Israeli Chopped Salad (Salat Katzutz)

Tags: #israeli #salad #vegan #glutenfree #pareve Serving: 4 servings Total time: 20 minutes

A bright, finely diced cucumber–tomato–herb salad dressed with lemon and olive oil, served at nearly every Israeli table.

Ingredients

• 300 g cucumbers (Persian or mini)
• 400 g ripe tomatoes (firm)
• 80 g red onion
• 25 g flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 5 g fresh mint leaves (optional)
• 30 ml fresh lemon juice
• 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 g fine sea salt
• 1 g ground black pepper
• 2 g ground sumac (optional)

Steps

1. Wash cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and mint.
2. Dry cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and mint.
3. Trim ends from cucumbers.
4. Halve cucumbers lengthwise.
5. Scrape cucumber seeds with a spoon if present.
6. Dice cucumbers into 5 mm cubes.
7. Core tomatoes.
8. Dice tomatoes into 5 mm cubes.
9. Peel red onion.
10. Dice red onion into 3–5 mm pieces.
11. Chop parsley leaves finely.
12. Chop mint leaves finely (optional).
13. Place cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and mint in a large bowl.
14. Add lemon juice to the bowl.
15. Add olive oil to the bowl.
16. Add salt to the bowl.
17. Add black pepper to the bowl.
18. Toss salad gently until coated.
19. Taste the salad.
20. Adjust salt and lemon juice to taste.
21. Sprinkle sumac over the salad (optional).
22. Serve the salad immediately.

Notes

• Dice size is key: a fine, even 5 mm chop gives the signature texture and prevents sogginess.
• Use firm, flavorful tomatoes (Roma or vine-ripened) to reduce excess liquid.
• For a drier salad, seed tomatoes before dicing or drain diced tomatoes in a sieve for 5 minutes.
• Classic additions vary by home; common variations include 120 g green bell pepper (diced 5 mm) or 80 g radish (diced 5 mm).
• Serve alongside eggs (e.g., shakshuka), falafel, schnitzel, grilled fish, or with labneh on the table.
• For a herby twist, substitute sumac with 4 g za’atar and reduce black pepper to 0.5 g.