Arabic Salad

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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).

One of the best things about this Arabic chopped salad is that it saves well in the fridge for several days. The tangy dressing marinates the vegetables to make it even more delicious the next day.

Use the freshest ingredients you can find - in-season tomatoes taste best in this recipe!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• More Great Arabic Food
• Substitutions & Variations
• What to Serve with this Salad
• Storage
• Tips for Making this Recipe
• Arabic Salad

Ingredients

Here are the fresh ingredients you'll need to make this Arab salad recipe.

• Fresh Roma Tomatoes
• Small Cucumbers (Lebanese Cucumbers or Small Persian Cucumbers)
• Red onion
• Fresh Parsley
• Fresh Mint
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Sumac Spice
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Finely dice all vegetables.

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, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, sea salt, and black pepper. 

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.

Serve the salad on its own with some pita bread or add it to a larger meal.

More Great Arabic Food

If you love Mediterranean cuisine, try some of these other delicious Middle Eastern dishes.

• Tabouli Recipe (Tabbouleh Salad)
• Tahini Yogurt Sauce
• The Creamiest Hummus Recipe

Substitutions & Variations

Here are some optional swaps you can make for the fresh vegetables and some additional ingredients you can add.

• Crunchy Cucumbers - if you can't find small cucumbers, you can use one or two English cucumbers. Or, you can use regular cucumbers, but make sure to peel off the skin and scoop out the seeds.
• Fresh Tomatoes - Use Campari tomatoes or vine tomatoes instead of Roma tomatoes if necessary. Grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes can also work.
• Onions - I don't recommend using a white or yellow onion for this recipe, but you can substitute red onion for green onions (spring onions).
• Bell Peppers - feel free to add a chopped red pepper to this salad.
• Cheese - you can add a few ounces of crumbled feta cheese if you'd like.
• Pomegranate Molasses - add one to two tablespoons of pomegranate molasses to the dressing if you'd like some tangy, fruity flavor.

What to Serve with this Salad

This simple salad pairs well with rice dishes and meat dishes. Here are some of our favorite dishes to serve alongside this salad.

• Mujaddara Recipe
• Baked Falafel Recipe
• Kousa Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini)

Storage

This recipe will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

I do not recommend freezing this salad as it changes the texture of the vegetables.

Tips for Making this Recipe

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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.

Specialty Ingredients - I get my sumac at The Spice House. If you can't find any, you can leave it out, but it does add a lovely tangy flavor.

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