Israeli Salad Recipe - Wholesome Yum (2024)

Israeli Salad Recipe - Wholesome Yum (1)

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In This Post

  • Why You’ll Love This Israeli Salad Recipe
  • How To Make Israeli Salad
  • Storage Instructions
  • What To Serve With Israeli Salad
  • More Fresh Salad Recipes
  • Recommended Tools
  • Israeli Salad (10 Minutes!)Recipe card
  • Recipe Reviews

I love my greens, but in my Russian Jewish family, I didn’t grow up eating them much. Instead, we had a lot of finely chopped salads, like creamy cucumber salad,cucumber tomato salad (or tomato cucumber avocado salad once we moved to the U.S.), and a variation of this easy Israeli salad recipe.

Israeli salad recipes typically have cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, peppers, and fresh herbs (usually parsley). They are popular in Israel, but also have a history being served in Persian meals. Fresh, chopped veggies mingle with a simple, refreshing Israeli salad dressing (it’s just a simple lemon vinagrette!) for a bright and crunchy salad.

Bonus: If you have kids in the house that refuse to eat lettuce and other greens, this is a great way to get them eating healthy salads!

Why You’ll Love This Israeli Salad Recipe

  • Fresh, citrusy, and vibrant
  • Crisp and crunchy texture
  • 7 simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper)
  • Ready in 10 minutes
  • Naturally vegan, low carb, and gluten-free
  • Easy, healthy side dish that goes with everything!
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Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best Israeli salad ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Salad:

  • Tomatoes – I used Roma tomatoes, but you could also use sliced cherry tomatoes or really any other tomato.
  • Cucumbers – Use Persian cucumbers for their mild flavor and delicate skins. However, English cucumbers would work as well. Peel any varieties that have tough skins.
  • Bell Peppers – For color and crunch. I used red bell pepper, but any colors you have on hand will work great.
  • Onion – Sweet onions, red onions, or yellow onions will all work.
  • Fresh Parsley – Adds a flavorful and colorful garnish. You could also different fresh herbs, such as fresh mint, dill, or chives.

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VARIATION: Add feta cheese!

About 1/3 to 1/2 cup of crumbled feta makes a great addition.

Dressing:

  • Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil is the best choice for a lemon vinaigrette because it complements the tart, acidic flavor of the lemon. You can use other oils if you like, though.
  • Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice is best, but bottled lemon juice will work for convenience.
  • Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Adjust to taste.
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How To Make Israeli Salad

This section shows how to make Israeli cucumber salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

  1. Dice the veggies:tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions.
  2. Make the dressing. In a medium-large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Tilt the bowl and whisk until emulsified.
  3. Assemble the Israeli salad. Add the chopped vegetables to the bowl with the dressing, and toss together. (Alternatively, you can place the veggies in an empty large bowl, whisk the dressing in a smaller bowl, and pour the dressing over the salad.)
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Storage Instructions

  • Store: Keep the salad in the refrigerator for 1-3 days. (You may need to drain excess liquid that will gather in the bottom of your storage container.)
  • Meal prep: Chop all the veggies and make the dressing ahead of time, and store separately in the fridge.

What To Serve With Israeli Salad

Israeli chopped salad pairs with a variety of mains. Its vibrant flavor and crunchy texture will make any meal come alive!

  • Chicken – For a quick and easy dinner, pair it with juicy Mediterranean chicken or herby basil pesto chicken.
  • Fish – A cool, crisp side salad featuring Israeli flavors makes an excellent accompaniment to seafood dishes, like baked cod or flaky Chilean sea bass.
  • Lamb – Grill up some lamb kofta kebabs in the summertime, or if the weather doesn’t cooperate, make air fryer lamb chops.
  • Beef – Try simple classics like a juicy burger or sirloin steak (or grill your steak if it’s warm out!).
  • Hummus – For a classic meal, serve it alongside a bowl of hummus and pita bread (I make my own almond flour pita bread, though it’s not traditional), or with gyros.

More Fresh Salad Recipes

If you like this simple Israeli salad, you might also like some of these other quick salad recipes with big, fresh flavors:

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Recipe Card

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Israeli Salad (10 Minutes!)

This Israeli salad recipe takes just 10 minutes! Make it with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, parsley & simple lemon vinaigrette.

Prep: 10 minutes

Total: 10 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 6 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

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Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

  1. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper in a medium-large bowl. Tilt the bowl and whisk until emulsified.

