Jerusalem Salad ♥ Recipe

Today's salad recipe: A classic summer salad, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and romaine lettuce, all tossed in a lemon tahini dressing. Low carb. Weight Watchers 2 points.

~recipe & photo updated & reposted 2012~
~more recently updated recipes~

2008 Original: By the middle of August, there's simply no need to cook. We can if we want, but why? when we can just collect some vegetables, then wash, chop and devour.

This easy salad made for a great light supper. What makes it special is the dressing: nutty with the sesame seeds in the tahini and bright with lemon. The recipe made far more dressing than needed for the salad, a real benefit at it turns out. When the dressing was puréed with a can of chickpeas, voila, a terrific hummus, one of my favorites in a long while. I slathered this onto flatbread (you must-must check my recipe for Quick Crisp Flatbread, it's the summer's obsession!) and it was just perfect alongside.

2012 Update: This is one of those salads you just can't get enough of when the summer's best vegetables are at their fresh peak. Gorgeous!

REVIEWS
"Loved this salad!" ~ seashell

JERUSALEM SALAD

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 6

LEMON TAHINI DRESSING
(Makes 2/3 cup - only about 2 tablespoons is needed for the salad)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup tahini
Salt & pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients.

SALAD
2 large good summer tomatoes, chopped
1/2 a large cucumber, peeled if needed (see TIPS) and chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Combine the salad ingredients. Just before serving, toss with about 2 tablespoons of the dressing.

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
Make only as much as can be eaten on the spot, the salad doesn't improve.
I've started buying regular cucumbers because they're fresher (grown locally) and cheaper ($.59 vs $1.50 - $2.00 for my go-to cucumber, the English hothouse cucumber that's long and thin). But the skins are also tougher, so I usually peel the skins off first.
If you like, mix the leftover dressing with a can of drained chickpeas in the food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and call it very good homemade hummus!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Dressing Only, Per Tablespoon: 97 Calories; 9g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 2g Carb; 1g Fiber; 1NetCarb; 9mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; 1g Protein. Weight Watchers Old Points 2.5, PointsPlus 2

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Many thanks to Kelly from Diet Facts (site now total spam, sorry) who inspired this, my first Jerusalem Salad, when she shared the recipe for what she called an 'Accidental Jerusalem Salad' with 10-12 chopped cherry tomatoes, 5 ounces of feta, 5 minced baby carrots, 1/2 a large white chopped onion, 10-12 Kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons olive oil and parsley. "My family devoured this like animals," she wrote. "Later I caught them sneaking spoonfuls directly out of the bowl in the fridge, until alas, it was all gone." My recipe is adapted from Leite's Culinaria.

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MORE FAVORITE RECIPES WORTHY OF SUMMER TOMATOES
~ Favorite Tomato Recipes ~
~ Fattoush (Traditional Middle Eastern Salad) ~
~ Greek Bread Salad with Toasted Pita Chips ~
~ Classic Seven Layer Salad ~
~ more tomato recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Favorite Summer Salad Recipes ~
~ Tomatoes & Fresh Mozzarella for a Crowd ~
~ Panzanella ~
~ Ratatouille ~
~ more tomato recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
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