Afghan Salad

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables

   No heat, 6 minutes. Rinse and dry the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, coriander and mint. Dice the tomatoes and cucumber, finely dice the pepper, and chop the herbs.

2. 2

   Slice the onion

   No heat, 3 minutes. Peel the red onion and slice it very thinly.

3. 3

   Take the edge off

   No heat, 5 minutes. Put the onion in a bowl with the lemon juice and salt, toss, and leave for 5 minutes until slightly softened.

4. 4

   Dress the salad

   No heat, 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, coriander, mint, olive oil and black pepper. Toss gently until evenly coated, taking care not to crush the tomatoes.

5. 5

   Rest and serve

   No heat, 4 minutes. Leave the salad for 4 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt or lemon if needed. Serve promptly while the vegetables remain crisp.

Tips

• Dry the herbs well so excess water does not dilute the dressing.
• Cut the vegetables into similarly sized pieces for an even mix.
• Toss gently and serve soon to keep the vegetables crisp.

Swaps

• Use parsley in place of some or all of the coriander.
• Use lime juice instead of lemon juice.

Storing

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and eat within a day; the vegetables will soften as they sit.