Okay, I have to admit it, this salad looks really delicious. And guess what? It is! One of the interesting things about basic Israeli cuisine is the emphasis on fresh vegetables for breakfast and for supper, which is traditionally a light meal. (The largest meat meal is eaten in the afternoon, a very healthy way to go, but I still haven’t adjusted to this…..) The vegetables in Israel are delicious and it was here that I first saw someone eating a whole tomato like a fruit. And cucumbers, which are generally much smaller than the American version, are also taken to school with a sandwich and eaten whole. No dainty vegetable sticks around here!
Getting back to this salad, it makes a great breakfast/brunch meal together with eggs and toast, and of course would be delicious anytime with grilled cheese sandwiches, soup or even pasta. Though I highly recommend treating yourself to a salad for breakfast, there’s really nothing like it. Oh, and just for the record, a real Israeli salad doesn’t have cheese on top, that’s my little personal touch, inspired by a Greek salad!
Ingredients:
- tomatoes
- cucumbers
- red peppers
- yellow peppers
- carrots
- fresh parsely (optional, not seen in photo)
- red onion or green onions (optional)
- salty white cheese such as feta or bulgarian cheese
- fresh lemon juice
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- Chop all the vegetables into tiny squares. The traditional Israeli salad is tomatoes and cucumbers finely chopped, but I like the look and taste of a few more vegetables. And carrots chopped in tiny squares gives a really nice crunch to the combination.
- Add a touch of oil, go on the light side
- Squeeze at least one whole lemon for a large bowl and 1/2 a lemon for a small bowl, and add juice to salad
- Add salt and pepper to taste and mix
- Add chopped parsley and chopped red or green onion if desired
- Chop cheese into small squares and serve salad with cheese on top
Note: If salad will not be eaten fairly soon after preparation, omit the tomatoes and put them in right before serving so that salad will retain its crispness.
Enjoy! And if your kids like it, so spend a few extra minutes in the morning and send them to school with a little container of salad. You’ll feel like such a good mother! Now if I can just figure out how to take my own advice, I’ll feel like a good mother too!
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