Here's some variations from the comments, add yours and I'll list them here. Also don't forget to support us on patreon www.patreon.com/MiddleEats @Forest Route - Lebanese - Cucumber, tomato and mint with olive oil and vinegar @dellanfere - Syrian - We Dress our basic salad with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, mint and summac OR sweet paprika flakes @Tilman Baumann - Moroccan - Finely diced onion and peeled tomatoes (cored), Lemon juice, salt, optional green pepper and parsley @Ece Kalem - Turkish - Sheppard's salad, Diced cucumber, tomatos, onions, and optionally parsley and chilli or bell pepper, dress with olive oil, lemon, salt. @discardeddede - Syrian - Cucumbers, tomatoes, dried mint und a dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil, freshly minced garlic and salt @Failed Priest - Georgia - Cucumber, onion, tomato salad with purple basil, or with a dressing of walnut paste
Im Canadian, I do parsley, baby spinach, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, red cabbage, cherry tomato, ground beef, feta cheese, olive oil, salt pepper, and lemon juice
Pakistan: Finely diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion (shallots), with mint, coriander, and South Asian lemon juice dressing with salt and pepper. Optional: white vinegar, capsicum, radishes, green chilies.
Tunisian/American here and I've always loved this salad. I prepare it with small-diced vegetables: tomato, cucumber, red or sweet onion, poblano pepper, lemon juice, garlic, a little mint, flat leaf parsley, salt, white pepper, and of course a drizzle of olive oil. Can't wait to try it with tahini.
I'm from northern India and my family has been eating this salad for generations too! We use cucumber, tomatoes, green chillies, red onion, lemon juice, salt and roasted and ground cumin and coriander seeds.
Growing up in a Lebanese family our everyday chopped salad was a simple cucumber, tomato and mint with olive oil and vinegar. I'm eager to try these variations, particularly the Palestinian one.
I live off Shirazi salad when there's a heatwave. It keeps great in the fridge for a few days - and a little bread and/or cheese and/or yogurt on the side makes a very satisfying quick guilt-free meal and avoids heating up my flat with the stove/oven. Thanks for the other versions! Can't wait to try :)
My family (Syria) dresses our basic salad with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, mint and summac OR sweet paprika flakes. So moreish and I eat it at least 2-3 times a week despite having moved out for uni!
I feel like cucumbers are a very underrated vegtable. Many people only consider them in pickle version when it is one of the refreshing bites in the world. So yeah, love these salads man
The tahini salad goes well with a hummus & falafel wrap 🤤 In our house we just throw any vegetable and green herbs availabe and dress it with olive oil, salt, and vinegar
Let's gooo! Thank you for everything you do. You guys really help me to connect back to my Egyptian culture through my dad who passed as a kid. It's really nice to have things made that I remember eating but don't know how to make. I know so much about my Nigerian side but basically nothing about my Egyptian side. Thank you. My love to you always.
My family makes something similar to this with tomato cucumber red onion basil salt and olive oil. Which is served with bread and sometimes fresh mozzarella cheese. We're from Calabria .
I made the Iranian one, the flavour is something else and as someone who always seems to lean towards more seasoning, getting that balance with the flavour of the vegetables is precious lol Now just seen there are more salads to explore in Obi's comment!
OMG!! The Lebanese version is exactly what my nearby middle eastern market/restaurant puts on their shawarma! Now I know where I get the occasional mouthful of unmixed tahini from! I'm so excited to try this one. Someone else mentioned adding sumac and that also sounds amazing.
May I recommend taking a note from Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad and smash the cucumber when using it in those kinds of salads? The smashed parts really add to the sauciness and level up the flavor quite a bit, while the crisp parts give the familiar texture...
There is something magical about garlic powder, cumin, and pomegranate molasses in the the salad. Out of these, you only mentioned cumin. You should definitely try the other two. And while you are at it, Aleppo peppers are very nice also.
There is, but I didn't mention them as my focus is on the authentic recipes, while giving people room to customise them themselves. Thanks for the suggestion.
Do you have a recipe for the pomegranate dressing? There is a Turkish restaurant that has the best salad but I can't figure out the dressing recipe. Tasted very oily when I tried making it at home.
@@Warning203 You should be able to find pomegranate molasses at most Middle Eastern or Turkish stores. It gives salads a tangy sweet taste that is hard to match. As my original posts suggest, my dressing contains pomegranate molasses, either lemon or white vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Optionally, Aleppo peppers (or sumac) have a nice smokey and very slightly spicy taste. I generally marinate my salad and let it set for a while (30 or more minutes or so) so the flavors develops a bit more. I hope that helps.
