Easy Israeli Salad Recipe with Tomato and Cucumber
This easy Israeli salad recipe with tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs is a light and refreshing summer side. Tossed in a simple lemon, red wine vinegar, and olive oil dressing; it’s healthy, gluten-free, vegan, and comes together in minutes—perfect for warm-weather meals.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
You may also be interested in my Mediterranean orzo salad and my summer grain salad recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my salad recipes in one place.
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Israeli salad recipe
This salad recipe checks all the boxes – it’s refreshing, healthy, delicious, and super easy to throw together.
It makes great use of what many people grow in their gardens – if you grow some of your own vegetables, you may not have to go farther than your backyard to get your ingredients.
What you need to know
Because the recipe is so simple, ingredients matter. You’ll want to use produce at its peak. The trick is chopping everything finely. If you look at the photo below, you’ll see how small everything is diced. That’s the key to a perfect bite – getting a little of each ingredient in every forkful.
This Israeli salad isn’t just tasty—it gives your body a little hydration boost, too. With naturally hydrating veggies like cucumbers and tomatoes, it’s perfect for summer.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes – I like to use a variation of tomatoes. I use tomatoes and different sizes and colors for maximum visual appeal.
- Cucumbers – Seedless English cucumber, or mini cocktail cucumbers have thin skins, and are the least bitter.
- Bell peppers – Any color is fine, but red and yellow are sweeter than a green pepper.
- Herbs – Parsley and scallions give the salad freshness and flavor.
- Substitution: For a milder onion flavor, swap scallions with chives.
- Sumac – This spice gives the salad a bright, citrusy flavor.
- Substitution: Add a pinch of lemon zest or a little extra red wine vinegar if you don’t have sumac.
- Dressing – Olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and honey or agave, with a bit of salt and pepper make the simple dressing the salad.
How to Make the Perfect Israeli Salad
Here’s a quick summary of how to make Israeli salad. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Add diced tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers to a salad bowl.
- Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Pour dressing over the vegetables.
- Add herbs, toss to combine and serve.
Speaking of chopping, you need a sharp chef’s knife. This is especially important when it comes to herbs. A dull knife will crush the herbs instead of slicing cleanly through them, which causes them to bruise and discolor. Use a honing steel to put a good edge on your knife and a whetstone (this is the one I own) for sharpening.
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Israeli Salad FAQ’s
You can prep it a few hours in advance, but it’s best eaten the same day.
The tomatoes will release some water as they sit, which can water down the flavor and change the texture.
If you do make it ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss it all together just before serving.
Parsley is classic, but mint adds a really nice cooling note, which is great, especially in summer. I’ve also added scallions to mine for extra flavor.
Sumac comes from a berry that grows on a bush. Native to the Middle East, it has a tangy, citrusy flavor. It tastes lemony, but not quite as tart as lemon. It has a beautiful color and it’s flavor pairs well with vegetables, fish, chicken and lamb.
Storage / Freezing Information
To store: Store leftover salad in an airtight container for up to 2 or 3 days.
To freeze: I do not recommend freezing Israeli salad.
Variations and substitutions
- Red onion – If you like a sharper bite, swap out the scallions for red onion.
- Herbs – Try dill instead of, or in addition to, parsley.
- Optional add-ins – Crumbled feta or olives are great additions for extra flavor.
Serving Ideas
Serve this crunchy vegetable salad in a wrap with a bit of hummus, or as part of a mezze platter. You can also serve it as a side with any of your favorite grilled meats, chicken, or fish.
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Easy Israeli Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatoes seeded and diced / about 3 medium sized tomatoes, or a mixture of grape, cherry and garden varieties
- 1 pound mini cucumbers diced / or 1 1/2 seedless English cucumbers
- 1 bell pepper diced / preferably red, orange, or yellow
- 2 scallions thinly sliced / use 2 tbsp. chopped chives for a milder flavor
- ⅓ cup flat-leaf Italian parsley washed, dried and finely chopped
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey (or agave if vegan)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice *Adjust to your preferences if you don't like tart flavors
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar *Adjust to your preferences if you don't like tart flavors
- 1 teaspoon sumac Add in 1 tablespoon of lemon zest if you don't have sumac.
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Finely dice tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers, then add to a medium mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, honey, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sumac, salt and pepper together.
- Pour olive oil mixture (dressing) over the diced vegetables.
- Add diced scallions and chopped parsley, then gently toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Notes
- The key to this salad is to cut everything very small. It takes a little more time, but the payoff is worth the effort!
- It can be eaten as a side dish, pile it in a pita for a light lunch or scoop up with toasted pita chips for a snack.
- If mini cucumbers are not in your market, buy the long, thin English cucumbers. Avoid the “regular” cucumbers, their flavor and texture is not as good.
Nutrition
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Originally published 9/8/12, most recent update 6/11/25.
Oh, I love the sumac addition, Sissy!
I have sumac and have never used it! This is such an easy and great salad…. instead of buying lettuce I need to be making this!