Fall Za’atar Salad

I made a new friend recently here in Oaxaca. She is from Israel. She gave me Za’atar. It is delicious! That is my short poem for today.

But in all seriousness, I was so excited when my friend, Yael, gave me Za’atar that she brought all the way from Israel. It is so very authentic and I have been putting it on salads and chicken lately. My plan is to add it to toast with tahini and olive oil (suggestion from Yael, of course), as well as toast with some goat cheese and tomato. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Za’atar is both the name for a Middle Eastern herb, as well as a mixture of the dried herb with sesame seeds, dried sumac, salt, and other spices such as dried oregano, marjoram, and thyme. The za’atar mixture can vary depending on the country and tradition. You should be able to find za’atar in gourmet grocery stores, spice stores, or kosher grocery stores.

Those two pictures above don’t actually have the za’atar because I forgot to put it on the salad one day…I was really hungry when I came home from the gym, ok!? But, I liked them so I thought I would include them for funsies.

The recipe listed below is really just a guideline for the ingredients I recommend for one salad, but feel free to use as much or as little of any ingredient as you’d like or have on hand. If you are vegetarian, you can omit the chicken. My dressing is kept simple for this salad- lots of lime juice and balsamic vinegar. I wanted to keep the fat low, so I did not use olive oil, but feel free to drizzle some on if you’d like. Trust me with the lime juice though…it is a requirement.

Fall Za’atar Salad
Serves as many as you have ingredients for!

mixed greens, ripped if they are very large
¼ white onion, thinly sliced
1 crisp and slightly sweet apple, cubed
sautéed or roasted chicken breast
thinly sliced hard goat cheese
parsley
lime juice
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon za’atar spice mixture

1. Add all ingredients except za’atar into a large bowl and toss to combine.
2. Sprinkle za’atar on top and garnish with slices of goat cheese. Serve immediately.

Note: You should be able to find za’atar in gourmet grocery stores or spice stores.