Chopped Salad with Date Tahini Vinaigrette

I don’t think I’ve talked about Amy Zitelman’s The Tahini Table on here before, but it’s a cookbook I’ve been enjoying lately. I made this chopped salad from it: it’s based on a traditional Israeli salad of tomato, cucumber, and onion (I’ve also seen versions with bell pepper), but this one takes it to the sweet side with the addition of apples and dates. This was delicious! The quantities below make 2 or 3 servings. (You can find date syrup on Soom, which also sells the cookbook.) 

1 tsp. sea salt 

1 garlic clove, minced 

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 

6 pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped 

3 Persian or Kirby cucumbers, finely chopped 

2 celery ribs, finely chopped 

1 medium tomato, finely chopped 

1 apple, cored and finely chopped 

½ small red onion, finely chopped 

1 Tbsp. tahini paste 

2 tsp. silan date syrup 

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 

Mix the salt, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl (I used a lidded jar) until combined and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. 

Toss the dates, cucumbers, celery, tomato, apple, and onion in a salad bowl to combine. 

Whisk the tahini, date syrup, olive oil, and pepper into the garlic mixture until smooth. Add the vinaigrette to the salad mixture and toss. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. Stir in the parsley just before serving.