Eat Healthy with a Super Simple Israeli Salad Recipe

In today's world, we are literally spoiled with numerous food choices. There are so many options when you go to the supermarket, that many times you do not even know where to start. Let’s take a look at the classic Israeli salad for Israel. Not only is it delicious, but it also had a great assortment of vegetables to give you vitamins and minerals.

The salad is actually a mixture of different vegetables. The primary ingredients are cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion, but you can toss in whatever you like. You can enjoy carrots, bell peppers, cilantro, parsley, and leafy greens in the same recipe. The classic dressing usually contains lemon juice olive oil, salt and pepper.

The dressings can be changed depending on the time of the day. For example, they like to have the salad with yogurt or Za'atar (a spice mixture) dressings at breakfast but use tahini or sumac (a popular Middle East spice) for other meals of the day.

Israeli people started eating salad only in the late 19th century. Jewish immigrants adopted the local Arab salad recipe and added their own ingredients from the available fresh produce from Jewish farmers.

Let's check the recipe for a classic Israeli salad. Remember that you can add to or change the vegetables as you like and use a different dressing.

Classic Israeli Salad Recipe

The cucumber used in this recipe should not be peeled, and we've excluded lettuce because the traditional preparations don't use it. Also, try to chop the vegetables as finely as possible. In fact, the kibbutz cooks consider the skill of chopping the cucumbers and tomatoes to the finest cubes as a matter of pride.

Ingredients

• 4 cucumbers (finely diced)
• 4 tomatoes (large, finely chopped)
• 1 bell pepper (medium, diced)
• 2 or 3 chili peppers (diced)
• 1 red onion (medium, small diced)
• 1 carrot (medium, diced))
• 2 teaspoons of parsley (fresh, chopped)
• Cubed feta cheese

Dressing

• Lemon juice of half of a lemon
• Olive oil (2 or 3 tablespoons)
• Sea salt (1 teaspoon)

Preparation

1. Cucumbers, carrots, and tomatoes must be finely diced into small cubes. Put everything in a salad bowl.
2. Add chopped parsley, cubes of feta cheese, and sliced red onion.
3. Cover everything with dressing and mix with a spoon or toss gently.
4. You can also sprinkle 1 or 2 teaspoons of Za'atar or some yogurt, depending on personal preference.

We all know that salad is excellent for health, but eating healthy is not always easy. It's even more challenging for families that struggle to meet their daily needs.

Yad Ezra V'Shulamit works actively to solve Israel's hunger problem. Its goal is not only to feed hungry people but also to feed them healthy food.

The charity distributes more than 10,000 food baskets every week in 47 cities in Israel. These baskets include fruits and vegetables, allowing people to enjoy popular Israeli salad recipes.