Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and scallions are tossed with parsley, za’atar, lemon and olive oil in this fresh and healthy Lebanese Chopped Salad recipe.
As much as I love a good, traditional house salad. with the gorgeous fresh vegetables I get each week from the farmer’s market, I love experimenting with different chopped salads. This week I made a Lebanese Chopped Salad inspired by my upbringing and Middle Eastern cuisine. What’s great about a chopped salad is that it will last up to 3 days in the fridge, unlike a lettuce-based salad. The sturdier vegetables don’t wilt as quickly, so you can easily make this salad in advance for a healthy side dish!
Ingredients
- Tomato: Juicy, sweet, and full of antioxidants, tomatoes make a great base for a chopped salad.
- Bell peppers: You can use any color bell peppers, and I often like to use a mixture of red, yellow, and green!
- Cucumber: Crunchy, juicy, and somewhat sweet, cucumbers are also great at keeping you hyrdrated.
- Parsley: Fresh herbs are a great topper to any salad. If you don’t have parsley, you could use cilantro, basil, or dill!
- Green onions: Also called scallions, they add mild onion flavor and some color!
- Mint: Fresh mint gives this salad not only a great taste of freshness, but also adds to that classic Lebanese flavor.
- Lemon: Paired with the olive oil, it makes a bright and citrusy dressing for the salad.
- Olive oil: Mild in flavor and heart healthy, olive oil makes the best salad dressings.
- Garlic: Pungent and aromatic flavor that helps to dress the salad in delicious flavor.
- Za’atar: If you aren’t familiar with za’atar, think of it like the all-purpose spice from the Middle East. It’s great for spicing up a salad, as well as meat and seafood!
How to Make A Lebanese Chopped Salad
Start your Lebanese chopped salad by washing and chopping all of your vegetables and herbs.
Then add your chopped veggies and minced herbs to a large bowl.
While you can make the vinaigrette dressing in a separate bowl, I like to make it right on top. So take a microplane and grate your garlic cloves.
Then add the fresh lemon juice and olive oil over the top.
Finish with the za’atar and some salt and black pepper to taste.
Toss it all together until salad is evenly coated in dressing as and you have an even distribution of the veggies.
Serve alongside your favorite main course, and enjoy your Lebanese Chopped Salad!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a chopped salad?
Unlike a traditional salad, a chopped salad usually isn’t lettuce-based. Instead, it’s made with a variety of fresh vegetables chopped in bite-sized pieces and tossed with a vinaigrette of your choice.
Is tabouleh a chopped salad?
Tabbouleh salad (or tabouli) is a finely chopped salad usually with parsley, tomato, mint, and bulgur wheat. It could be considered a chopped salad, but typically think of salads with larger cut vegetables when I hear “chopped salad.”
Where did chopped salads come from?
Many parts of the world have salads that could be considered a chopped salad, but the term didn’t really start being used until the 1950s.
More Unique Salads
- Cucumber Zucchini Salad
- Greek Brown Rice Salad
- Mediterranean Chopped Salad
- Fresh Mushroom Salad with Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette
- Chicken Tawook Fattoush Salad
Eat It, Like It, Share it!
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Fresh and flavorful, this Lebanese Chopped Salad makes a great side for grilled meats or fish!
Your fork is waiting.
Lebanese Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium tomato (diced)
- 2 bell peppers (any color, seeded and diced)
- 1 cup cucumber (diced)
- ½ cup parsley (minced)
- ½ cup green onions (diced)
- ¼ cup fresh mint (minced)
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon za'atar
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Place all the vegetables and herbs in a large bowl and drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Add garlic, za'atar, salt, and pepper then toss well. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.