Hi Obi thank you so much for the great video!! That salad water in some areas in Egypt is called Whiskey. I am still hoping to see you cooking Taro!! Thanks a million! Cheers
Thanks. I planned on doing the whiskey part, but left it out as I was short on time. Basically the whiskey is salad water with chopped herbs, cumin, chilli, raw garlic and more vinegar. Sometimes they dress a salad with it and then drink it, other times they just use salad water and add the other stuff to it. It's quite a lot stronger than the regular salad water 🤯
How serendipitous!!! I was JUST googling this recipe for the cucumbers and tomatoes i bought this week… I’m serious! Thank you so much, it looks so good! So excited to use this today! Have a great day ☺️
I really want to like this more than once. I discovered Shirazi salad years ago from a food court kebab place and desperately tried to recreate it with little success. I am saving this video and trying all 3 salad variations very soon. Thank you!
Hi, I learned a Turkish version with tomato, cucumber, mild green chili and optional spring onions. The dressing is why I think this version of shepherds salad/coban salatasi is worth mentioning since it features pomagranate molasses, sumac, oil, salt and pepper. It is especially good, if the salad has to sit for a bit like when barcecueing since the sumac does not draw out as much moisture in my experience.
Made the Sharazi salad tonight exactly as written and it was awesome! Even though I already finished dinner, I pulled the salad back out and I keep eating it. I can't wait to make the tahini version. Keep posting your videos, Obi, you are awesome!
In Brazil we call it "vinagrete" and we use as a topping of several salty delicious treats as "pastel" and "acarajé" and also with "feijoada". Here we don't use cucumber but green and red pepper and purple or regular onions and plenty of parsley.
Oh my gosh, my boyfriend lived in Brazil for a bit and he showed me how to make feijoada with the vinagrete of red onion, tomato and green peppers. That crunch and sourness from the vegetables with the salty creaminess of the beans is amazing! It's one of my favourite meals - I can totally see how it became your national dish.
@@MiddleEats it didnt come from lebanese but from mexico's pico de gallo, its a recent thing among brazilian cuisine, theres pico de gallo variations in many latin american nations, all inspired by Mexican cuisine
This salad with tehini, add one boiled egg, and when you're done soak up the juices with a piece of bread- quick and hearty meal that will keep you going for quite a while.
This is brilliant. Our family has a lot of repetitive cucumber and tomato salads here in Tokyo because they are always in stores (and usually fairly cheap), but we REALLY NEED these variations!!!
I love tabouleh and this video was a great introduction to similar types of salads. That Palestinian tahini salad looks incredible and I can't wait to try it. Thanks!
NOSTALGIA! I loved hearing how to actually make this childhood staple. My مصري بابا always added كمون to his version. Interesting to learn of the other versions. I also appreciated the detailed instructions on how you got a finer chip on the veg for the Iranian version.
Oh wow, I thought this channel was a corporation of some sort, just realized that Middle Eats was just you. Your videos' quality are extremely well-made that I assumed it weren't made by one person. Definitely subscribed!
hehe I Love this Salad! I first tried it in Egypt, I've always added Tahini Dressing, I'm glad to learn its well known in Palestine hehe. I mix ice into my dressing instead of water and it becomes thick white and puffy! Worth trying :)
My Palestinian in-laws and now I made/make the salad you say is Palestinian, but they, nor I use all those ingredients. One should know that each family has their own rendition of each food everyone else makes. The Palestinian version with the tahini is one I'm about to make for dinner tonight. My family's version is simpler. Cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, all small diced. The tahini sauce has added a home-made red grape vinegar (very mild) and lots of garlic plus some salt (no pepper). There is a bit of water that thins it out, but no parsley nor cumin. The parsley is used in ba'dunsiyya, another delicious salad but the salad I just described has always been my favorite. This is a good channel. Keep up the good work.
My mom makes a similar salad and we serve it with grilled fish! Our family likes to use the salad water as a kind of sauce or dressing for rice and the grilled fish. But we've never tried these before so I'm excited to make this!
Thanks again for bringing this food and the associated flavours to the digital masses. I’m from a Pakistani background and our spices are a tad more robust, I adore the tang of the spices used (za’atar is my new favourite addition to everything). Please keep up the excellent work 👌
my favorite thing by far to do with peak summer tomatoes is a chopped salad with cucumbers, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and sumac. i suspect that the 'salad water' is the most delicious substance known to man
Cucumber, tomato, onion and acid are such a natural combination, and it makes the most of summer vegetables. Even in New Zealand, we have a salad of sliced cucumber, tomato and onion, dressed with malt vinegar and salt. But I prefer a fattoush, tabbouleh, or kachumber if I'm having a curry.
I use tahini or / and dried peanut butter thinned out. Also, I put some cumin powder and some Baharat powder. As I use most of the vegetables from my garden, I have been adding Broccoli and Green Beans to the salad, along with some chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chopped apple, raisins or / and dates. Thanks for your videos, I enjoy them!
