Break-Fast Israeli Salad
8 years ago Archive 0
By: Danielle Collins
Every Yom Kippur, my family enjoys a simple dairy meal to break-fast. My grandma makes her unbelievable homemade tuna fish and eggs, lox, and onions. My aunt brings hot bagels and a fresh fruit platter. Our family always brings crudité and a Middle Eastern salad which everyone loves. One of my favorite things in the world is to create beautiful salads, full of vibrant colors and complex flavors. This year, I was inspired to create my own Israeli salad for the family.
Living in the suburbs with lots of acreage, I love the spring, summer, and fall because of the local farms and farmers markets that sell fresh picked produce. When I came home one August afternoon after spending a day with friends, I found farm tomatoes and basil on my kitchen table. That was the day I began crafting this recipe. Today, as Yom Kippur draws near, I share my Israeli salad recipe with all of you!
Break-Fast Israeli Salad
Yom Kippur is the holiest of the Jewish holidays. It is a period of self-reflection, of prayer, of remembrance. At the after-fast meal, surround yourself with good people and good food. Celebrate all you have to be thankful for.
Ingredients (Salad)
3 large cucumbers
3 cups of cherry tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes
1 small red onion
1 cup of fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, mint, basil etc.)
½ black or green olives (suggestion: Kalamata)
Ingredients (Dressing)
2 juicy lemons (about ¼ to ½ cup)
2 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. of dried oregano
1 tsp. of dried thyme
Method
1.) Wash all produce.
2.) Cut the ends off the cucumbers and cut them into slices. Then, cut each cucumber round into 4 or 6 pieces depending upon the diameter of the cucumber.
3.) Cut the cherry tomatoes in quarters. If using large tomatoes, match the size of the tomato pieces to the size of the chopped cucumber.
4.) Dice the onion. Add all veggies to a large bowl. Then, add the herbs and olives. Mix everything together.
5.) To prepare the dressing recipe, start by squeezing the lemon juice into a bowl.
6.) Combine the lemon juice with the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and thyme. You can pour dressing on the salad directly or serve it on the side.
7.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
