Chopped Middle Eastern Salad

This Middle Eastern salad is a cinch to make and full of fresh ingredients. It's an Arabic chopped salad with a combination of cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh mint, and a quick vinaigrette.

This Arabic salad is similar to fattoush salad in that it has tomatoes and cucumbers as the main ingredients, but it's quicker and easier to make! This recipe, in Arabic, is called Salata Baladi, which translates to "salad of the country/land".

Jump to:

• Middle Eastern Salad Dressing
• Ingredients
• Ingredients
• Substitutions & Variations
• Tips for Making this Recipe
• Storage
• What to Serve with Middle Eastern Salad
• More Delicious Salad Recipes
• Middle Eastern Salad

This salad is a super common recipe served in Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon and can be eaten as a side for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

This wonderful salad only takes about 10 minutes to make and is made with simple ingredients. It's fresh, crunchy, and pairs perfectly with lots of dishes.

There are many variations of chopped salads in the Middle East. I like to add pomegranates or pomegranate molasses to mine just to add a bit more flavor!

Middle Eastern Salad Dressing

Since this salad is packed with so many flavorful veggies, the dressing is simple and used to enhance the flavors. It's a tangy dressing made with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.  

There is no need for a food processor or blender. You can mix the dressing with a whisk or a fork until smooth. It's the perfect balance of oil and lemon to highlight the flavors of this fresh salad. 

Ingredients

Ingredients

• Cucumbers - You can use hothouse cucumbers, English cucumbers, or small Persian cucumbers. My favorite are the small Persian cucumbers, but they can be difficult to find year-round. If you use a regular, larger cucumber, make sure to peel it so you don't have any bitter skin.
• Fresh tomatoes - Be sure to use ripe tomatoes. You can use Roma, cherry tomatoes or your fresh garden tomatoes.
• Fresh herbs - Fresh parsley and mint are the most commonly used, but if you like another soft herb better (like cilantro or purslane) those will work as well.
• Red onion - Red onions are great for eating raw - plus they add such a beautiful color. They have a more mellow flavor than other onions, but still have a little kick.
• Pomegranate seeds - These are optional, but they do add some lovely crunch and flavor.
• Olive oil - Choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil because it will be the base of the vinaigrette.
• Fresh lemon juice - I recommend the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon. The lemon works with the olive oil for a delicious, simple dressing.  
• Salt and black pepper- We'll use salt and pepper to season the salad and enhance all the flavors. 

See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and complete recipe. 

Instructions

1. Chop the tomatoes, cucumber, pomegranate, onion, parsley, and mint into small pieces and add to a large bowl. 
2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. 
3. Top the salad with the dressing and toss to combine. 
4. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to three days. 

Substitutions & Variations

• For this recipe, you can use hothouse cucumbers, English cucumbers, or Persian cucumbers. Use three small Persian cucumbers or one large hothouse or English cucumber.
• If you'd like to add a little spice to this recipe, top it with some sumac.
• If you don't have a red onion, you can use a shallot in its place. 

Tips for Making this Recipe

• If using a hothouse cucumber, make sure to peel it. The skin is too bitter for this salad.
• If you soak the diced red onion in cold water for a few minutes, it will remove the bitterness of the onion if you get one that's a bit bitter. 
• If you can't find fresh pomegranate seeds, use one tablespoon of pomegranate molasses in the vinaigrette to get the pomegranate flavor.

Storage

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. If you make the salad ahead of time for meal prep, store the dressing separately from the salad or in a Mason jar with the dressing on the bottom.

What to Serve with Middle Eastern Salad

This salad is a great side dish. You can top it with a simple grilled fish and eat it with a serving of pita bread for a complete meal. It pairs well with many main dishes. 

Here are a few of my favorites: 

• In the Middle East, it's really common to have fresh cucumbers and tomatoes as a side for a meal like Hawaij Chicken and Mujaddara.
• Baked Mahi Mahi - Paired with butter, lemon, and just the right seasonings, this mahi mahi is light, easy to make and delicious with this salad.  
• Easy Blackened Shrimp - If you need a quick meal, these shrimp come together in less than 20 minutes and are great on top of this salad. 
• Turkish Chicken Kabobs - Turkish chicken (Tavuk Şiş) is made with white or dark meat chicken marinated in yogurt and a rich spice blend. It pairs perfectly with the freshness of this salad. 

More Delicious Salad Recipes

If you love delicious and easy salad recipes, check out these salads:

• Grilled Halloumi Salad - This savory, tasty salad combines fresh ingredients with grilled halloumi cheese for a lovely salad.
• Roasted Radish Salad - This roasted radish salad with a yogurt dressing is a wonderful springtime recipe with exciting flavors. 
• Blood Orange Salad - With fresh blood orange slices, a mix of baby greens, creamy avocado, and feta cheese, all mixed with a tasty vinaigrette, this salad is so full of flavor and a must try. 

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