  2. Add the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, and parsley. Toss to coat.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories115

Fat9.4g

Protein1.5g

Total Carbs7.8g

Net Carbs5.5g

Fiber2.3g

Sugar5g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course:Salad

Cuisine:Israeli

Keywords:Israeli salad, Israeli salad recipe

Calories: 115 kcal

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂

Israeli Salad Recipe

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FAQs

Why is it called Israeli Salad? ›

It was adopted by Jewish immigrants to the Levant in the late 19th century, who found the locally grown Kirby cucumbers and tomatoes in popular local salad. It was popularized in the kibbutzim, where the Jewish farmers had local fresh produce at hand. The name Israeli Salad is used mainly outside of Israel.

How to make salads yummier? ›

Toss on a little something extra.

Try herbs, fruit, grains or cheese. Here the list is truly endless. When it comes to grains, go whole and choose something like quinoa, bulgur, farro, or wheat berries. With cheeses like goat or feta, a little goes a long way to add flavor.

What is Lebanese salad made of? ›

Fattoush Lebanese Salad has cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, and toasted low-carb pita chips, and it's flavored with lemon juice and Sumac. And Fattoush Salad is something I look forward to making every summer!

What is the most eaten food in Israel? ›

Falafel is probably the most recognizably Israeli food there is. In almost every town in Israel you can find a choice of shops attracting the hungry with the delicious smell of frying falafels. The Shuk (market) Betzalel area in Tel Aviv, for example, is famous for its excellent falafel.

What are the traditional ingredients in Israel? ›

Israeli Jews revolved around seven main foods: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. Mediterranean influence has brought tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, and chickpeas to the table.

What does hummus mean in Israel? ›

The term 'hummus' in Arabic translates to 'chickpea,' with 'hummus bi tahini' signifying 'chickpeas with tahini,' thereby showcasing its primary ingredients. The late 19th and early 20th centuries witnessed significant Jewish immigration to the land of Israel, then known as Palestine.

Do Israelis eat salad for breakfast? ›

Israeli salad forms the basis of Israel's healthy Mediterranean diet. Israelis will happily eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and any time in between. If you want to find out how to get in on this great health trend and do your body a favor, just click on our video and find out how to make it.

What is a common Israeli breakfast? ›

These might include muesli and granola, cold fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring), homemade jams, baked goods such as croissants and pain viennois and hot dishes such as shakshuka (eggs served in a spicy tomato sauce, served with bread for dipping) and malawach (a flaky fried flatbread hailing from Yemen).

Why do restaurant salads taste better than homemade? ›

Restaurants salt their salads.

"Salt is a big difference between salads at home and salads in a restaurant." This doesn't mean you have to make your salads salty! Just hold back some salt when seasoning your dressing.

What is the secret to making a good salad? ›

The secret to a good salad
  1. Be gentle with lettuce. Balsamic dressing. ...
  2. Serve up perfect avocado. Forget lemon juice or cold water – the only way to stop an avocado going brown in a salad is to peel and chop them right before serving. ...
  3. Say goodbye to onion tears. ...
  4. Adore your dressing. ...
  5. Sprinkle in some protein.

What are 5 components of a satisfying salad? ›

There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.

Why is it called Waldorf salad? ›

Waldorf salad is named for the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, where it was first created for a charity ball given in honor of the St. Mary's Hospital for Children on March 13, 1896.

What does fattoush mean in English? ›

In Arabic, the word “fattoush” is derived from “fatteh” which literally means “crumbs.” As you can imagine, this Fattoush Salad is basically a hodgepodge of pita bread that's been seasoned then fried (or baked) in addition to other vegetables that are in season.

Why is it called Russian salad? ›

Russian salad was originally called Oliver salad based on the Moscow-based Belgian chef who invented it. During the 20th century, the dish spread throughout Europe and adopted the name Russian salad.

What is the most popular salad ingredients? ›

A typical salad starts with raw greens, such as lettuce, spinach, kale, mixed greens or arugula. However, you can also add several other raw vegetables. Some popular raw veggie toppings include chopped carrots, onions, cucumbers, celery, mushrooms and broccoli.

What are the vegetables of Israel? ›

Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and zucchini are grown commonly throughout the country; melons are grown during winter months in the valleys.

What are popular vegetables in Israel? ›

Apples, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Chili Peppers, Citrus Fruits, Cucumbers, Eggplants, Fennel, Garlic (dried), Grapes, Lettuce, Melons (they sell many varieties, all simply sold as “melon,” that ripen throughout the year), Mushrooms, Onions, Potatoes, Radishes, Scallions, Summer Squash ( ...

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