Description
Ina Garten’s Middle Eastern vegetable salad delivers a Mediterranean symphony of fresh ingredients dancing on your plate. Crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and fragrant herbs mingle with zesty lemon dressing, promising a refreshing culinary journey you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Herbs:
- 10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and ½-inch-diced
- 1 pound (454 grams) ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and ½-inch-diced
- ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) chopped fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) chopped fresh mint leaves
- ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) julienned fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) minced garlic (3 cloves)
Proteins and Dairy:
- 1 can or jar (12 to 16 ounces or 340 to 454 grams) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 8 ounces (227 grams) good feta cheese, ½-inch-diced
Liquids and Seasonings:
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) good olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Toasted pita bread, for serving
Instructions
- Prep the produce by finely chopping scallions, dicing ripe tomatoes, and slicing crisp cucumber into uniform bite-sized pieces.
- Add chickpeas, freshly chopped parsley, fragrant mint leaves, and aromatic basil to the chopped vegetables in a spacious mixing bowl.
- Craft the vibrant dressing by whisking freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately or 45 milliliters) with minced garlic cloves.
- Season the dressing mixture with of kosher salt and of freshly ground black pepper.
- Slowly drizzle extra virgin olive oil (or 60 milliliters) into the dressing while continuously whisking to create a smooth, emulsified vinaigrette.
- Gently fold the dressing into the vegetable mixture, ensuring each ingredient is lightly coated and distributed evenly.
- Crumble high-quality feta cheese (or 115 grams) over the salad, allowing delicate cheese fragments to nestle among the vegetables.
- Perform a final gentle toss to incorporate the feta without breaking the cheese into overly small pieces.
- Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper according to personal taste preferences.
- Serve immediately alongside warm, toasted pita bread for an authentic and refreshing Mediterranean-style experience.
Notes
- Slice veggies with precision to create a harmonious texture where each ingredient complements the others in size and crunch.
- Select peak-season produce for maximum flavor, ensuring tomatoes are ripe and herbs are vibrant and fragrant.
- Whisk dressing ingredients gradually to develop a silky emulsion that beautifully binds the Mediterranean salad components.
- Sprinkle salt moments before serving to maintain vegetable crispness and prevent unwanted moisture from seeping into the dish.
- Crisp pita bread to golden perfection, transforming it into the perfect vehicle for scooping up the zesty salad mixture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 25mg