Lebanese Salata

When the weather begins to warm up I look for recipes that are light and refreshing.  My husband and I frequent a local Lebanese restaurant.  Our favorite item on the menu is their Lebanese Salata.  We order it as a starter each time we dine there.  The first time I tasted it I knew that I had to recreate the dish at home, so I combed through many recipes and put together what I though was a great copycat recipe.  Then one day I was talking with a colleague at work and she mentioned that she frequently makes Lebanese food for her family at home and that the salada was one recipe that she made often.  She was kind enough to give me her recipe for salata.  I just made it this weekend and found that hers was a very close match to the dish at our favorite restaurant.  But of course, I did make a few tweaks. I would like to share the recipe with you here. 

In this salata, I use fresh tomatoes, an English cucumber, onions, seasonings, fresh lemon juice, olive oil and fresh mint leaves. The recipe calls for four tablespoons of chopped mint leaves, but if you favor the taste of mint, feel free to add more.  To serve it as a complete meal, serve it over a bed of chopped lettuce, add some garbanzo beans and sunflower seeds, and/or add your favorite grilled chicken or steak with some pita bread on the side (or stuff the salad into the pita pockets).  I prefer to eat it with warm pita bread that has been cut in half, simply spoon the salata on top, fold and eat.  Its a little messy, but it is worth it!

Enjoy!

Lebanese Salata

Makes 6 – 8 Servings

2 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbls. Fresh lemon juice
1 Tsp. Dried Oregano
1 Tsp. Onion Powder
2 Garlic cloves, minced very fine, or 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 Tsp. each Salt and Pepper
½ of an English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (I leave some of the peal on by peeling it lengthwise in strips)
2 Medium Fresh Tomatoes, partially seeded (I leave some of the seeds in so as to make it saucier)
¼ Cup Scallions (about 3), chopped
2 Tbls. Flat leaf parsley, chopped
4 Tbls. Mint Leaves, chopped; divided use (chop 2 tablespoons when combining, and chop the other 2 tablespoons just before you serve)
Pita Bread, cut in half

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, onion powder, garlic, salt and pepper.  Whisk to combine.  To the bowl, add the cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and 2 tablespoons of the chopped mint.  Mix all to combine. 

Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to four hours.  Stir in an additional 2 tablespoons of chopped mint when you are ready to serve the salata.  Serve with the halves of pita bread on the side.