Spicy Israeli Tomato Salad

Ever tasted Spicy Israeli Tomato Salad that Israelis call ‘Arab Salad’? It’s a finely chopped (for a proper aesthetic experience) tomato-green chili pepper charmer. Reduce or increase the amount of green chili pepper to adjust spiciness. This Spicy Israeli ‘Arab Salad’ is so simple to make and guaranteed to be a hit at any gathering!

Why You’ll Love This Spicy Israeli Salad

1. This spicy Israeli salad is bursting with fresh flavors and offers a delightful contrast of tangy (slightly sour), savory, and spicy elements: Freshly cut tomatoes, chili pepper, garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, and olive oil create this vibrant garden mix.
2. It’s so easy to make. Just like many other Israeli salads, a few ingredients are chopped, tossed and seasoned.
3. As all fresh salads, it has its health benefits. Tomatoes are antioxidants with benefits for heart-health and they could be beneficial in preventing cancer.

A Peek Into Israeli Salads

Israeli cuisine is known for its abundance and variety, often featuring multiple courses, including starter salads, fish, meat or chicken, and a carb side.

The best way to explore Israeli cuisine is by visiting local restaurants, steakhouses, hotels, and celebration halls. There you’ll find starter salads served in super tiny bowls at the center of the table. Diners are usually charged per diner for these starter salad.

Of course there are different nuances, depending on the restaurant and even city you are dining in.

When it comes to dips, you’ll usually be served hummus, and occasionally tahini (tahina), condiments like spicy Matbucha, or spicy green Sechug (Yemenite spicy condiment). These dips usually arrive with the starter salads. You can also order a separate larger dish of Hummus.

Ingredients for Spicy Israeli Tomato Salad

The ingredients for spicy Israeli salad combine fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs, and a kick of heat for a bold, flavorful dish.

• Tomatoes: Fresh, ripe tomatoes provide the base of this salad, adding sweetness, acidity, juiciness and color.
• Jalapeno (hot) or Serrano (hotter) (Green chili) peppers (with or without seeds): Either of these chili peppers (and there are many more out there) are the spicy agent (ingredient) in the recipe. Heat a bit to spice things up. Use less, or a bit more chili based on your guests’ preference, or your palate’s tolerance. I recommend taking a tiny bite just see how spicy the specific pepper you are using is.
• Garlic clove: A touch of garlic gives the salad depth and flavor.
• Red onion: Sweet and sharp, red onion adds a slight crunch and vibrant color.
• Cilantro leaves: Fragrant cilantro gives the salad a crispy forest-freshness, along with an herbaceous kick.
• Lemon juice: – Freshly squeezed for a bright, zesty finish.
• Olive Oil: Olive oil smooths and balances the flavors into a lively, refreshing combination. A light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil enhances the richness of most Israeli salads. olive oil
• Salt: enhances all the flavors, helping them settle in and allowing each ingredient to find its harmonious place. Kosher salt is supposedly less (not) processed, so its flavors are really noticeable. I’d start by adding around 3 granules and check saltiness. If necessary, add a bit of table salt. Because it’s smaller than Kosher salt granules, I always adjust (add) saltiness by adding table salt (not Kosher salt.
• Black pepper: A pinch of black pepper (optional) adds a sharp, musky flavor. It’s not necessary for spiciness, as too much could overpower the dish. Instead, use black pepper for its distinct flavor, adjusting to your taste preference.

Tips

1. Directly Season the Salad : No need to mix the seasoning first in a bowl. And all you do is sprinkle and drizzle the spices, lemon juice and olive oil all over the freshly chopped veggies.
2. Adjust the ‘Heat‘: If you love spice, add more chili seeds or use a hotter variety of pepper.
3. Fresh is Best: For the best flavor, use freshest hard tomatoes, green and crisp chili pepper, and dark green and aromatic cilantro sprigs.
4. Make Ahead: Salad freshness and vegetable integrity is of utter importance when serving this salad to guests. Tomato salads are not usually prepared ahead of time. But in case that’s not possible, I recommend to season the salad just before serving it.