One thing I like about learning about foods around the world is we learn how we do eat some similar things which binds us all. I grew up with sliced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers (sometimes garlic or green pepper). My mom was from the south US. It was standard sides in spring and summer. We used vinegar and dill or not. It all depended on her mood. I want to try the tahini one!
Wow, your camera work is getting so visually pleasurable.. I love the changing-focus shot around 0:58 !! It is so hot right now where I live, I will absolutely try this soon
I'm from Bahrain, and while I wouldn't call it a Bahraini version my mom makes it with cucumbers, tomatoes and grated carrots as the basic recipe. She adds lettuce and/or parsley as leafy greens, and sometimes green bell peppers but rarely onions (red or green) because not everyone at home likes onions in their salads. The dressing is what made me ask for seconds when I was a kid, simply salt and lemon juice but it really is flavorful and makes the salad tastes a hundred times better.
I make a Greek version of this called a ‘Village Salad’. Its only difference is that you use red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, thyme, and feta cheese along with a side of olives.
Oh yes! I will be sure to try that. Thank you. I usually make a salad of tiny cubes of tomato, cucumber, scallions, finely chopped red chilli and chopped coriander with olive oil, salt and lemon juice but I love trying new ideas.
The Moroccan version is so simple and delicious. Finely diced onions. Medium diced cored and ideally peeled tomato. (Really, discard the seeds. They contain too much water. Peeling improves the overall texture.) Lemon juice and some salt. Optional some finely diced green peppers and parsley. Compared the all of the dishes shown here is is much dryer (don't worry it will still draw out enough satisfying juice)
Sumak/vinegar/lemon juice is make this salad shamelessly beatiful. In Turkey we add lots of finely chopped walnuts and pomegranate molases and call it Gavurdağı salatası. It's same thing but with walnuts. BTW you must finely chop ever ingredients for this salad.
I've mixed it with Uzbek plov before. It's amazing. Adds some great flavor, but also makes the plov less heavy and feel more refreshing. I also pickle my cucumbers in salt water which adds some nice flavor to it too
@@ceha9517 It's a rice dish. It's made with some kind of meat, carrots, and spices. Sometimes with raisins and/or chickpeas too. It can be pretty heavy though
my favourite part of these salads is that the the salad water gives that perfect bite of rice as it pools on the plate under it. Great video, my dad often makes this salad, he always cuts the pieces slightly larger than shirazi salad, it made it more spoon-able and let the dressing soak in more quickly, often very simple with just cucumber, tomato, lemon juice, salt(dissolved into the lemon juice) and olive oil mixed thoroughly into the lemon/salt solution.
Wonderful to see all these varieties! For the last 40 years, my absolute favorite salad has been the Shirazi version but with green onions and lemon instead of red onions and mint. Sometimes I swap the mint for sumac. The Palestinian one sounds excellent as well.
I am from the USA and was born and raised in the state of West Virginia. A version of this salad I grew up eating had diced or cubed tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers with a dressing made from canned condensed milk, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt. Delicious!
in turkey we also have 2 different versions: shephers salad and spoon salad. Sheppers salad, you dice cukes, tomatos, onions, and optionally parsley and chilli or bell pepper, dressing consists of olive oil, lemon, salt. Spoon salad consist of very finely diced like in shirazi, cukes, tomatoes, onions and optionally peppers. We also add crushed walnuts to this (not optional). Dressing consists of pomegranate molasses, olive oil, lemon juice, salt (not optional) I think it is a crime not to add a source of fat to the dressing 💀the best option is without a doubt olive oil of course💅🏻
In Syria, we add tomato, cucumber, onion, and chili (sometimes parsley and fresh mint). For the dressing, we use salt, dried mint, Aleppo pepper, lemon or vinegar, and olive oil usually served alongside food. But if you're making a salad to enjoy with bread, skip the lemon or vinegar and the parsley and add cumin to the spices (along with lots of olive oil). Then eat it with Arabic bread... uffff, so good!
I love to make this, with lots of finely minced mint leaves and sometimes a small amount of sour cream, with the oil and a little vinegar. Then, spoon it into a pita pocket.....really good, especially on a hot day!
Yeah these ones are great for people who don't like to eat salads. The problem I have with most western salads is that they aren't dense and filling, these ones are definitely dense. Internet Shaquille did a good video on this recently.
I can't believe I've finally gotten closer to a salad that I've been searching for for years. Around a decade and a half ago, I had a salad in a Greek restaurant that was nothing like any salad I had in America before or after. It was clearly chopped to fine pieces and was heavy in a single green with some other ingredients less finely chopped and mixed in. It was the best salad I've ever had, and every single salad I've had since was a disappointment. I couldn't even make it on my own because I had no idea what was in it and I was too young to consider asking or trying to decipher it. Any Greek salad I've had since has basically just been the usual American salad but with some minor differences These aren't an exact match, but now I know where to hunt down salad recipes that fit my taste. I've always been somebody that likes both veggies and meats, but making veggie-heavy dishes taste good has always been annoying based on Western recipes I've tried. These are more or less simple, but seem perfect for my style. You've done me a _huge_ favor and will likely never even know it!
