Chopped Salad with Feta and Yogurt

This salad is a winner! I was so surprised just how much I liked it, especially given that I tend not to love celery, or green peppers, or creamy dressings. Something about the mix of ingredients, the insane crunch, and the brightness of the lemon in the creamy yogurt dressing overcomes all the potential pitfalls. It is lovely along side a rich rice dish and would be equally nice with any roasted dishes.

You can easily mix this salad up with different herbs, the original called for dill, you could mix in tarragon or thyme as well. I love the combo of mint and cilantro myself. If your onions are particularly pungent I recommend soaking the slices in very cold water for 5-10 minutes before draining and adding them to the salad, however, if your onion is very fresh or lightly flavored feel free to skip that step to retain more of its flavor and color.

Chopped Salad with Feta and Yogurt 

Adapted from Yottam Ottolenghi

Serves 4 as a side

3 sticks celery, cut into thick slices
1 English cucumber or 3-4 Persian cucumbers, cut in half lengthways, and then into half- moons or simply sliced in rounds
1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into chunky short strips
½ red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes
3 Tbsp coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp mint leaves, roughly chopped
½ cup (120g) Greek-style yogurt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
Salt and black pepper
4 oz (100g) feta, thinly sliced into random shards
Sumac for sprinkling

1. Put the celery, cucumber, green pepper, onion, herbs in a large bowl and mix to combine.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, two tablespoons of oil, the lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then pour over the vegetables and toss well to combine.
3. Transfer the salad to a large serving platter and top with the feta and then sprinkle with sumac.