This Middle Eastern salad is a cinch to make and full of fresh ingredients. It's a combination of cucumbers, tomatoes, fruit, and a quick vinaigrette.
It's similar to fattoush salad, in that it has tomatoes and cucumbers as the main ingredients, but it's quicker + easier to make! This recipe, in Arabic, is called Salata Baladi which translates to "salad of the country/land".
It's a super common recipe served in Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon and can be eaten as a side for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Why You Should Make this Salad
This salad only takes about 10 minutes to make and can be served as a side salad or a light lunch. It's fresh, crunchy, and pairs perfectly with lots of dishes.
In the Middle East, it's really common to have fresh cucumbers and tomatoes as a side for a meal like chicken and rice or mujaddara.
There are many variations on chopped salads in the Middle East, but they'll often include fresh herbs and red onions. I like to add pomegranates or pomegranate molasses to mine just to add a bit more flavor!

What You'll Need to Make this Salad
To make this recipe, you'll need:
- 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.
- Tomatoes. You can use cherry tomatoes or Roma tomatoes.
- Fresh herbs. Mint and parsley are the most commonly used, but if you like another soft herb better (like cilantro or purslane) those will work as well.
- Red onion. You'll want to have a diced red onion. If it's bitter or on the older side, make sure to soak it in water.
- Pomegranate seeds. These are optional, but they do add some lovely crunch and flavor.
- Olive oil. Choose a good quality olive oil because it will be the base of the vinaigrette.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and pepper

More Mediterranean Salad Recipes You’ll Love
If you like Mediterranean flavors like this recipe, check out some of our other favorite salads.
- Mediterranean Summer Salad - juicy tomatoes paired with fresh herbs
- Roasted Chickpea Salad - crunchy chickpeas paired with spring greens and fresh veggies
- Grilled Halloumi Salad - a savory, tasty salad that combines fresh ingredients with grilled halloumi cheese

Tips for Making a Middle Eastern Salad
- You can use hothouse cucumbers, English cucumbers, or Persian cucumbers for this recipe. Use 3 small, Persian cucumbers or one large hothouse or English cucumber.
- If using a hothouse cucumber, make sure to peel it. The skin is too bitter for this salad.
- If you have an older red onion or it's bitter, soak the diced onion in cold water while you chop the other vegetables. This will remove the bitter edge.
- If you can't find fresh pomegranate seeds, use one tablespoon of pomegranate molasses in the vinaigrette to get the pomegranate flavor.
- If you'd like to add a little spice to this recipe, top it with some sumac.
Chopped Middle Eastern Salad

This chopped cucumber tomato salad is fresh and bright. It's a quick side salad that pairs well with so many meals!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved*
- 1 large cucumber, peeled and diced**
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, pomegranate, onion, parsley, and mint in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Top the salad with the dressing and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Notes
*Or 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
**Or 3 Persian cucumbers, diced
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 545mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g