Binged watched you following the viral video and just made this (not sure which style - shallots, large chunks of veg (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers), verjuice, Aleppo pepper, salt)) and it's just waiting for labneh balls and toasted pitta and hummus to make it dinner. Thanks both for these recipes and my 'its too hot to cook' inspiration.
Our Syrian family's basic salad is made from cucumbers, tomatoes, dried mint und a dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil, freshly minced garlic and salt.
Thank you, I STAND FORFREEDOM OF PALESTINE!! Peace, Love, not war!! ….🙏🏻 🎉 ❤💖💞🩷🩵💙💛💚💗 SHOUKRAN!!I hit it out the all park!! ….so you understand how wide you gage your audience…blessings….raised in a Chicago, in Mexican, American, hockey and all American. too I live in upper Westchester, NY …. I created an amazing Middle Eastern cuisine, feast!!Absolutely, absolutely delicious, it’s as you mentioned ….but like pico de gallo without the seranos …I made the chicken with onions, garlic ..etc …blended it marinade ….i learn much from separating the meat so it cooks evenly,…the tahini sauce …unbelievable….the mint the parsley that is off hook a blessing ~ I am so appreciative, grateful …
I make this, and I season it with Tajín. It makes it spicy, salty, and sour. It’s a very healthy salad. You know, this salad reminds me of pico de gallo! It seems to me Mexican cuisine was influenced, in part, by middle eastern cuisine. I know there’s a sizable Lebanese diaspora there.
pico de gallo is prehispanic LOL so no, it was the other way around, middle easterners were inspired by us. Native Americans were already doing pico de gallo before europeans came, the only difference was adding onions and lime, thats it, everything else like tomatoes and chile peppers are indigenous to the americas, not to the middle east
Here's some variations from the comments, add yours and I'll list them here. Also don't forget to support us on patreon www.patreon.com/MiddleEats
@Forest Route - Lebanese - Cucumber, tomato and mint with olive oil and vinegar
@dellanfere - Syrian - We Dress our basic salad with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, mint and summac OR sweet paprika flakes
@Tilman Baumann - Moroccan - Finely diced onion and peeled tomatoes (cored), Lemon juice, salt, optional green pepper and parsley
@Ece Kalem - Turkish - Sheppard's salad, Diced cucumber, tomatos, onions, and optionally parsley and chilli or bell pepper, dress with olive oil, lemon, salt.
@discardeddede - Syrian - Cucumbers, tomatoes, dried mint und a dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil, freshly minced garlic and salt
@Failed Priest - Georgia - Cucumber, onion, tomato salad with purple basil, or with a dressing of walnut paste
Sudan: Tomatoes, yellow onions, lemon juice and salt. Optional: shredded carrots, cucumber, jerjier (rocket or arugula) peanut sauce/dressing!
Im Canadian, I do parsley, baby spinach, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, red cabbage, cherry tomato, ground beef, feta cheese, olive oil, salt pepper, and lemon juice
Pakistan: Finely diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion (shallots), with mint, coriander, and South Asian lemon juice dressing with salt and pepper. Optional: white vinegar, capsicum, radishes, green chilies.
Tunisian/American here and I've always loved this salad. I prepare it with small-diced vegetables: tomato, cucumber, red or sweet onion, poblano pepper, lemon juice, garlic, a little mint, flat leaf parsley, salt, white pepper, and of course a drizzle of olive oil. Can't wait to try it with tahini.
Romanian sald is the same
I'm from northern India and my family has been eating this salad for generations too!
We use cucumber, tomatoes, green chillies, red onion, lemon juice, salt and roasted and ground cumin and coriander seeds.
Growing up in a Lebanese family our everyday chopped salad was a simple cucumber, tomato and mint with olive oil and vinegar. I'm eager to try these variations, particularly the Palestinian one.
Sounds delicious. I love fresh mint in salads, it really makes them so refreshing.
same here! but it was with lemon! not vinegar, was so good
don't forget the salt lol
As an albanian we also ate it everyday but without mint, just lemon and olive oil on top of it.... greeks have it too.
That sounds amazing
Why you're people so racist bro?
I live off Shirazi salad when there's a heatwave. It keeps great in the fridge for a few days - and a little bread and/or cheese and/or yogurt on the side makes a very satisfying quick guilt-free meal and avoids heating up my flat with the stove/oven. Thanks for the other versions! Can't wait to try :)
I tried the Iranian version, man let me tell you... Best salad i've eaten in a very long time. Thanks for your time and effort, new sub.
My family (Syria) dresses our basic salad with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, mint and summac OR sweet paprika flakes. So moreish and I eat it at least 2-3 times a week despite having moved out for uni!
