Fresh, crunchy and juicy middle eastern salad with everyday ingredients including cucumbers and tomatoes.

Prep Time12minutes mins

Course: Salad, Salads

Cuisine: Middle eastern, Persian

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 208kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Mixing bowl
  • 1 set of salad spoons

Ingredients

  • 7 oz chopped Persian cucumbers about 200 grams
  • 4 roma tomatoes (finely chopped)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red onions
  • 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (reduce to 1 tsp if you do not like the heat)
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint or 1 tsp dried mint
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley or 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1.5 tsp Kosher salt or adjust to taste
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Begin by thinly slicing the onions into half moons or by chopping them finely.
  • Dunk them in an ice bath while you chop the remaining ingredients.
  • When you are done chopping, drain the onions in a colander.
  • To a mixing bowl, add the chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and mint.
  • Add salt, freshly cracked black pepper, extra virgin olive oil and lime juice.
  • Mix well using a salad spoon.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Traditionally, the veggies are finely chopped for this salad. But my family likes it when I chop the cucumbers into half moons. This is entirely optional and you can always dice the veggies if you prefer.
  2. If you cannot source fresh parsley and fresh mint, you can use dried ones too. Since dried herbs are thrice more potent than their fresh counterparts, you will need about 1 tsp of each, parsley and mint, for this recipe.
  3. Use good quality extra virgin olive oil for best results. Olive oil can make or break a recipe. As far as this salad is concerned, it is olive oil that elevates this simple everyday recipe.
  4. Typically, parsley is not added in this recipe. Even though middle eastern, especially Lebanese food uses a lot of parsley, this salad is an exception and it has only mint. However, we love parsley and so I added some.
  5. If your tomatoes are juicy, core them and chop them. Or drain them in a colander after chopping them. This way, the salad won’t become soggy.
  6. Nutrition values are given here as a courtesy. Please consult a healthcare provider if you have any health concerns.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1759mg | Potassium: 649mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1542IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg