Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Jerusalem Salad


I started doing a web search for the Jerusalem Salad recipes when the price at my son's favorite restaurant nearly doubled.  This is a wonderful recipe to use when tomatoes and cucumbers are in season.  In the winter, I use plum tomatoes.

Jerusalem Salad
1 English cucumber, sliced (if large, I take out the seeds)
6 firm plum tomatoes, seeds squeezed out and diced
1 cup (more or less to taste) of parsley, chopped
3 or 4 Tbs. tahini sauce (to taste)
Pepper
Salt if needed

Optional:  Sprinkle with ground sumac

Tahini Sauce*
5 Tbs. tahini (more or less to taste but start with 5)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 or 2 lemons (to taste)
zest of 1 lemon (both if you love lemon)
salt to taste

Blend ingredients until smooth.  If needed, add just a tablespoon of water at a time to thin from paste into a thick sauce.  You don't want it too thin.  Can be made ahead and chilled.

I found by taking the seeds out of cucumbers and tomatoes, it helps the salad to not become as watery (such as shown in the photo).  Use any tomato or cucumber in season.

This is one of those recipes that you can definitely tweak to your liking by adding more or less of any of the ingredients, adding spices, etc.

*This sauce makes more than you would need for the listed vegetables.  You can reserve it in the frig for another time or double the amount of veggies, which you would have to for a larger family, anyway.

Note:  I prefer the Joyva brand of tahini, sold in a can.  I store in the frig once it has been opened in hot and humid weather.  Otherwise, I use it so quickly that I keep it on the pantry shelf.

3 comments:

Terra said...

My family would love this. We had a cucumber/tomato salad with seasoned rice vinegar for Father's Day, and we like tahini so I will try this idea from you.

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

This looks delicious... a perfect summer salad.

Anonymous said...

What a healthy salad. I had never heard of Jerusalem salad until I read about it recently on your blog. It's a good thing to make when the tomatoes and cukes start producing.
Thanks.

Dee