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    You Are Here Home » Salad Recipes

    Published: Jan 10, 2019 Updated: Mar 8, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Middle Eastern Salad (Zalata)

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    middle eastern salad

    This Class Middle Eastern Salad couldn't be simpler to prepare, yet the addicting flavor can't be denied. And since we're focusing on healthier recipes this month, what's better than nutrition-filled vegetable salad?

    Middle eastern salad

    The word for "salad" in Assyrian is "zalata." So no fancy or hard to pronounce name for this salad, it's simply called "salad," or "Zalata." Does that word sound familiar to you?

    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!

    Middle eastern salad in a glass bowl

    Why This Recipe Works

    Good news, this Middle Eastern salad is very easy to prepare. As a matter of fact, there's a very good chance that the vegetables you need are already in your refrigerator.

    I'm talking tomato, cucumber, onion, and lettuce; you have those right? I also add mint, which is the only ingredient that you might not have on hand.

    Luckily, I have mint growing in my garden. I dug up the mint from mom's garden prior to selling her house and replanted it in my garden.

    So just how easy is this recipe? You'll need to chop the vegetables and add them to a bowl. A simple salad dressing prepared with lemon juice, olive oil, dried or fresh mint, salt, and black pepper is then mixed in.

    This simple dressing enhances the flavor of the salad and brings out the natural taste of the fresh vegetables used.

    How to Make This Recipe

    1. Chop all the vegetables and place in a large salad bowl.

    2. Whisk the dressing ingredients, and add to the chopped vegetables.

    3. Taste the salad, and adjust seasoning, if necessary. 

    salad in a bowl

    What to Serve with Middle Eastern Salad

    As mentioned previously, salads are usually served as Mezze (appetizers) in the Middle East. But another way salads are served is with rice or macaroni.

    In fact, in my family, we always added the salad over the rice. The lemon juice and olive oil dressing really enhanced the flavor of the rice.

    I'm not quite sure if that was our family's tradition, or if in fact, others do the same thing. Either way, you should definitely give it a try over Vermicelli Rice or Makloubi.

    salad and red rice on a green plate and a red place mat

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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    middle eastern salad on a plate

    Middle Eastern Salad (zalata)

    This simple yet delicious Middle Eastern salad is quite popular throughout the Middle East. 
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Appetizers, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Assyrian, Middle Eastern
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 176kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 small head of romaine lettuce
    • 2 medium tomatoes
    • 2 medium Persian cucumbers
    • ½ small yellow or red onion
    • ¼ cup mint leaves

    Dressing

    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 3 T. lemon juice (fresh)
    • 1 tsp. dried mint
    • ½ tsp. salt
    • ½ tsp. black pepper

    Instructions

    Salad

    • Chop all the vegetables and place in a large salad bowl.
    • Whisk the dressing ingredients, and add to the chopped vegetables.
    • Taste the salad, and adjust seasoning, if necessary. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 309mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    1. Kelly Methey says

      March 22, 2020 at 2:59 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great salad! Thanks! Sometimes simple is best!

      Reply
      • HildaSterner says

        March 22, 2020 at 7:24 pm

        Thanks, Kelly, no truer words have ever been spoken! 😉

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Hilda! I'm the creator of Hilda's Kitchen Blog, author of Mom's Authentic Assyrian Recipes, and a recipe contributor to Brian Baumgartner's Seriously Good Chili Cookbook (AKA Kevin Malone, from The Office).

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