Middle Eastern Salad with Lemon, Mint and Garlic (Syrian Salad)

Middle Eastern Salad with Lemon, Mint and Garlic (Syrian Salad)

This flavorful Lebanese salad is dressed with lemon juice, fresh garlic, olive oil and mint.

**Recipe featured on Cooking Channel website – Finalist for Perfect 5 Recipe Contest.**

Considering the theme of The Lemon Bowl, it is probably no surprise that my favorite and most common salad contains all of my favorite ingredients: lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. This is, of course, the basis of a Syrian (or Lebanese) salad.

I grew up shadowing my Great Aunt Vieve as she would prepare this delicious, fresh and addictive salad. Dressing the salad directly on the greens, I sat in awe as she seasoned, tasted and adjusted. No measuring, no teaspoons, just instinct. Utensils were no where in sight. Instead, she would simply use her hands (your greatest tool in the kitchen) to gently toss the salad, being careful not to bruise the lettuce and herbs.

Although I have no proof, I am a firm believer that my Great Aunt Vieve lived a long and healthy life due to the daily consumption of raw garlic. (Cooked whole garlic has very little, if any, medicinal benefits.) Not to brag, but I may or may not have written a research paper about the health benefits of garlic for my International Cuisine elective at Boston University. Shocker.

When consuming a rainbow of produce, don’t forget about the allium (or white) family which includes garlic, onions, scallions, etc. Chopping, mincing, crushing and grating garlic is the perfect way to release the essential oils and increase the flavor profile of any dish. I eat raw garlic in my salad because it tastes good, but here are some added health benefits:

Original article and pictures take cdn.thelemonbowl.com site