ISRAELI SALAD: A BOWL OF HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND OF COURSE THE LEAFY GREENS

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Life can only be appreciated by stripping it down to its finer nuances. That fact also holds the key to producing an astute Israeli Salad. This salad, that has come to assume a key role in traditional Israeli breakfast, is made up of fresh vegetables diced down to their finest.

History

The history of the Israeli Salad is just as prismatic as the ingredients used. There are some who believe that the roots of the Israeli Salad are grounded in Russia where such chopped salads had been in vogue even before Israel was founded.

However, according to Gil Hovav, an Israeli food editor, and chef, the origin of this salad can be traced to a Palestinian and Arab salad. This commonly acknowledged fact is also seconded by the Palestinian professor, Joseph Massad of the University of Colombia. This, in fact, is a classic example of espousal of pan-Syrian and Palestinian foods by Israel, says professor Massad.

Adopted from the Arabian cuisine and familiarized by Israel, the basic recipe for the Israeli Salad has endured several variations over time, courtesy of the diverse Jewish groups who immigrated to the country. For example, the Indian Jews took experimented with finely chopped green chili peppers and ginger to add to the flavor, whereas the Jews from North African Jews took liberties with cayenne pepper and the peel of preserved lemon.

Health Benefits of Israeli Salad

The basic health benefit of Israeli Salad is that it’s a salad!  A salad that uses fresh green vegetables as its ingredients! We doubt we need to say more.

·         The salad has health written all over it. It is rich in dietary fibers.

·         It’s low-fat. It’s an effortless, delicious way meet the fitness demands of your body.

·         It’s rich in vitamins and antioxidants and can be enjoyed at all times of the day throughout the year.

·         It has not a trace of cholesterol in it.

·         You don’t need to feel like a cattle grazing of the green leafs trying to include more veggies in your diet. The Israeli Salad takes care of that in style!

Ingredients and directions

Here, now lighten up your day with a bowl of pure nourishment. It is a stimulating salad for an equally stimulating health.

·         Preparation time:  15 minutes

·         Cooking time: No cooking time.

·         Serves: Everyone in your family with a daily dose of health with streaks of taste

·         Level of Cooking- Easy

Ingredients

·         1 lb. Small, sweet, Persian cucumbers (if unavailable make do with the larger English variety)

·         1 lb. Tomatoes (fresh from the vine)

·         1/3rd cup Red onions.  (Minced)

For seasoning

·         ½ cup Parsley (minced)

·         Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 tablespoons

·         Lemon juice, 3 tablespoons

·         Salt

·         Pepper

Directions

·         Peel and seed the cumber after washing them thoroughly

·         Wash the tomatoes, cut them in quarters and seed them too

·         Peel the onions, cut them in quarters, ready to be minced

·         While dicing the cumber, tomatoes and the onions remember to make the pieces as fine as possible.

·         Put them all in a mixing bowl and top them with the minced parsley

·         If you are adding extra herbs, please go ahead but make sure you wash them well and remove the stems and leaves

·         Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil next

·         Mix well such that every spoon of the salad should consist of a colorful mosaic of the ingredients in their tiniest and the seasoning should be uniformly spread.

Nutrition Info

·         Calories per serving- 62.5

·         Total fat- 5.6 g

·         Sodium- 308.2 g

·         Potassium- 172.8g

·         Cholesterol- 0.0 mg

·         Carbohydrate- 4.4g

Prepare and savor this delicacy right away.