Coming home from Europe was a little traumatic. When we got off the plane, it was pouring rain, dark and cloudy, and half of the city was flooded. To think it was warm and sunny in London! Get it together, Chicago.
But it’s good to be home. I missed my kitchen (especially my knives; the ones in our rental apartments in Europe were so dull they barely cut anything), my bed, and my cat. I didn’t miss the dull-yolked eggs – the ones in Europe were orange and vibrant – the factory farmed produce, or the pace of life. I can’t do much about the eggs or the hustle, but I’m taking comfort in eating fresh summer produce and herbs with every meal, typically in the form of un-fussy, quick and rustic salads like this one.
This is a classic. It doesn’t seem to have one name – I have heard it called everything from “Israeli salad” to “middle eastern salad” to (in Istanbul) just salad. For some reason, I know it as, and have always called it, Jerusalem salad, but feel free to refer to it however you want. It’s not an Israeli recipe – most middle eastern cultures seem to have one version or another of this refreshing dish – so let’s just call it refreshing, crispy, fresh, hydrating and flavorful.
To be honest, I’ve been craving this dish nonstop since the moment I set foot back in the US. I’m still in shock from the trip (did that really happen?) and the stark contrast between vacation life and real life. Fresh produce that reminds me of the Mediterranean may be the only remedy. So, we might be on a little bit of a cucumber bender for a while…. don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Jerusalem Salad (aka Middle Eastern Salad)
A crunchy and refreshing side dish that works with almost any meal!
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium red onion, scant 1/2 cup minced, minced
- About 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 whole beefsteak tomatoes, cut into small cubes
- 1 large American cucumber, seeds removed and cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup sliced fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, about 2 Tablespoons
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2-1 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, cover the chopped onion with the white vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes, then drain and discard the vinegar.
- In a large mixing bowl, gently fold together the onion, cucumber, tomato, mint and parsley.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Immediately before serving, toss the salad with the dressing, and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This salad is best when relatively fresh, but if you'd like to make this up to 24 hours in advance, store it (dressed or undressed) in an airtight container in the fridge. Dressing it beforehand helps the flavors to mingle and I like to dress it and let it sit for a few hours before serving. However, after about 24 hours, everything gets kind of soggy and gross, so if you want to eat leftovers over a longer period of time, store the salad undressed and dress immediately before serving.\
- Many versions of this salad also include a salty cheese, such as feta. Feel free to add some, chopped or crumbled.
- Yield: Makes roughly 6-8 cups, depending on the size of your cucumbers and tomatoes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 95Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 387mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
Heather says
Oh I remember a very similar salad (though with feta sprinkled on top) that we enjoyed in Macedonia called Shopska Salata. Such a fresh taste and simple to make!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Ooh, Macedonia! I have always wanted to go there. I am not surprised to hear that they have their version too. I think shades of this salad are really common throughout the Mediterranean region since the ingredients grow so abundantly there! I have had it with and without cheese, and I love the saltiness the cheese brings!
Allie | Baking a Moment says
I’m so glad you enjoyed your trip! (And sorry about the reality check of getting back to real life!) I had so much fun living vicariously through your Instagram and this gorgeous salad looks so delicious and summery!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks, Allie!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
Yeah.. coming back from a trip is always sad. I had the same experience when I came back from Hawaii to go back to Vancouver (aka: rain central).
This salad looks so summery, even though the weather isn’t!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Oh man, what a rude awakening! Well at least we are suffering through our reality checks together 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
So yum! Love the bright colors 🙂
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks Medha!
Monica says
Omg I love the sound AND look of this salad! It’s so vibrant and beautiful…I can’t blame you for having a culture shock from coming back to the states. The food just isn’t the same. Also, it’s been raining literally non-stop for the past week. Stay dry! (:
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
YES! That’s exactly it. Thank goodness for Treasure Island, where I found a lot of the ingredients I was craving, as well as the great (but not as great as Europe) produce that I was craving. Hooray for some sun today!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Welcome home my dear! What a fabulous salad to refresh and reflect. Although I’ve yet to go to Europe, I understand others have similar feelings upon their return. So here’s to planning and the anticipation of returning to places we love! Absolutely loving this salad, Nora! So vibrant and packed with flavor. I appreciate the red onion and all the herbs packed in this. The first photograph – woah! Makes me want to DIG. right. IN! Thank you, and have a beautiful weekend!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hear, hear, Traci! We are already talking about (ok, plotting about) how and when we are going to be able to go back. In the meantime, we are reminiscing hard with photos and food!
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
This looks so good! Getting back from vacation is always a big letdown, but fresh salads like this can help ease the pain.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
It sure does!!
Zainab says
Welcome back home!! It was really great to follow along the trip. I can’t wait to see pictures and hear more. This salad looks so refreshing and perfect for summer 🙂
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks! I am so glad you enjoyed following along 🙂 I’ll be sharing pictures and food recommendations soon!
Taylor says
There’s so much to say in this post! One, I’m still super jealous of your fabulous trip – I know it must have been hard to have to come home! Second, how cool is it that you have your own app? I’m totally downloading it! And three, I can’t decide if I want to make this dish or the grilled peaches and beets dish you posted on instagram…decisions, decisions! I’m thinking I’ll have to make both, but definitely this one first since I have all of the ingredients!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
You are thorough!! Yes, it was really hard to come home, but I am slowly but surely readjusting. It would have been a lot easier if it hadn’t been chilly and overcast nearly every single day. Would a little summer kill this city!? But I digress. Thank you for downloading the app! It’s still a work in progress but it gets the job done and is pretty handy! As for the recipes, I am going to post the grilled peaches and beets this weekend so you can make both!
Marla says
Is it really 1 cup of vinegar?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Yes, just for pickling. You’re not going to eat all that vinegar!
Elizabeth says
Do you rinse the onions or just drain? Do you get a vinegary taste without rinsing? Excited to make this! I typically do just chopped tomato and cucumber with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of lemon, sometimes topped with za’atar, so this will be a fun and yummy upgrade!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Personally, I just drain them. If you don’t like sour flavors, feel free to give them a quick rinse!