Sumac is great on salads like this and Aleppo pepper. It's great to hear about all these variations
Same here! Sometimes za'tar too.
I also love adding pomegranate seeds and/or vinegared syrup for a sweet-tart taste.
Love Sumac❤️🐾
iam from syria too, what city are u from
I feel like cucumbers are a very underrated vegtable. Many people only consider them in pickle version when it is one of the refreshing bites in the world. So yeah, love these salads man
The tahini salad goes well with a hummus & falafel wrap 🤤
In our house we just throw any vegetable and green herbs availabe and dress it with olive oil, salt, and vinegar
Let's gooo! Thank you for everything you do.
You guys really help me to connect back to my Egyptian culture through my dad who passed as a kid. It's really nice to have things made that I remember eating but don't know how to make. I know so much about my Nigerian side but basically nothing about my Egyptian side.
Thank you. My love to you always.
Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope the recipes bring the memory of your father closer ♥.
Shirazi salad is my all time favorite.
My family makes something similar to this with tomato cucumber red onion basil salt and olive oil. Which is served with bread and sometimes fresh mozzarella cheese. We're from Calabria
.
mmmmm with fresh mozarella and bread.
Sumac and dried mint goes so well with this salad.
I made the Iranian one, the flavour is something else and as someone who always seems to lean towards more seasoning, getting that balance with the flavour of the vegetables is precious lol
Now just seen there are more salads to explore in Obi's comment!
In Georgia it's cucumber, onion, and tomato salad with purple basil, or with a dressing of walnut paste.
Did not expect to see Shirazi salad in my feed today! That was a perfect recipe as well. Cheers!
I tried the Iranian Shirazi salad and it was incredible! No surprise though, your recipes are always the best
OMG!! The Lebanese version is exactly what my nearby middle eastern market/restaurant puts on their shawarma! Now I know where I get the occasional mouthful of unmixed tahini from! I'm so excited to try this one. Someone else mentioned adding sumac and that also sounds amazing.
May I recommend taking a note from Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad and smash the cucumber when using it in those kinds of salads? The smashed parts really add to the sauciness and level up the flavor quite a bit, while the crisp parts give the familiar texture...
I love smashed cucumber salad. It's a good suggestion!
any salad that contains chopped veggies only is called çoban salatası (shepherd‘s salad) in Turkish
There is something magical about garlic powder, cumin, and pomegranate molasses in the the salad. Out of these, you only mentioned cumin. You should definitely try the other two. And while you are at it, Aleppo peppers are very nice also.
There is, but I didn't mention them as my focus is on the authentic recipes, while giving people room to customise them themselves. Thanks for the suggestion.
Was literally JUST thinking about trying to find ways to use pomegranate molasses. شكرا يا كريم!
Do you have a recipe for the pomegranate dressing? There is a Turkish restaurant that has the best salad but I can't figure out the dressing recipe. Tasted very oily when I tried making it at home.
@@Warning203 You should be able to find pomegranate molasses at most Middle Eastern or Turkish stores. It gives salads a tangy sweet taste that is hard to match. As my original posts suggest, my dressing contains pomegranate molasses, either lemon or white vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Optionally, Aleppo peppers (or sumac) have a nice smokey and very slightly spicy taste. I generally marinate my salad and let it set for a while (30 or more minutes or so) so the flavors develops a bit more. I hope that helps.
My favorite salad, I always use my dad’s homegrown tomatoes, cucumber and herbs❤️ making this tomorrow
Hi Obi thank you so much for the great video!! That salad water in some areas in Egypt is called Whiskey. I am still hoping to see you cooking Taro!! Thanks a million! Cheers
That’s funny! I’m learning Arabic with a friend of Cairo and I will brag a bit with my salad knowledge now. 😜
Thanks. I planned on doing the whiskey part, but left it out as I was short on time.
Basically the whiskey is salad water with chopped herbs, cumin, chilli, raw garlic and more vinegar. Sometimes they dress a salad with it and then drink it, other times they just use salad water and add the other stuff to it. It's quite a lot stronger than the regular salad water 🤯
Mint in salad cannot be beat
How serendipitous!!! I was JUST googling this recipe for the cucumbers and tomatoes i bought this week… I’m serious! Thank you so much, it looks so good! So excited to use this today! Have a great day ☺️
One of my favorite food channel on RUclips. To me it's all about authentic voice and attitude.
This channel always makes me think, “wow, food is awesome.” Don’t know why I hadn’t subscribed yet!
I LOVE your channel!!! This reminds me of my mother's salad, we're Italian.
Wow what a fantastic video, my favorite salads! Thank you.
Love these healthy colourful salads. Will be making one tomorrow. Love seeing you eating and enjoying your food at the end.
