National Salad Jamil Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Wash and thoroughly dry the mixed salad greens. Place them in a large salad bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes, thinly slice the cucumber and red bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, julienne the carrot, and add the thawed peas and drained corn to the bowl.

Prepare eggs and protein

If not already done, hard-boil the eggs: place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch, bring to a boil, then turn off heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath, peel, and quarter. If using chicken, use shredded cooked chicken breast (about 2 cups). For a vegetarian option, drain and rinse a 15-oz can of chickpeas and use in place of chicken. Add the quartered eggs, shredded chicken (or chickpeas) to the salad bowl.

Add cheeses and crunchy toppings

Crumble the feta over the salad, add sliced black olives and toasted chopped walnuts. Toss gently so that the ingredients are distributed evenly without breaking the eggs.

Sprinkle the chopped parsley and torn mint leaves over the assembled salad. Tuck lemon wedges around the bowl for serving.

Emulsify dressing

In a small bowl or jar combine the extra-virgin olive oil, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously until smooth and slightly thickened, or close the jar and shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning (add up to 1 tsp more honey if you prefer sweeter or 1/4 tsp more salt if needed).

Dress the salad

Just before serving, drizzle about 3 to 4 tablespoons of dressing over the salad (reserve extra on the side). Gently toss the salad with salad tongs to coat greens and ingredients evenly. Add more dressing to taste, serving the remainder in a pitcher or jar.

Serve the National Salad JAMIL immediately, squeezing lemon wedges over individual portions if desired. Provide extra dressing on the side. Leftovers: store salad components separately if possible; dressed salad is best eaten within a few hours. Refrigerate any remaining dressing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.