Xanthan Gum Free Israeli Salad with Lemon and Mint
Bright, crisp, and bursting with fresh herbs, this chopped salad is the kind of dish that makes you want to eat more vegetables. Every ingredient here is completely whole and unprocessed — cucumbers, tomatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, fresh mint, and parsley all come together in a bowl with nothing hidden or unnecessary. That matters because so many packaged dressings and seasoning blends sneak in thickeners and stabilizers that people avoiding xanthan gum have to watch out for. Here, the dressing is simply whisked together from olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of cumin, so you know exactly what you're eating. The result is a tangy, herbaceous salad that tastes like it came from a great Mediterranean kitchen rather than a bottle. A short five-minute rest lets the vegetables soak up all that lemony goodness before you serve it, and the optional Kalamata olives add a briny, savory punch if you want to take it up a notch. It works beautifully as a side, a light lunch, or piled onto a plate alongside grilled proteins.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 persian cucumbers (or 1 english cucumber), cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 medium roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice
- ¼ medium red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the diced cucumber, tomato, red bell pepper, and red onion to a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Add the chopped mint and parsley to the bowl and toss to distribute the herbs evenly throughout the vegetables.
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