Recognized as the national dish in Israel, the Israeli salad or salad yearkot isone of the simplest yet freshest and tastiest things to eat and experience in Israel. In its basic form it is simply a tomato cucumber salad with fresh parsley and olive oil and lemon juice. But what makes this dish so distinguishable is the finely diced ingredients. The finer the cucumbers and tomatoes are chopped the more distinguished the salad!   The Israeli salad can also have other ingredients in it like zathar, fresh mint or dill, feta cheese, green onions but it is never seen with lettuce. Another distinguishing factor is that the cucumbers are never peeled. The cucumbers they have in Israel are what Americans would call the Persian variety of cucumber, a smaller, firmer cucumber that looks more like a pickling cucumber. Served 24 hours a day all over the country it is well known for being a must in the traditional Israeli breakfast, which includes all of or some of the following, pita or fresh breads, cheeses, lebane or feta, eggs, and other salads, like tuna and herb salads.

Here is my version of the Israeli Salad:

Nissa’s Israeli Salad
Serves 4
2 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped fine
2 cucumbers (euro-cucumbers), chopped fine
(if you are using Israeli or Persian cucumbers use 6-8 cucumbers)
¾ cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
Juice of 2 lemons
¼ cup olive oil
Course salt
Black pepper
Bulgarian Feta

Mix the tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley in a medium mixing bowl until combined well. Pour the lemon juice and olive oil in and gently stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with crumbled Bulgarian feta to serve.

I enjoy mine with eggs and pita for breakfast with a fresh squeezed glass of mitz eshcoliot!