Salad

Salade Marocaine (Everyday Moroccan Tomato & Cucumber Salad)

Name: Salade Marocaine (Everyday Moroccan Tomato & Cucumber Salad)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 as a side
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 4 ripe tomatoes, finely diced; 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced; 1/2 small red onion, very finely diced; 1 small green bell pepper, finely diced (optional); Small handful fresh parsley and cilantro, finely chopped; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; Salt, to taste

The fresh, finely diced tomato-cucumber salad that sits on nearly every Moroccan table — quick to make and the plain companion to richer tagines.

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

0 minutes

Servings

4 as a side

Difficulty

Easy

Salade Marocaine is the everyday table salad that shows up alongside nearly every home-cooked Moroccan meal — finely diced tomato and cucumber, dressed simply, meant to sit quietly next to a tagine rather than compete with it.

It’s a genuinely different thing from the cooked salads like zaalouk and taktouka that also get called “Moroccan salad” — this one is raw, crisp and ready in about fifteen minutes, with none of the simmering those two require.

If you’re cooking a full Moroccan spread at home, this is usually the easiest dish to add — cut everything small, dress it lightly, and let it sit as the fresh counterpoint to whatever richer dish is at the center of the table.

Ingredients

For the Salad

4 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
1/2 small red onion, very finely diced
1 small green bell pepper, finely diced (optional)
Small handful fresh parsley and cilantro, finely chopped

Dressing

3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt, to taste

Instructions

1
Dice the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and bell pepper (if using) as finely and evenly as you can — this salad is traditionally cut small, not chunky.
2
Combine everything in a bowl with the chopped herbs.
3
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt, then pour over the vegetables.
4
Toss gently to combine and taste for seasoning.
5
Let sit for 10 minutes before serving so the flavors come together, or serve immediately if you prefer it crisper.

Tips

Seeding the cucumber first keeps the salad from turning watery as it sits.
This salad is meant to be a plain, cooling counterpart to a richly spiced tagine — resist the urge to over-season it to match.
It's traditionally eaten by scooping with bread rather than a fork, alongside the main dish rather than as a separate course.

Questions About This Recipe

How is this different from zaalouk or taktouka?

Zaalouk and taktouka are cooked salads with a softened, spread-like texture. Salade Marocaine is raw and finely diced — crisp, fresh and much quicker to make, closer to a simple chopped salad than the cooked versions.

Can I make this ahead of time?

It's best within a few hours of making, since the salt and acid will continue to draw liquid out of the vegetables the longer it sits. If making ahead, dress it just before serving.