Israeli Salad with Feta
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Crunchy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes tossed with lemon, olive oil, and fragrant herbs, Israeli salad is a staple on Israeli tables from morning til night. You’ll love this version with creamy, tangy feta.
If you’ve ever visited Israel, chances are you’ve encountered the iconic Israeli salad, locally known as salat or salat katzuzt, meaning “salad” or “chopped salad.” A beloved staple in Israeli cuisine, this refreshing dish graces the table at almost every meal, including breakfast. It’s literally everywhere—from people’s homes to humble falafel stands to all types of restaurants. The salad typically features a base of finely diced cucumbers and tomatoes, dressed simply with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. I personally love adding tangy, creamy feta cheese for extra richness and flavor. The salad is perfect eaten by itself, stuffed into a pita with hummus and falafel, or served alongside chicken kebabs or lamb kofta.
While commonly known as “Israeli salad” in the West, particularly within American Jewish communities, this tomato and cucumber salad is known by different names in various regions. In Arab countries, it’s referred to as Arab salad. In Iran, a similar dish is called Salad Shirazi, and in Turkey and parts of the Eastern Mediterranean, it’s known as Shepherd’s salad or Çoban Salatası.
Table of Contents
“Oh my goodness—so good—and it sings of summer! Another winner…I could eat this for lunch and dinner!”
What You’ll Need To Make Israeli Salad With Feta
This recipe calls for English (or hothouse) cucumbers, the long and thin cucumbers wrapped in plastic and often sold in packs of three. Because their skin is thin and unwaxed, English cucumbers do not need to be peeled. To seed them, simply cut them in half lengthwise, and then use a small spoon to scrape the seeds out.
While Israeli salad can be made with any type of tomato, I prefer grape tomatoes since they are super-sweet and don’t need to be seeded. Just cut them in half and you’re good to go.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by chopping all of the salad components. Try to cut the cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta all about the same size.
Combine all of the ingredients except for the feta in a mixing bowl. Toss well and refrigerate for up to a few hours.
Before serving, mix in the diced feta.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon and salt, if necessary.
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Israeli Salad with Feta
Crunchy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes tossed with lemon, olive oil, and fragrant herbs, Israeli salad is a staple on Israeli tables from morning til night. You’ll love this version with creamy, tangy feta.
Ingredients
- 2 English (or hothouse) cucumbers, seeded and diced (no need to peel)
- 1 (10.5 oz) pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 4 thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz feta cheese, diced (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the feta cheese; toss well. Add the feta and gently mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice, if necessary. Transfer to a platter and serve.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The salad can be prepared up to point of adding the feta up to three hours ahead of time. Store the salad in a covered container in the refrigerator. Before serving, toss in the feta, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 139
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 347 mg
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I am not a big fan of mint but followed the recipe anyway. Glad I did! It is a light and lovely salad. I will make this many times this summer with toms, cukes, parsely, and mint from my garden. Thanks for the recipe!!
Do you think I can substitute curly parsley for the Italian Flat?
Sure, that should be fine. 😊
I made this salad last night and love it! I usually am not a fan of mint and had doubts about how it would interact with the lemon juice (initially considered reducing the amount of mint), but after tasting it I found that it’s in the perfect proportions. I will certainly make this one again!
Another winner! I just made this today, have already had two bowls of it. The combination of mint and parsley makes it taste so bright and fresh.
I am not commenting on this particular recipe but wanted to tell you that when I was in college, my apartment managers were from Israel. I became friends and often ate with them. They would make a similar, but simpler, salad at practically every meal. Tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I make that salad all summer long using the vegetables from my garden. I can’t get enough of it – so refreshing. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes. I have learned a lot and become a better cook because of your guidance.
❣️
I made this once as per the recipe and it’s so good. I’ve been watching The Great American Recipe and a contestant made an Israeli salad. The judge complimented him on is knife skills and how important it was to have all the ingredients chopped the same size. This time when I made the salad I added couscous I had pan toasted and simmered in chicken stock. Then I thought “what the heck” it’s a Jenn recipe and I can’t screw it up no matter what I add so I oven roasted chick peas tossed in zataar and sumac and a few other spies and added that to the salad. It is so delicious and a completely satisfying meal. Great go-to lunch when I’m busy and realize I’m hungry NOW and it’s just so healthy I feel good about eating bowlfuls.
My two favorite spices, Sumac and Zaatar
Love this recipe, but have a question. I normally use just one English cucumber because they are so large (at least the ones available near me). Two seems like they would overwhelm the tomatoes. But is the recipe designed to taste more of cucumber?
Hi Suzanne, Glad you like it! I like the balance of flavor and color that 2 cucumbers provide. While it’s not imperative that you use two, you may want to increase the tomatoes if you only use one.
Fantastic recipe! I’ve made it so many times now
I have made this several times now and I’m Always amazed how such simple ingredients pack such a flavor punch! Summer in a bowl. Perfection.
I am 75 year old lebanese and we have been making this salad for generations. I am glad a lot of the readers loved it.