After the last leftovers of cranberry sauce-drenched turkey sandwiches disappear from your fridge, you need to face the truth: Thanksgiving is over, and it’s time to start getting back into healthy eating habits again after packing on some pudge during the short holiday break. But cleansing your diet doesn’t have to be so dreadful; there are plenty of meals you can make that are just as delicious as they are good for you. Like with several of my past Dishes ‘n’ DIYs blogs, I’m here to introduce you to options that are easy, fast, convenient and affordable on a college budget. That’s why this week, I’m going to teach you how to make salad.
“Um, excuse me, I know how to make salad.” Do you, though? This isn’t just any salad. As the title of this blog implies, this salad “Israeli” good. Intended puns aside, if you’re sick of regular old salad and need to shake things up a bit, this Israeli version is the perfect way to bring the flavors of the Mediterranean and the Middle East to your plate at home.
What you’ll need:
- Plum tomatoes
- Persian cucumbers
- Parsley
- Onions (optional)
- Red bell peppers (optional)
- Olive oil
- Fresh or store-bought lemon juice
- Salt and/or pepper
Plum tomatoes and Persian cucumbers are specifically recommended due to their ease of cutting and slightly sweeter taste. No exact amount is specified because proportions of ingredients in this salad are best fit for personal preference.
How to make it:
1. Chop up the cucumbers into small cubes or prisms. This is done best by slicing each cucumber lengthwise a few times and then dicing it up from there.2. Cut the tomatoes lengthwise, and chop them into similar shapes and sizes as the cucumbers.3. Finely chop the parsley. I do this by hand with a knife, but a food processor is also a helpful tool.4. Mix ingredients together in a bowl or Tupperware for later storage. If you’re adding other optional ingredients, prepare them how you’d like, and add them to the cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley at this time.5. Add in olive oil, lemon juice and salt and/or pepper.6. Serve immediately at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for a more refreshing taste.
This salad makes for a wonderful main dish, side dish or snack. It also pairs well with falafel, pita, couscous and shawarma — all popular dishes of the small country. Although Middle Eastern cuisine is as rich and diverse as its history, Israelis love this salad so much that it’s usually a daily indulgence for them. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see them eating it at breakfast. Who knows, maybe you’ll like it so much that you’ll start to do the same!