Kakheti · 20 min · Vegan · Starter · For beginners
Kartuli Salata Nigvzit
In German: Georgischer Tomaten-Gurken-Salat mit Walnüssen · In English: Georgian tomato and cucumber salad with walnuts
For 4 servings · US units
Summer vegetables with crushed walnuts, herbs and Kakhetian oil
When tomatoes and cucumbers are at their summer best, they don't need much help: crushed walnuts, a handful of herbs, and the Georgian spice duo of Imeretian saffron and blue fenugreek. It's dressed with cold-pressed Kakhetian oil, which gives the whole bowl a warm, nutty depth. This is an everyday salad that comes together in twenty minutes and goes with just about anything.
Ingredients
- 1⅓ lbTomatoesripe, cut into wedges or cubes, tough stem parts removed
- 1⅛ lbCucumberssliced about 1 cm thick, peeled according to source 1
- 3½ ozwalnutscrushed finely in a mortar, keep a few halves for garnish
- 1Onionred salad onion or white onion, cut into thin rings or half-rings
- 1 bunchparsleyleaves roughly chopped
- 1 bunchbasilfresh, red basil per source 3; leaves torn coarsely
- 1 bunchwashed, for the blended nut dressing (optional)The fresh leaves of the coriander plant, with a strong, citrusy and pungent aroma.Substitute: There is no real substitute, because its distinctive aroma cannot be reproduced. Flat-leaf parsley adds the fresh green note, but tastes noticeably milder and different.Read more
- 1Green chilifinely chopped
- 4 clovesgarlicpeeled, for the nut dressing (optional)
- 4 tbspVegetable oilcold-pressed Kakhetian oil according to source 1
- 3 tbspWhite wine vinegarto dress the salad
- 4 tbsplemon juicealternative to vinegar, added to the nut dressing (optional)
- 1 tspground, mixed with the nutsBlue fenugreek, called utskho suneli in Georgia: dried, ground leaves and seed pods with a mild, hay-like, nutty aroma.Substitute: Dried fenugreek leaves from an Indian grocer come closest but are stronger and more bitter, so use about half the amount; ground fenugreek seed is harsher still and works only very sparingly. Khmeli suneli contains blue fenugreek but also brings coriander, dill and other spices, which changes the character of the dish.Read more
- 1 tspground, mixed with the nutsGround dried marigold petals, a Georgian spice that turns dishes golden yellow and tastes mild, earthy and slightly bitter.Substitute: There is no equivalent substitute. A small pinch of turmeric matches the colour but brings its own sharper earthy flavour and should be used far more sparingly; dried calendula petals from a pharmacy or tea shop colour more weakly and taste flatter. True saffron is no substitute, its flavour is entirely different.Read more
- saltto taste
Method
- Halve the tomatoes, cut out the tough stem parts and slice the flesh into wedges or cubes.
- Peel the cucumbers if you like and cut them into slices about 1 cm thick. Cut the onion into thin rings or half-rings and finely chop the green hot pepper. Tip everything into a large bowl and toss loosely together.
- Pick any papery membranes off the walnuts, set aside a few good-looking halves for the garnish and crush the rest finely in a mortar — if you don't have one, seal them in a freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Roughly chop the parsley, tear the basil leaves and fold both through the vegetables.
- Mix the crushed nuts with the blue fenugreek and Imeretian saffron, then scatter the spiced nuts over the salad.
- Drizzle the salad with white wine vinegar or lemon juice and the sunflower oil, season with salt and turn everything gently so the tomatoes stay intact.
- Garnish with basil leaves and the reserved walnut halves and serve straight away, while the vegetables are still crisp.
Tips and variations
Instead of the coarsely crushed spiced nuts, you can make a smooth dressing: blend fresh coriander, walnuts, garlic and lemon juice to a smooth paste and season with salt — in that case you skip the parsley and basil and work with coriander alone. The acidity can come from white wine vinegar or lemon juice, the onion can be red or white, the garlic can be left out entirely and the cucumbers can go in peeled or unpeeled; if you prefer things mild, leave out the hot pepper. Serve the salad right after dressing it, ideally with bread to mop up the tomato juices and oil.
Allergens
Contains: Tree nuts, Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
