Israeli Parsley Salad
In the summer of 2023, my family and I travelled to Israel to visit my aunt and uncle and their two daughters, my beautiful cousins. We did some incredible sightseeing, shared delicious meals, participated in a peaceful late-night protest, and ate some of the best food I’ve ever had. My cousin Danit took us to a local outdoor market, where we ate Israeli classics from curbside vendors. My other cousin, Natali, is an artist and a food photographer, so she made sure to take us to some of the best restaurants in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. My favorite dish from the whole trip was this salad, which we had at a Jerusalem restaurant with Natali. I have never sat down to an entire plate of chopped parsley; it was a revelation! The traditional recipe includes labneh, pita chip crunch, and other fruits like blueberries or pomegranate seeds. My version is gluten free and dairy free but go ahead and modify it to your liking.
Israeli Parsley Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened plain coconut yogurt
- Zest and juice of half a large lemon
- Kosher sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bunches flat leaf parsley, about 4 ounces each, thick stems removed and roughly chopped
- Handful roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup seedless red or black grapes, halved
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the yogurt, zest, and a squeeze of lemon juice (save some for the parsley too). Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper and mix together well. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl add the parsley, mint, and grapes. Drizzle with olive oil, add another squeeze of lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and toss together gently with your hands.
- Spread the yogurt out over the bottom of a wide shallow bowl. Mound the parsley mixture on top and scatter with the toasted almonds. Serve immediately.