This has got to be one of my favorite salads. Again I am about presentation and I love all the colors in this salad. I like when a salad has many different textures and flavors to make it more interesting. This recipe calls for Sumac which is a red berry that is native to the Middle East. You will find it in a powdered form, you can purchase at Whole Foods & Penzeys Spices. Sumac has an astringent lemon flavor.
MEDITERRANEAN SALAD
1 pound cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cucumber diced
1 red pepper diced
1 can chick peas rinsed and drained
1 cup matchstick carrots
4 scallions, thinly sliced
½ small red onion, sliced
¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped dill
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
black olives sliced
salad greens for serving
Dressing:
½ – 1 teaspoon cayenne (depends how spicy you like it )
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sumac ( Penzey’s Spices )
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon
salt & pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Vinaigrette: whisk the lemon juice, garlic, honey, dijon, seasonings, salt & pepper. Slowly incorporate the olive oil. Taste and adjust salt & pepper if needed.
Combine all of the salad ingredients except the olives, feta and greens in a large bowl, add a couple of ladles of vinaigrette and let the flavors enhance for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes toss together, taste and adjust with more vinaigrette if needed. Garnish with olives and feta, serve with pita bread and greens.
If you want to add a protein to your salad, serve with chicken or shrimp skewers. Season with the Sumac, salt & pepper, drizzle with olive oil and grill.