Moroccan cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Chlada Khiar bel Zaatar

Crisp cucumber cubes perfumed with wild thyme, a touch of sugar and orange blossom water.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 cucumbers
• 2 tsp za'atar spice blend
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 bunch mint
• Salt

Instructions

1. Peel the cucumbers, halve lengthwise and scrape out the watery seeds with a teaspoon so the salad doesn't turn watery.
2. Cut the flesh into 1 cm cubes, mix with 1 tsp salt and drain in a sieve for 10 min.
3. Briefly rinse the cucumber cubes with cold water and pat thoroughly dry between two layers of paper towel.
4. Whisk together sugar, lemon juice, orange blossom water and olive oil until the sugar is fully dissolved.
5. Toss the cucumbers with the dressing and half the za'atar and chill covered for 10 min. so the thyme infuses.
6. Before serving, sprinkle with finely cut mint and the remaining za'atar and serve well chilled as a mezze.