I really want to like this more than once. I discovered Shirazi salad years ago from a food court kebab place and desperately tried to recreate it with little success. I am saving this video and trying all 3 salad variations very soon. Thank you!
i loved how you knew about the unripe grape juice in the Shirazi salad. thanks for the interesting ideas. your videos remind me of home 💝
Yeah I was trying to find some near me, but couldn't get any 😥. I love the unripe grapes, had some pickled ones a few months back, they are so nice!
@@MiddleEats pickled unripe grapes - never had it, I must try.
Really very professional videos can’t see how anybody could do this better. Love it 🙏😊
Oh my! This just perfect. Thank you so much!
Hi, I learned a Turkish version with tomato, cucumber, mild green chili and optional spring onions. The dressing is why I think this version of shepherds salad/coban salatasi is worth mentioning since it features pomagranate molasses, sumac, oil, salt and pepper. It is especially good, if the salad has to sit for a bit like when barcecueing since the sumac does not draw out as much moisture in my experience.
Made the Sharazi salad tonight exactly as written and it was awesome! Even though I already finished dinner, I pulled the salad back out and I keep eating it. I can't wait to make the tahini version. Keep posting your videos, Obi, you are awesome!
I'm Indian-American and I ate this salad every day growing up. Seems like it's popular outside of the Middle East too.
my family and country usually adds olive oil to our salads! i love the ones that you made
Thank you! I love this type of salad so much. I appreciate your clear and professional how-tos!
In Brazil we call it "vinagrete" and we use as a topping of several salty delicious treats as "pastel" and "acarajé" and also with "feijoada". Here we don't use cucumber but green and red pepper and purple or regular onions and plenty of parsley.
I wonder if it came with the Lebanese?
Oh my gosh, my boyfriend lived in Brazil for a bit and he showed me how to make feijoada with the vinagrete of red onion, tomato and green peppers. That crunch and sourness from the vegetables with the salty creaminess of the beans is amazing! It's one of my favourite meals - I can totally see how it became your national dish.
@@MiddleEats it didnt come from lebanese but from mexico's pico de gallo, its a recent thing among brazilian cuisine, theres pico de gallo variations in many latin american nations, all inspired by Mexican cuisine
Your recipes are wonderful thank you
This salad with tehini, add one boiled egg, and when you're done soak up the juices with a piece of bread- quick and hearty meal that will keep you going for quite a while.
yum
genius
This is brilliant. Our family has a lot of repetitive cucumber and tomato salads here in Tokyo because they are always in stores (and usually fairly cheap), but we REALLY NEED these variations!!!
I love tabouleh and this video was a great introduction to similar types of salads. That Palestinian tahini salad looks incredible and I can't wait to try it. Thanks!
NOSTALGIA! I loved hearing how to actually make this childhood staple. My مصري بابا always added كمون to his version. Interesting to learn of the other versions. I also appreciated the detailed instructions on how you got a finer chip on the veg for the Iranian version.
Oh wow, I thought this channel was a corporation of some sort, just realized that Middle Eats was just you. Your videos' quality are extremely well-made that I assumed it weren't made by one person. Definitely subscribed!
the second one is just a masterpiece, the best salad for summer without doubt
hehe I Love this Salad! I first tried it in Egypt, I've always added Tahini Dressing, I'm glad to learn its well known in Palestine hehe. I mix ice into my dressing instead of water and it becomes thick white and puffy! Worth trying :)
My Palestinian in-laws and now I made/make the salad you say is Palestinian, but they, nor I use all those ingredients. One should know that each family has their own rendition of each food everyone else makes. The Palestinian version with the tahini is one I'm about to make for dinner tonight. My family's version is simpler. Cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, all small diced. The tahini sauce has added a home-made red grape vinegar (very mild) and lots of garlic plus some salt (no pepper). There is a bit of water that thins it out, but no parsley nor cumin. The parsley is used in ba'dunsiyya, another delicious salad but the salad I just described has always been my favorite.
This is a good channel. Keep up the good work.
My mom makes a similar salad and we serve it with grilled fish! Our family likes to use the salad water as a kind of sauce or dressing for rice and the grilled fish. But we've never tried these before so I'm excited to make this!
Thanks again for bringing this food and the associated flavours to the digital masses. I’m from a Pakistani background and our spices are a tad more robust, I adore the tang of the spices used (za’atar is my new favourite addition to everything). Please keep up the excellent work 👌
my favorite thing by far to do with peak summer tomatoes is a chopped salad with cucumbers, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and sumac. i suspect that the 'salad water' is the most delicious substance known to man
Heading to the kitchen! These looks delish! Thank you for sharing😋
Cucumber, tomato, onion and acid are such a natural combination, and it makes the most of summer vegetables. Even in New Zealand, we have a salad of sliced cucumber, tomato and onion, dressed with malt vinegar and salt. But I prefer a fattoush, tabbouleh, or kachumber if I'm having a curry.
