Salata baladi (Egyptian salad)
Servings: 4
Equipment
- chopping knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 persian cucumbers or equivalent amount of other cucumber type
- 3 plum tomatoes or other small firm tomato
- 1/2 medium onion red or yellow
- handful parsley leaves and soft stems
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- cumin, sumac, Aleppo pepper or cayenne pepper to taste, optional
Instructions
- Dice cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and parsley.
- Toss with lemon juice and olive oil. No need to make your dressing separately, just add to the salad directly.
- Season with salt and pepper, tasting as you go. This salad benefits from a good amount of salt, as it brings out the bright, acidic lemon flavour.
- Add additional spices, if desired. Cumin is commonly used, as are sumac and chile peppers such as Aleppo pepper for a mild fruity heat, or cayenne for a spicier salad. I usually only add one or two spices, so as to not muddle the fresh flavour of the salad.
Notes
If you want to prepare this salad a bit before serving, simply put all the ingredients together EXCEPT the salt. Since the salt draws out moisture, it's best to add just before serving.
To make this delicious and fresh salad into a meal, add your favourite beans, legumes or grains. I love this with chickpeas or the nutty smokey Middle Eastern ancient grain, freekeh.