This traditional Arabic salad combines chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions with spices and herbs for a refreshing, delicious side dish!
You'll love the bright, crisp flavors in this veggie salad. This dish is incredibly popular across the Middle East.
It's sometimes called Lebanese salad because it's native to the Levant region (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, etc.) of the Middle East. However, it's eaten widely throughout the Mediterranean and has a variety of variations, like Salad Shirazi (the Persian version) or Shepherd's Salad (the Turkish version).
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Why You'll Love This Chopped Veggie Salad
- Fresh, crisp vegetables combine with juicy tomatoes and fresh herbs for a delicious, easy salad.
- This Arabic chopped salad saves well in the fridge for several days - making it perfect for meal prep or make ahead! The tangy dressing marinates the vegetables to make it even more delicious the next day.
- Tastes great with in-season summer tomatoes!
Arabic Salad Ingredients
- Fresh Roma Tomatoes - Roma tomatoes are perfect for chopping because they have fewer seeds and are easy to slice. Use Campari tomatoes or vine tomatoes instead of Roma tomatoes if necessary. Grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes can also work.
- Small Cucumbers (Lebanese Cucumbers or Small Persian Cucumbers) - Small cucumbers taste great and don't need to be peeled. You can use one or two English cucumbers if you can't find small cucumbers. Or, you can use regular cucumbers, but make sure to peel off the skin and scoop out the seeds.
- Red onion - adds a delicious punch of allium to the salad without being overpowering. I don't recommend using a white or yellow onion for this recipe, but you can substitute red onion for green onions (spring onions) or shallots.
- Fresh Parsley - essential for any Middle Eastern salad, chopped parsley adds a wonderful herby flavor and grassiness.
- Fresh Mint - adds a fresh and bright flavor to the salad!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - use a good quality oil as it's the base of the dressing and helps to bring all the flavors together.
- Fresh Lemon Juice - citrusy flavor that brightens up all the other ingredients.
- Sumac Spice - another citrusy, rich flavor. You can leave this out or substitute for paprika if you can't find it, but I do find sumac a fun spice to have in my pantry!
- Sea Salt - helps to season and bring out the natural flavors of all the ingredients.
- Black Pepper - adds just a little bit of heat to the salad.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make This Salad
- Step 1: Finely dice all the vegetables.
- Step 2: Combine the diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Top with the parsley and mint and stir to combine.
- Step 3: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, sea salt, and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Step 4: Serve immediately or allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature for the flavors to come together. Serve the salad on its own with some pita bread, or add it to a larger meal.
Tips for Making This Salad
- Preparation Tips - The key to this fresh salad is to chop all the vegetables into small pieces so you get a little of everything in each bite.
- Optional Ingredients - you can add chopped bell peppers, a sprinkle of feta cheese, or a tablespoon or two of pomegranate molasses to the salad.
Arabic Salad FAQs
Yes! This salad saves well in the refrigerator. I think it's best when served within the first 24 hours, so I usually make it a day in advance.
Leftover salad can be saved for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I recommend letting it come to room temperature before serving.
This simple salad pairs well with Middle Eastern rice or meat dishes. Here are some of our favorite dishes to serve alongside it - Mujaddara, Baked Falafel, and Kousa Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini).
the best flavors!
More Delicious Arabic Food
Check out our favorite homemade Middle Eastern recipes!
If you try this chopped tomato and cucumber salad recipe, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Arabic Salad
Ingredients
- 4 Roma tomatoes diced
- 4 small cucumbers diced
- ½ medium red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped mint
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Top with the parsley and mint and stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, sea salt, and black pepper to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately or allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature for the flavors to come together.
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