I use tahini or / and dried peanut butter thinned out. Also, I put some cumin powder and some Baharat powder. As I use most of the vegetables from my garden, I have been adding Broccoli and Green Beans to the salad, along with some chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chopped apple, raisins or / and dates. Thanks for your videos, I enjoy them!
Love it!! How can something so simple be so brilliant?!?! Universal and awesome.
One thing I like about learning about foods around the world is we learn how we do eat some similar things which binds us all. I grew up with sliced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers (sometimes garlic or green pepper). My mom was from the south US. It was standard sides in spring and summer. We used vinegar and dill or not. It all depended on her mood. I want to try the tahini one!
I was looking for this comment 🙂
One of the best cooking channels
Wow, your camera work is getting so visually pleasurable.. I love the changing-focus shot around 0:58 !! It is so hot right now where I live, I will absolutely try this soon
I'm from Bahrain, and while I wouldn't call it a Bahraini version my mom makes it with cucumbers, tomatoes and grated carrots as the basic recipe. She adds lettuce and/or parsley as leafy greens, and sometimes green bell peppers but rarely onions (red or green) because not everyone at home likes onions in their salads. The dressing is what made me ask for seconds when I was a kid, simply salt and lemon juice but it really is flavorful and makes the salad tastes a hundred times better.
I make a Greek version of this called a ‘Village Salad’. Its only difference is that you use red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, thyme, and feta cheese along with a side of olives.
iam egyptian and i always add the 7 spices . cumin especially its very usual in salata balady
It's humorous that I've been making a variation of a middle eastern staple for years without even knowing it.
i am OBSSESSED with this. thank you.
One of my mom's friends from Iran shared this recipe with us, and it is in fact very delicious. Avocado goes really well in it too.
Oooooh that Palestinian version is calling my name
Enjoy
Love Indian food
Try finishing off the Shirazi with a tiny dash of food grade rose water!
Oh yes! I will be sure to try that. Thank you. I usually make a salad of tiny cubes of tomato, cucumber, scallions, finely chopped red chilli and chopped coriander with olive oil, salt and lemon juice but I love trying new ideas.
Yes! I'm going shopping for produce today and I'm making one of these for sure.
Growing up in Dubai the Palestinian and Egyptian shawarma places would add tomatoes and cucumbers that were marinating in tahini 🤤🤤🤤
Thank you for this healthy, scrumptious offering🤗🤗🤗🤗
The Moroccan version is so simple and delicious.
Finely diced onions.
Medium diced cored and ideally peeled tomato. (Really, discard the seeds. They contain too much water. Peeling improves the overall texture.)
Lemon juice and some salt.
Optional some finely diced green peppers and parsley.
Compared the all of the dishes shown here is is much dryer (don't worry it will still draw out enough satisfying juice)
Sumak/vinegar/lemon juice is make this salad shamelessly beatiful. In Turkey we add lots of finely chopped walnuts and pomegranate molases and call it Gavurdağı salatası. It's same thing but with walnuts. BTW you must finely chop ever ingredients for this salad.
My Iraqi grandma always made the most simple Shirazi salad, but nothing that I've ever made came close to how amazingly delicious hers was.
Grandma's use cheats
I've mixed it with Uzbek plov before. It's amazing. Adds some great flavor, but also makes the plov less heavy and feel more refreshing.
I also pickle my cucumbers in salt water which adds some nice flavor to it too
What is plov exactly?
@@ceha9517 It's a rice dish. It's made with some kind of meat, carrots, and spices. Sometimes with raisins and/or chickpeas too. It can be pretty heavy though
@@Mas_Tun Ah! Is it related to pilav?
@@grovermartin6874 that is what I was thinking. The words have the same root. Interesting.
@@Mas_Tun thank you 😊
All of these look delicious! ❤💚💜
Salads are my favorite.
my favourite part of these salads is that the the salad water gives that perfect bite of rice as it pools on the plate under it.
Great video, my dad often makes this salad, he always cuts the pieces slightly larger than shirazi salad, it made it more spoon-able and let the dressing soak in more quickly, often very simple with just cucumber, tomato, lemon juice, salt(dissolved into the lemon juice) and olive oil mixed thoroughly into the lemon/salt solution.
I reallllly need to try that last one, I think the addition of tahini will be a good one.
Looks delicious can't wait to try it
In Iran We Add Sour Grape Juice and Mint Powder its Very Traditional and only Tomato Cucumber and Onion are Same 🇮🇷
Gorgeous salads! Thank you!
Wonderful to see all these varieties! For the last 40 years, my absolute favorite salad has been the Shirazi version but with green onions and lemon instead of red onions and mint. Sometimes I swap the mint for sumac. The Palestinian one sounds excellent as well.
Peace, well researched and well explained.
awesome work.
