This simple yet flavorful salad is our dad’s Friday night staple. During the summer, he picks the tomatoes and cucumbers from his garden and adds a generous amount of jalapeño peppers. If you don’t like a lot of heat, feel free to use a smaller amount of peppers. Be aware, however, that not all jalapeños have the same heat level! Some are a lot hotter than others. Make sure to thoroughly wash your hands after cutting them, and remember never to touch your eyes (we’ve learned that lesson the hard way…).
It’s better to enjoy this salad the same day it’s prepared. Once it sits for too long, the tomatoes might become a little too soggy.
Excerpted from “Tahini & Turmeric: 101 Middle Eastern Classics—Made Irresistibly Vegan” by Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox. Copyright ©2018. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Spicy Israeli Salsa
Spice up your vegetables this Shabbat.
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 lb assorted colored tomatoes, diced small
- 5–6 Persian cucumbers, diced small
- 2–3 jalapeno peppers, diced small
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼–½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well.
- Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Quick
- Cuisine: Israeli
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My husband & i tried this and found it a fast & easy delicious variation on more traditional Tex-Mex style salsas. We highly recommend it. Thanks for sharing it!
Help! This sounds great but we don’t eat cilantro. What would be a good replacement in this recipe?
Recommendation to replace cilantro? We don’t eat it.
Hi Barbara! You can replace with another herb that you like. Try a little mint or parsley, perhaps?
fresh dill!