What to Pair With Easy Make Spicy Israeli Salad

• Grilled Meats: The cool, fresh salad balances out the richness of grilled meat dishes. Here are a few chicken dishes that would make great main dishes for Spicy Israeli Arab Style Salad: Jerusalem Mixed Grill, Home Grilled Chicken Breast, Chicken Balls, etc.
• Pita or Flatbread to scoop up Hummus and on top, the salad with warm, soft pita for a Mediterranean-Middle-Eastern-inspired bite.
• White Rice Side Dish: If you don’t plan on stuffing Spicy Israeli Arab Style salad along with chicken into a pita, then any main dish and this salad pair perfectly with Mediterranean Israeli White Rice, or choose a Mediterrranean Israeli Rice Pilaf dish.
• Israeli Salads: Whether cooked or fresh, they’re called Israeli Starter ‘Salads‘. Here’s an example of an eggplant (aubergine) starter salad that my late beloved mother in-law used to make. It’s and old-school original Israeli Shallow-Fried Eggplant Slices in Tomato Sauce. It’s not found all over, but this is still one of our eggplant side salads. Here’s a salad found all over: Fresh Herb Dried Cranberry Salad.

What to Put on Top Of Spicy Israeli Salad

This spicy Israeli salad is a perfect addition to your table, whether you’re serving it at a party or enjoying a quiet meal at home. It’s light, full of flavor, and bound to impress!

While it’s so full of colorful charm without a topping, here are several ideas you might like:

1. Crumbled Feta or Goat Cheese – Adds creaminess and a tangy contrast to the heat. (For a dairy meal for Kosher purposes).
2. Pine Nuts or Toasted Almonds – For a crunchy texture and a nutty flavor.
3. Pomegranate Seeds – Adds a burst of sweetness and color to balance the spice.
4. Crispy Pita Chips – For extra crunch and a Middle Eastern flair.
5. Chopped Cucumber – For a cool, refreshing element that complements the heat.
6. Fresh Parsley or Mint – Adds a fresh, herbal note to balance the flavors.
7. Tahina Drizzle – Adds richness and a creamy texture that pairs well with the acidity.
8. Olives – Black, or green olives, or Kalamata olives add briny depth to the dish.

These toppings can add texture, contrast, and depth to the salad while keeping the flavors vibrant.

How To Prepare This Spicy Israeli (Arab) Salad

We’ll start with the chopping of the tomatoes. If you’re used to finely chopping tomatoes and other veggies, you’re good to go and can scroll down to the recipe.

Utensils

• Cutting board
• Sharp all-purpose knife (chef’s /vegetable knife). Decide whether you want to use a serrated, or non serrated knife. Serrated knives rip the vegetable flesh and release a lot of juice into salads, which is not always aesthetic, both visually, and texture wise. But many times, when I use a non serrated knife, the salad ends up very liquid-y anyway. So, it also depends on the amount of juice that is in the seed tissue.
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon
• Small serving bowl

Finely chopping the Tomatoes:

There are several ways to chop a tomato to end up like tiny dice.

The Easiest Way

First, I just want to say that you can chop the salad into really tiny pieces. They don’t have to be symmetrical, or even squares, or 1/3 of an inch. But let’s say you feel like following some guidelines, then the entire rest of this post is for that.

How it’s done the easy way:

1. Place the tomato with the stem scar facing down. Don’t cut out the stem.
2. Cut 1/3-inch even slits all the way through (until the knife touches the board).
3. Lay each slice flat. You can remove the center tissue that holds the seeds and juice (called locules) if you prefer a salads that’s not soggy. (See image A)
4. Make 1/3-inch vertical slits. Rotate the tomato (slits) 90 degrees to horizontal position.
5. Make 1/3-inch vertical slits again.

Here’s how we slice the tomato: Supported by images.

1. Cut out the stem scar.
2. Flip over, stem scar facing down. Starting from an outer edge, make around 5 1/3-inch slits. Stop in the middle.
3. Don’t slice all the way through to the bottom of the tomato. Leaving connected flesh at one end will hold everything together and make the cutting easier.

4. Now slice from the other side, again. You’re going from the outside of the tomato to the center. No Image: With the stem scar area still facing down, rotate the tomato 90 degrees (keep the uncut end-flesh intact) and make vertical slits again. You have created along rectangles, still attached at the area underneath.

5. Lay the attached rectangles on the cutting board. Slice though any wide rectangles you’ve missed. Happens all of the time.

6. Rotate the tomato. It should lie horizontally. Slice through vertically to create tiny 1/3-inch by 1/3-inch squares.

Finely Chopping Green Chili Pepper

Cut ¼-inch long vertical slices all the way down to the end. Hold the bunch of slices together, turn to horizontal position and chop them up.

Leave the seeds in or deseed. The seeds are not responsible for the spiciness (like some think).

It’s the capsaicin in the fleshy part of the pepper, especially the membranes, that causes the spiciness. When the seeds come in contact with this spicy membrane, they’ll become spicy too.

Cilantro and Garlic Cloves

Putting It All Together

Israeli spicy salad is a fresh, zesty mix of chopped tomatoes, green chili, cilantro, garlic, and red onion, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Enjoy! Let me know how it came out!