This is the standard salad-relish you find in every tavern and restaurant in Istanbul. It accompanies grilled meat and especially kebabs. Turkish food is often eaten with a spoon, and so is this salad—all its ingredients are finely chopped. Instead of a simple lemon vinaigrette, which is the most common dressing, I like to add a little balsamic vinegar and lemon zest. Add as much jalapeño as you like, but bear in mind that this Turkish salsa is meant to be refreshing and not overpoweringly hot.

　　

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

　　

Salad:

3 medium ripe fresh red tomatoes

　　1/2 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and finely sliced

　　1/2 cup tightly packed coarsely chopped purslane or arugula

　　2 scallions, including most of the green, thinly sliced

　　1 cup tightly packed coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

　　1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or savory

　　2 to 4 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely diced

　　2 tablespoons capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed well and drained (optional)

　　

Dressing:

3 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

　　2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

　　Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Pinch of sumac (optional)

　　

Salad:

Step 1

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze lightly to remove the seeds. With a serrated knife, dice the tomatoes and transfer to a strainer to drain. In a salad bowl, mix together the cucumber, greens, scallions, herbs, jalapeños, and capers. Add the tomatoes.

　　

Dressing:

Step 2

To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, lemon zest,and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the salad and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to give the flavors time to meld. Sprinkle with sumac before serving if you like.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 120.3 calories

　　94.3 calories from fat

　　10.5g total fat

　　1.4g saturated fat

　　0.0mg cholesterol

　　30.9mg sodium

　　6.3g total carbs

　　2.6g dietary fiber

　　1.3g sugars

　　1.8g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook

　　using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )

　　From Mediterranean Hot and Spicy by Aglaia Kremezi Copyright (c) 2009 by Aglaia Kremezi Published by Broadway Books.Aglaia Kremezi is an internationally known expert on Greek cuisine and author of The Foods of Greece, which won the Julia Child Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals for the best first cookbook. She has lectured around the world about Greek and Mediterranean food and runs a widely respected cooking school on the Greek island of Kea.