Middle Eastern Salad

This Middle Eastern Salad recipe couldn't be simpler to prepare, yet it has the best flavor and goes as a side with so many dishes. Enjoy it as a light lunch, or with some lamb & beef kofta Kebabs!

No fancy or hard-to-pronounce name for this Middle Eastern salad, it's simply called "zalata," which is Assyrian for "salad." This is where I remind you that many words have an Assyrian origin. If I sound like the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I'm totally ok with that!

This is a very common salad in the Middle East and often referred to as Arabic salad. It can have some slight variations, for example, fresh parsley or mint can be added. So if that sounds good to you, feel free to include some fresh herbs!

Jump to:

• 😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
• 🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
• 🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
• 🥗 How to Make This Middle Eastern Salad
• 🍽️ Serving Suggestions
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips
• Related Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe

• There's a very good chance that the vegetables you need are already in your refrigerator.
• This Middle Eastern cucumber salad is very easy to prepare - just chop up the veggies, add them to a bowl, and drizzle in the dressing!
• The simple salad dressing enhances the flavor of the salad and brings out the natural taste of the fresh vegetables used.

🛒 What You Need For This Recipe

🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions

• Lettuce: I recommend using romaine lettuce for the best crunch.
• Cucumber: Persian or English cucumbers work best.
• Onion: Red or yellow onion
• Tomato: Two firm medium tomatoes
• Fresh lemon juice: I prefer using fresh lemons to make the dressing, but bottled lemon juice can be substituted.
• Extra virgin olive oil: If you don't have olive oil, avocado oil can be used.
• Herbs: This recipe calls for 1 teaspoon dried mint, but you can use 1 tablespoon of fresh mint for the dressing if you prefer. Other fresh herbs and spices like parsley, garlic, green onions, and red pepper flakes can be added as well.
• Optional toppings: You can sprinkle a bit of feta cheese over your salad if you like. You can also use crumbled pita chips as croutons or make some of these quinoa crisps for added crunch! Kalamata olives are another great addition!

*See recipe card below for full list of ingredients

🥗 How to Make This Middle Eastern Salad

Step 1: Chop lettuce, cucumber, tomato, fresh mint, and onion and place in a large salad bowl.

Step 2: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, crushed mint, and salt and pepper.

Step 3: Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss until thoroughly combined. 

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

• Salads are usually served as "mezze" (appetizers) in the Middle East. You can include it on a mezze board along with other Middle Eastern & Mediterranean appetizers like hummus, falafel, tabbouleh, dolmades, pita chips, Lebanese fattoush salad, and more!
• Another classic way to enjoy this Middle Eastern cucumber salad is over a bed of vermicelli rice, macaroni, or makloubi.
• Enjoy it alongside various meats like sumac chicken, shish kabobs, shawarma, and more.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

• Because this is such a simple salad, using fresh ingredients is key!
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• If making this Middle Eastern salad recipe ahead of time, keep the dressing separate until you're ready to serve.

Related Recipes

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📖 Recipe