I am from the USA and was born and raised in the state of West Virginia. A version of this salad I grew up eating had diced or cubed tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers with a dressing made from canned condensed milk, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt. Delicious!
in turkey we also have 2 different versions: shephers salad and spoon salad. Sheppers salad, you dice cukes, tomatos, onions, and optionally parsley and chilli or bell pepper, dressing consists of olive oil, lemon, salt.
Spoon salad consist of very finely diced like in shirazi, cukes, tomatoes, onions and optionally peppers. We also add crushed walnuts to this (not optional). Dressing consists of pomegranate molasses, olive oil, lemon juice, salt (not optional)
I think it is a crime not to add a source of fat to the dressing 💀the best option is without a doubt olive oil of course💅🏻
Thank you.
It also makes a big difference to use fresh (frozen) olive oil
I have a version of the 2nd salad, I use 2Tbsp of grated garlic and the same of capers. It is amazing!
In Syria, we add tomato, cucumber, onion, and chili (sometimes parsley and fresh mint). For the dressing, we use salt, dried mint, Aleppo pepper, lemon or vinegar, and olive oil usually served alongside food. But if you're making a salad to enjoy with bread, skip the lemon or vinegar and the parsley and add cumin to the spices (along with lots of olive oil). Then eat it with Arabic bread... uffff, so good!
I love to make this, with lots of finely minced mint leaves and sometimes a small amount of sour cream, with the oil and a little vinegar. Then, spoon it into a pita pocket.....really good, especially on a hot day!
Haha! Love the parts where you're munching on the various salads 😄
Delicious! I’m definitely guilty of not eating enough salad or veggies, but these are going into the repertoire!
Yeah these ones are great for people who don't like to eat salads. The problem I have with most western salads is that they aren't dense and filling, these ones are definitely dense. Internet Shaquille did a good video on this recently.
Rob, people in ArandjelovAc eat the Egyptian version, with scooping the salad water with spoon. :))
Yes, I was wondering if this is like our sopska salad!
@@robarandjelovic4068 Srpska salad is three basic ingredients. Šopska is with cheese
Wonderful video! Thank you
I can't believe I've finally gotten closer to a salad that I've been searching for for years. Around a decade and a half ago, I had a salad in a Greek restaurant that was nothing like any salad I had in America before or after. It was clearly chopped to fine pieces and was heavy in a single green with some other ingredients less finely chopped and mixed in. It was the best salad I've ever had, and every single salad I've had since was a disappointment. I couldn't even make it on my own because I had no idea what was in it and I was too young to consider asking or trying to decipher it. Any Greek salad I've had since has basically just been the usual American salad but with some minor differences
These aren't an exact match, but now I know where to hunt down salad recipes that fit my taste. I've always been somebody that likes both veggies and meats, but making veggie-heavy dishes taste good has always been annoying based on Western recipes I've tried. These are more or less simple, but seem perfect for my style. You've done me a _huge_ favor and will likely never even know it!
In Portugal people eat a version of these salads as well!
Binged watched you following the viral video and just made this (not sure which style - shallots, large chunks of veg (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers), verjuice, Aleppo pepper, salt)) and it's just waiting for labneh balls and toasted pitta and hummus to make it dinner. Thanks both for these recipes and my 'its too hot to cook' inspiration.
Shirazi salad is a great iranian salad
Our Syrian family's basic salad is made from cucumbers, tomatoes, dried mint und a dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil, freshly minced garlic and salt.
Any type of tomato, cucumber, onion salad are my all time favorite way to eat salads! I was not familiar with the tahini one but would love to try it.
Thank you, I STAND FORFREEDOM OF PALESTINE!! Peace, Love, not war!! ….🙏🏻 🎉 ❤💖💞🩷🩵💙💛💚💗 SHOUKRAN!!I hit it out the all park!! ….so you understand how wide you gage your audience…blessings….raised in a Chicago, in Mexican, American, hockey and all American. too I live in upper Westchester, NY …. I created an amazing Middle Eastern cuisine, feast!!Absolutely, absolutely delicious, it’s as you mentioned ….but like pico de gallo without the seranos …I made the chicken with onions, garlic ..etc …blended it marinade ….i learn much from separating the meat so it cooks evenly,…the tahini sauce …unbelievable….the mint the parsley that is off hook a blessing ~ I am so appreciative, grateful …
Thanks for these great recipes!
I make this, and I season it with Tajín. It makes it spicy, salty, and sour. It’s a very healthy salad. You know, this salad reminds me of pico de gallo! It seems to me Mexican cuisine was influenced, in part, by middle eastern cuisine. I know there’s a sizable Lebanese diaspora there.
pico de gallo is prehispanic LOL so no, it was the other way around, middle easterners were inspired by us. Native Americans were already doing pico de gallo before europeans came, the only difference was adding onions and lime, thats it, everything else like tomatoes and chile peppers are indigenous to the americas, not to the middle east
Looks delicious, can't wait to try it!
Love this brother !