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The flavors of Israeli salad are fresh, light, and bright, with a crisp texture and a balance of juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and pungent onions, all seasoned with the bright tang of lemon juice and the richness of olive oil.
I was inspired to recreate this recipe after touring Israel with Visit Israel and the Israel Ministry of Tourism. All opinions are my own.
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
Table of contents
Jerusalem Salad
Israeli salad is a chopped vegetable salad that is popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, especially in Israel. It typically consists of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, parsley, and sometimes other ingredients such as bell peppers, radishes, and lemon juice. The salad is seasoned with olive oil and salt, giving it a fresh and light flavor.
Israeli salad is delicious because of its refreshing taste, crisp texture, and simple yet flavorful ingredients – it also works into a variety of diets like keto, slow-carb, Mediterranean diet, vegan and vegetarian diets.
Israeli salad is also known as Arab salad, Palestinian salad, and Jerusalem salad – it is often referred to as Jerusalem salad because the dish is popular in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, and is considered a staple of the city’s cuisine. The name “Jerusalem salad” reflects the cultural and culinary heritage of the city, and acknowledges the salad’s popularity and prevalence there. Additionally, the term “Jerusalem salad” may also serve as a nod to the salad’s roots in the Middle Eastern cuisine, which has a long history in the region and is closely associated with the city of Jerusalem.
When in Jerusalem, don’t skip trying Israeli salad in Sabich – one of Israeli’s most love street foods (and one of my favorite sandwiches, ever!)
How to Make Israeli Salad
To make this dish, you’ll need:
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes provide a juicy sweetness that balances out the tanginess of the lemon juice and the saltiness of the feta cheese.
- Cucumbers: Cucumbers add a fresh crunch to the salad and a light, slightly sweet flavor.
- Yellow Bell Pepper: I love the color addition and nice crunchy bite of bell pepper. You can use any color sweet bell pepper you want.
- Red onion: Red onion adds a sharp bite to the salad and a slight sweetness.
- Parsley: Parsley adds a bright, fresh flavor and a pop of green color to the dish.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice provides a tart and tangy flavor that brings all the ingredients together.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil adds richness and depth of flavor to the dish, and also helps to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Salt: Salt enhances the flavors of all the ingredients and helps to balance the flavors.
- Black pepper: Black pepper adds a slightly spicy, earthy flavor that complements the other ingredients.
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following process:
- Chop vegetables. Dice the tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion into small pieces and place them in a large bowl. Chop the parsley and add it to the bowl with the diced vegetables.
- Make dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and parsley in the large bowl.
- Toss. Toss everything together until the vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or olive oil as desired.
- Enjoy! Serve the Israeli salad immediately or refrigerate it until ready to serve.
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Israeli Salad
Taste as you go. I don’t think of this recipe as much of a recipe – as the quick, fresh nature allows it to be incredibly adaptable. Taste your salad as you’re mixing and add more lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper – or parsley, vegetables – to your liking.
Use tomatoes without tons of juice. We try to use cherry tomatoes or other tomatoes without much liquid – it waters down the salad too much and can make other vegetables soft and soggy.
FAQs
Leftover fresh salad can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
I love to eat Israeli salad with roast chicken, lamb, and homemade sabich – but this light vegan salad can pair with almost any dish.
Most fresh fruits and vegetables, even if unlabeled, are considered kosher – so in most cases, this salad is a delicious and easy dish to prepare for guests who keep kosher.
I am not Jewish and do not keep kosher, so this should not be seen as an authority. For more information on what a non-kosher home can serve kosher guests, please read this informative post.
What to Serve With Israeli Salad
For more on my travels to Israel, please visit the following posts, and enjoy some of the photos I took around Jerusalem:
I love Israeli salad with sabich, falafel, Baba Ganoush, Tahini Sauce, or Roasted Tahini Pomegranate Eggplants!
Israeli Salad Recipe
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Israeli Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion into a large bowl.
- Add the parsley to the bowl with the diced vegetables.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and parsley in the large bowl.
- Toss everything together until the vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or olive oil as desired.
- Serve the Israeli salad immediately or refrigerate it until ready to serve.
- Enjoy!
Goodness I was looking for a great salad to serve with my clam chowder and this is it! I made a test run tonight and I couldn’t stop eating it! I used Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar instead of lemon juice and it made it that more zesty. I collect recipes and this is for sure one I will make over and over again. Thank YOU!
So glad you enjoy it! Thanks!
WHERE’S THE RECIPE?
Sorry about that, I fixed it just now, can you see it?
Hi there, when I click on Israeli salad, then jump to recipe, no ingredients show up – only the instructions. It looks delicious and would love to make it!
Ya sorry I just updated it, let me know if you still have an issue.
Your Israeli Salad looks great but you did not include the quantity amount of each vegetable and dressing.
Thanks Cora
Ya sorry about that, I just updated it, let me know if you still have an issue. Thanks for bringing that to my attention!