very refreshing.
Totally awesome, but takes all day to chop everything!!!
Yes, it is a lot of chopping. 🙂
I made this to go with grilled salmon and couscous last night … it’s so fresh and bright, worth all of the chopping!
Glad you enjoyed!
Such a simple recipe but SO good! This will be my new go to salad for cookouts- everyone raved! Sadly there were no leftovers 😔😊 Thanks so much Sylvia- your recipes always make me look like an expert in making healthy, simple, tasty dishes!
Thanks Allie!
Great recipe! It’s even better the next day! Thank you!
YAY Marji! Glad you liked this one!
This is one of the most refreshing tasty salads I have come across- I did a tour to Israel and this definitely fits in- so fresh and great with Israeli couscous for sure. Pour on the best olive oil you can- makes a big difference and the zest of the lemon
Thanks Jeannette!
Such a good salad! We eat this a lot. Sometimes I even add feta cheese in it. So good.
Perfect Jann!
This is really yummy with added chicken or shrimp. Also love it tossed with cooked pearled/Israeli couscous or orzo!
I just adore your blog, Sylvia. We come back to your recipes time and again and we are always sharing your site with others. Your blog is a bright spot in this chaotic world of ours as we love connecting with others through cooking and food. Thank you!!
Thanks Harmony, appreciate this.
Hi Sylvia. I’m wondering if I could make this a day ahead, ( minus the tomatoes ) , and serve it the next day, with the dressing on the side? Or does it taste better if the dressing has marinated the veg for a bit? I’m bringing this to my mom-in-law’s for Rosh Hashanah tomorrow night and planning to also have feta and black olives on the side. I’m afraid if I chop everything ahead it will turn into a soupy mess. TIA for any advice and looking forward to trying a bunch of your recipes! – Marlene
I would wait to add the dressing until maybe an hour before!
We ate Israeli salad for breakfast lunch & dinner when we were in Israel! Fell in love with that and Baba Ganoush!
5 stars all the way. Perfect recipe.
Awesome, glad you enjoyed this! 🙌
Such a beautiful colorful salad! What a great lunch or impressive side dish.
So simple and fresh! We served it with your grilled chicken shawarma recipe and it was perfect for a hot summer night meal.
Awesome! Thanks Leanne!
This is an amazing colourful, flavourful salad! So fresh, easy and healthy. We just love it as do all of our guests!
Thanks Sandi!
Would you let this sit and marinate in dressing or dress right before serving? I’m making for dinner tonight and have already diced all the veggies!
I think you could do either. Maybe ideally marinate for 1 hour?
I really loved this! I ate it with 1/2 cup cooked quinoa served over a 1/2 an avocado! Delicious!
Super good!!! We added some zuchini black olives and it was delicious. Great healthy salad that I’ll use with many other meals. Thanks
This was really good!! We made it with the Chicken Shawarma recipe (also SO good). We added some tzatziki and wrapped it in some naan bread. Great weeknight meal. Also, delicious leftovers for lunch 🙂
My dream dinner! Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed!
OMG! So good. So simple, yet healthy, flavorful and clean tasting! Thanks for the recipe!
Definitely needs more lemon if you’re using small lemons. Was very good with mint. I think I’d add another cucumber next time around. Very good! Don’t skimp on the salt and pepper.
Absolutely gorgeous. Made it todaz and it was very delicious. It will be on my table very often ???
I find chopping therapeutic, so this salad is right up my alley. The flavors are great. Served it as a side with the Chipotle Chicken, and it was a nice, cool complement to the spice of the chicken. But, I found it to be really wet – almost like a salsa or relish. Did I miss something? should I have strained it before mixing with the dressing?
If you don’t want it so watery I would scoop the seeds out of the tomatoes and cucumbers. They have high water content.
Thanks for the tip!
Excellent recipe! Used leftover as bruschetta on garlic toast.
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
up to 3 days or so?