Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 350 g persian cucumbers, small dice (0.5cm)
- 350 g vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and small dice (0.5cm)
- 60 g red onion, fine brunoise
Herbs & Dressing
- 15 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 5 g fresh mint, chiffonade
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil, high quality
- 4 g sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 134 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 398 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 387 mg
- Calcium
- 35 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 25 mg
- Phosphorus
- 48 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 22 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 24 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 75 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 24 mcg
- Water
- 109 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the finely diced red onion in a small bowl of ice water. Let it soak for 10 minutes. This removes the harsh sulfurous bite and crisps the texture.
While onions soak, dice the cucumbers and tomatoes into uniform 0.5cm cubes. For the tomatoes, remove the watery seeds before dicing to prevent a soggy salad.
Drain the onions thoroughly and pat dry. Combine cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, chopped parsley, and mint in a large mixing bowl.
Add the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Toss well to combine. Finally, drizzle with olive oil and toss gently once more to coat the vegetables.
Serve immediately for maximum crunch, or let rest for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld (note: liquid will pool at the bottom).
Chef's Notes
- Uniformity is key: Take the time to cut all vegetables to the exact same size (small dice) for the perfect mouthfeel.
- Persian or English cucumbers are superior here as they have thinner skins and fewer seeds than standard slicing cucumbers.
- If preparing ahead for a party, combine all chopped vegetables in a bowl but do not add the dressing (lemon, salt, oil) until the very last minute.
- The soaking of the red onion is a professional technique that transforms the ingredient from aggressive to pleasantly crisp and mild.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Texture degrades quickly; best consumed fresh. Drain excess liquid before serving leftovers.
Troubleshooting
Salad is too watery/soupy
Cause: Tomato seeds were not removed or salad sat too long after salting
Fix: Strain the excess liquid through a sieve and re-season with a splash of oil and lemon
Prevention: Seed tomatoes thoroughly and season just before serving
Onions overpower the fresh vegetables
Cause: Onions were not soaked or cut too large
Fix: Pick out larger onion pieces if possible; otherwise cannot be fixed
Prevention: Soak onions in ice water and cut into fine brunoise
Cultural Context
This style of chopped salad is ubiquitous throughout the Levant and Mediterranean, known variously as Israeli Salad, Salad Shirazi (Persian), or Shepherd's Salad (Turkish). It reflects the region's reliance on fresh, raw produce and is a staple accompaniment to every meal from breakfast to dinner.
