My Ex’s Breakfast Salad
Serves 1-2 • Time 5 mins
When I met my ex I was young. 19 years old to be exact. So when one morning they suggested we eat salad for breakfast, I was quite frankly flabbergasted. Salad for breakfast?? Toast and eggs, sure. A side of bacon, perhaps. Pancakes, oatmeal, an omelette... But salad??
When I say that this salad changed my life, it sounds dramatic. But the truth is that it did. Israeli, Arabic, middle eastern (however you prefer to classify it) salad made me fall in love with tomatoes, which I had previously reserved for pasta sauces alone. This salad also completely changed my thoughts about what foods are eaten at what times of day, and was really my entry point to middle eastern cuisine.
The things you absolutely need to have to make this salad are few: cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon, olive oil, and salt. Everything else is extra. The key to making this salad really shine, is using enough olive oil and lemon juice that it coats every bit of your salad and leaves a little puddle of delicious juices in the bottom of you bowl. If you don’t have this puddle, add more olive oil until you do. Trust me. Eat this salad on its own, or better yet with scrambled or easy peel jammy boiled eggs. I hope this recipe turns you into a “salad for breakfast person.”
Ingredients
1 persian cucumber
1 large handful (about 5 oz) cherry/grape tomatoes
1-2 small radishes (optional)
1/3 of a bell pepper (optional)
2 oz Israeli, French, or Bulgarian feta (optional, *see notes)
A few sprigs of parsley
~ 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
~ 2 tablespoons of good quality extra-virgin olive oil
A healthy pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper to taste
Notes, tips, & tricks
*In regards to feta: I cannot tell you how many times people have told me they don’t like feta because it’s “so dry.” My response is always the same, “then you haven’t had good feta!” Please, for the love of all things, go get yourself some great feta cheese. (This absolutely will NOT come pre-crumbled!!!) My favorite feta of all time is Pastures of Eden, sold at Wegman’s. But a French or Bulgarian feta is usually good as well. Make sure your feta is packaged in it’s liquid, this will most likely mean you have a lovely creamy feta on your hands. Thank me later.
Let’s Do It
Step 1
Dice cucumbers, radishes, and bell pepper. Your goal is that your vegetables are cut into similar sized small chunks. Cut tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on the size of your tomatoes. Season tomatoes with a good pinch of salt. Finely chop parsley leaves and tender stems.
Step 2
Add vegetables to a medium bowl, then top with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss so salad is combine. Taste for salt, adding more as needed. Finish with feta cheese and enjoy!
