Israeli salad is a chopped salad of finely diced tomato and cucumber. It is described as the most well-known national dish of Israel.
In Israel, it is also commonly referred to as salat yerakot (Hebrew for "vegetable salad"), salat katzutz (Hebrew for "chopped salad") or salat aravi (Hebrew for "Arab salad").
Israeli salad is usually dressed with fresh lemon juice and olive oil. Parsley and spring onions are sometimes added, but not lettuce. Generally, the cucumbers are not peeled.
The key is using very fresh vegetables and chopping them as finely as possible. The ability to chop the tomatoes and cucumbers into the finest, most perfect dice is considered a mark of status among many kibbutz cooks.
Israeli salad is served as an independent side dish, as an accompaniment to main dishes, or stuffed in a pita with falafel or shawarma. It was part of the traditional Israeli breakfast at home before Western-style breakfast cereals became popular, and remains a standard feature at buffet breakfasts at Israeli hotels.