Vegetable Salad
This fresh vegetable salad is a simple yet flavorful dish inspired by the classic Middle Eastern style. Made with crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, radish, and a sprinkle of parsley and mint, it’s light, refreshing, and full of vitamins. Also, it’s naturally vegan and vegetarian, making it the perfect healthy side or even a light main meal. Quick to prepare, nutritious, and bursting with flavor, this salad is proof that healthy eating can be both easy and delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 cups lettuce iceberg
- 1 cup cucumber
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 small red onion
- ½ cup radish
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped mint
For dressing:
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 lime juice 3 tbsp
- 1 clove of garlic Optional
- Pinch of black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Start by rinsing all your vegetables under cold water to keep everything crisp and fresh. Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.
- Take your head of lettuce and cut it into thin slices or bite-sized pieces, depending on how you like your salad texture. Place the lettuce into a large salad bowl as the foundation of your dish.
- Next, move on to the cucumber, onion, tomatoes, and radish. Cut the cucumber into medium dice, keeping the pieces small enough for a single bite but not too tiny that they lose their crunch. Dice the onion and tomatoes to roughly the same size, making sure everything blends evenly. Slice the radish thinly to add that peppery kick and extra freshness.
- Roughly chop a generous handful of fresh parsley and mint. These herbs are what give the salad its old-fashioned Middle Eastern flair. They lift the flavors and bring a refreshing aroma to every forkful. Sprinkle them over the vegetables in the salad bowl.
- Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl or jar, combine your dressing ingredients, usually a good squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, and maybe a crack of black pepper. Whisk or shake until the dressing is well combined and slightly emulsified.
- Pour the dressing evenly over the chopped vegetables and herbs. With clean hands or salad tongs, gently toss everything together until the vegetables are fully coated in that zesty dressing.
- Your salad is now ready! Serve immediately while the veggies are crisp and the flavors fresh. This dish pairs beautifully with almost any main meal, or you can enjoy it on its own for a light, refreshing bite.