I can’t believe summer is almost over 😦 It’s been a crazy busy summer for us here, but in a good way! It’s been the reason for the long summer slump in my blog 😦 But there should not be any excuses for the absence! This recipe is my desperate attempt to hold on to some more time in the Sun,  few more BBQ’s and lots of fresh salad like this!

We did end up travelling to different cities and the best part; tried out lots of new restaurants and dishes! Whenever we would come back home, I would definitely be inspired by something we ate on our trip. Then I would try to recreate it. One of the few things that I have made numerous times this past summer is the Israeli/Turkish salad. We first tried it at from the all-time famous store Zabar’s in New York.

We were getting ready for our drive back to Boston and of course could not leave before a stop at this quintessential New York gourmet store. I quickly grabbed a fresh Baguette and a large box of this colorful salad that seemed so attractive! In the car we literally devoured the salad with the bread 🙂 in less than half an hour.

Of course, I had to try and recreate it! This salad has many variations and different names also. It’s also called Turkish Salad. Some people add garlic, cilantro or parsley to it. Some add Sumac or Zaatar seasoning. This variation is super simple with minimum seasonings but a ton of flavor! There is no added sugar to the dressing even.

Just remember to keep it in the refrigerator for at least an hour for optimum flavors. So feel free to experiment. The version I have here for you is very simple. But oh my god it is super delicious! It goes really well with kebabs, grilled veggies, burgers or grilled pizza! Don’t get me started on the thin crust grilled pizza! That’s an altogether new blog post 🙂 It travels well also, so great for picnics!

We made it countless times with our weekend BBQ’s! Bottom line is; this is a fantastically easy to make healthy salad. It goes well with a ton of dishes. I promise you, once you make it; you will make it again and again. 

Ingredients: 

Red bell pepper – 1

Yellow bell pepper – 1

Orange bell pepper – 1

English Cucumber – ½ (keep peel on)

Roma Tomatoes – 1 (remove seeds and juice)

Red onion – ½

Extra virgin olive oil – 1 Tbs

White Balsamic Vinegar – 1 ½ Tbs

Lemon – ½ fresh lemons juice

Salt – 1 tsp

Pepper – ½ tsp

Directions:

• Dice up all the above veggies of similar size.

• In a large bowl add the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk it well.
• Add the diced veggies to the above dressing.
• Keep the salad in the refrigerator for about an hour or so for optimum flavor. This is super important!
• Enjoy with your burger, kebabs, grilled veggies, pizza or plain pita chips!

Nutritional content: 

Serving Size: 1 medium size bowl

Total Servings: 4

Per Serving:  81 Cal, Fat 3.7 g, Sodium 3.8 g, Potassium 308 mg, Carbs 12.5 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Sugar 5.8 g, Protein 2.2 g, Vit A 30%, Vit C 260%, Calcium 1.3%, Iron 3.5%

PS. I am sharing this recipe with No Croutons Required