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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Easy to make. Everyone loved it! I sliced up some cooked chicken breast to put over it. Simple and so good. Thanks!
I love this salad, made it many times. However, I never use two whole English cucumbers as they are huge (at least the ones in my grocery store) and seems like they would overwhelm the tomatoes. I often use less than one. What are others’ experience?
Adding another 5 star review! I’ve never used mint thinking I wouldn’t like it. Everything in this dish was perfectly matched. The mint, parsley and dressing ingredients make everything pop. Just the right amount of steps and ingredients. I’ll be checking other recipes now on your site.
Absolutely delicious. I’ve dreamt about this salad since I made it. I’ll be making it again. The flavors blend together so beautifully. This will be my go-to salad to share at events.
Absolutely delicious! Paired perfectly with fish.
I made this tonight to eat with grilled salmon and grilled corn on the cob. The salad was the star of the meal! Delicious and super easy to pull together on this sweltering Boston evening (97 degrees anyone??). I’m already looking forward to eating the leftovers for breakfast. My brother in law is Israeli and we eat some version of this everyday when we visit him. Next time I am going to add canned, rinsed chickpeas to it to make it a full meal and thinking of other options to change it up like diced peppers, or adding fresh dill or cilantro.
Love how food crossed borders and cultures!
Delicious and easy. We put it in a pita with gyro left from our restaurant meal last night. We made the Israeli Salad as a side. Yummy!
This is a very refreshing salad and I will be packing for my lunches throughout the summer. All of your recipes are amazing and I look forward to trying out more, thank you Jenn 🙂
This is the most-requested salad at our house!
It goes with almost any Asian/Middle Eastern dish. I usually serve it with Middle Eastern chicken kebabs, but have also served it with Asian BBQ thighs to Indians, and as a salad with pizza. But it’s especially nice knowing that it’s Israeli.
Thank you, Jenn!