Foodie Fridays - Israeli Chopped Salad

Salad has a bad reputation as simply rabbit food. You toss some lettuce and veggies together and drown it in ranch dressing hoping to make it tasty. Salad though is a loose term that applies to lots of side dishes and other cultures look at salad very differently than we do in America. This salad is the most well known dish in Israel and is simply known as vegetable salad or chopped salad and is served at roadside stands along with sandwiches. It’s a very simple salad that has not one piece of lettuce but instead uses chopped vegetables and a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil. It’s a crisp and refreshing salad that is perfect for potluck lunches or barbeques since there’s nothing to wilt. There are many, many variations of this salad depending on what area of Israel you are in or where those immigrants have moved. In North Africa they add preserved lemon peel and cayenne pepper, In India they add green chillies and ginger, and in Russia they dice the vegetables very finely and dress them simply with vinegar and no olive oil. So feel free to make adjustments and add your favorite ingredients to make it your own. And believe it or not even Southern men like a certain Mr. Pugh enjoy this salad in their lunchbox on the road.  Hope you enjoy!

Israeli Chopped Salad

½ of a large red onion

½ of a red, orange, and a yellow bell pepper

1 medium cucumber

1 pint small cherry or grape tomatoes

½ cup feta cheese

4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon of honey or splenda

½ teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop all ingredients into small pieces and set aside in a large bowl.  To make the dressing whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey or splenda, and seasonings.  Toss vegetables with dressing and then fold in feta cheese last.  Refrigerate for up to 1 week.   

Have a great weekend my lovelies!

And don't forget...if you liked this I have a cookbook for sale!  It has recipes for sides, main dishes, desserts, and appetizers! Just see the link in the sidebar!