Moroccan Tomato Salad (Shlada) Recipe

By
Christine Benlafquih
Christine Benlafquih
Christine Benlafquih
Christine Benlafquih is a freelance writer and cooking class instructor with a background in Moroccan cuisine.
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Updated on 04/25/22
Moroccan Tomato Salad

The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 8 mins
Total: 23 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Armenian cucumbers offer a crispy contrast to fresh tomatoes in this Moroccan salad (shlada) recipe that includes vinaigrette and fresh mint. It's sometimes referred to as shlada 'arobiya (country salad) or shlada nationale (national salad). With its fresh taste and ease of preparation, it's an excellent salad for summer dinners and gatherings.

In Morocco, Armenian cucumbers are known as feggous. They're a thin variety of cucumber that tends to curve or bend, and all parts—from the thin skin to the soft seeds—are edible. If you can't find feggous, other cucumbers will work just fine in this salad. English and Persian cucumbers are great choices because they're very similar to Armenian cucumbers and also don't need to be seeded.

In this recipe, the tomatoes are blanched and peeled. Fresh mint (parsley is an option) and onion back up the cucumber and tomato medley, giving the salad a fantastic flavor. The simple vinaigrette of fresh lemon juice and olive oil brings it all together wonderfully.

Mixing the salad at least 10 minutes before serving will allow the various flavors to blend. The flavor will continue to develop if you let it rest for up to an hour. You can serve the Moroccan cucumber and tomato salad as is and spoon it onto individual plates or bowls as a fresh side dish or light lunch. It's also popularly eaten as a dip and scooped up with Moroccan bread (khobz) or used as the base to make other salads.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Armenian cucumber, or feggous, or cucumber of your choice

  • 1 pound fresh, ripe tomatoes 

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

  • 3 teaspoons finely chopped onion

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 dash salt

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make Moroccan tomato and cucumber salad

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  2. Lightly peel the Armenian cucumber so that some dark green skin remains, and finely chop it. Unless you're using seedless cucumbers, remove the seeds before chopping.

    A bowl of finely chopped cucumber

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  3. Blanch and peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and chop the tomatoes into small pieces.

    A bowl of finely chopped tomato

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  4. Mix the tomatoes with the cucumber, mint, onion, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

    A hand mixing the tomatoes with the cucumber, mint, onion, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

  5. If time allows, leave the vegetables to marinate at room temperature for up to 1 hour.

    A bowl of Moroccan tomato and cucumber salad

    The Spruce Eats / Preethi Venkatram

Recipe Variations

  • Parsley works as a good substitute for mint in this salad.
  • If you prefer, use vinegar instead of lemon juice.
  • Vegetable oil can replace the olive oil.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
87 Calories
7g Fat
6g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 87
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 33mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 13mg 67%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 305mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)