Middle Eastern Chopped Salad
A daily staple across the Middle East, defined by its finely diced, perfectly uniform fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- 4 small Persian cucumbers finely diced
- 4 medium firm Roma tomatoes finely diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper cored and finely diced
- 1/2 medium red onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint optional
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac optional
Instructions
- Dice the Persian cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, green bell pepper, and red onion into uniform 1/4-inch cubes.
- Set the diced tomatoes and cucumbers inside a colander fitted over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and let rest for 5 minutes to drain excess moisture. Discard the drained liquid.
- Transfer the drained cucumbers and tomatoes into a large salad bowl along with the diced bell pepper, red onion, parsley, and fresh mint.
- Pour the extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice directly over the vegetables. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, and sumac.
- Gently toss everything together with two large spoons until well combined and glistening. Serve immediately.