Total Time20 minutesRating5(863)NotesRead community notesGreater Los Angeles is a collection smaller cities, including Glendale, a center of the Armenian diaspora and home to one of the world’s largest Armenian populations outside Armenia. Fleeing religious violence in the late 19th century, genocide in the early 20th or the Soviet Union after that, Armenian Californians became integral in the development of the fig, raisin and bulgur businesses. They also opened restaurants. This salad comes from one of them, Adana. The chef and owner, Edward Khechemyan, gave me the recipe in 2013. —Mark BittmanFeatured in: This Armenian LifeLearn: Basic Knife SkillsYield:4 servings4ripe tomatoes, chopped4Persian cucumbers, chopped½small white onion, chopped2tablespoons chopped purple or green basil1tablespoon chopped cilantro½teaspoon dried mint½teaspoon crushed red chili powder (or ancho chile powder)½teaspoon salt2tablespoons lemon juice1tablespoon olive oilIngredient Substitution GuideNutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)72 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 310 milligrams sodiumNote: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.Powered byStep 1Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl; toss, and serve.Similar RecipesSpicy Cucumbers With Mint, Scallions and Crushed Peanuts Tomato Salad With Cucumber and GingerAlexa WeibelSalad-e Shirazi (Persian Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad)Samin NosratCucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts and ChileSue LiCucumber Salad With Soy, Ginger and GarlicMartha Rose ShulmanTzatziki With MintMartha Rose ShulmanCucumber, Melon and Watermelon SaladMartha Rose ShulmanChopped Cucumber and Tomato SaladDavid TanisCucumber RaitaMartha Rose ShulmanSesame Cucumber and Avocado SaladHetty Lui McKinnonChile-Crisp Tofu, Tomatoes and CucumbersAli SlagleMelon, Cucumber and Cherry Tomato SaladDavid TanisSalmon and Couscous Salad With Cucumber-Feta DressingYasmin FahrCucumber-and-Mâche SaladSam SiftonGreen Tomato SaladKim SeversonCucumber and Cilantro RaitaNigella LawsonCucumber and Radish Salad With Yogurt and CuminMartha Rose ShulmanCucumber-Watermelon SaladKim SeversonCurry Tomatoes and Chickpeas With Cucumber YogurtAli SlagleTomato, Cucumber and Corn SaladMartha Rose Shulman5 out of 5863 user ratingsHave you cooked this? or  to mark this recipe as cooked.Private NotesLeave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.Microwave is the *best* way to dry mint -- or any herbs. Microwaving preserves the flavor and especially the color of herbs. There's no comparison to air dried herbs.Place the fresh (clean) herbs on a towel (or paper towel) on a plate. Put another towel on top. Microwave on high for about one minute. The towel will absorb lots of water. Use another dry towel to finish drying -- this time in short bursts of 20 seconds or so. Don't overdo it! They are dry before they even look dry!I prepared this early to leave in the fridge for dinner tonight.   I let it sit on the counter for a bit, to let the flavors blend, before tasting. Big mistake. It's now gone. I ate every bit and love, loved it! Fresh tasting and wonderful complex flavors. A new favorite.Good idea to let sit on the counter for a bit to blend flavors, but refrigerating tomatoes is a flavor-killer. NEVER refrigerate tomatoes!I used Aleppo pepper in place of the chili powder.I fondly remember visiting my Lebanese grandmother when she was processing the abundant supply of mint from her garden.  NEVER did I find it tasteless, by the way. Her method was pretty simple:  strip the leaves from the stems and place them on the newspaper covered dining table.  A few windows  left open created a breeze.  They mint was dried within a few days.  I can still see her crumbling it over feta cheese just before drizzling same with rich, dark green olive oil from Beirut.Amazing!Add pieces of toasted pita, and it's fatoush!  Can't wait for summer tomatoes...Question: I'd rather use fresh mint from my garden. What amount fresh should I use instead of dried, and would this detrimentally affect the flavor? Thanks!This is a standard staple in the South Caucasus, not just Armenia. In summer when it's too hot to bother with cooking, it's cucumber-tomato salad with some bread and cheese and we call it dinner. In western Georgia we also add crushed walnuts or hazelnuts (omitting mint) to coat the salad.Should I "sweat" the cucumbers, or let them release moisture onto towels to prevent a watery salad? I've done this with most other cucumber salads, so I thought someone would write about it in the notes...A super simple, straight forward salad that is such a nice change from the lettuce salads I always seem to resort to.  In my opinion it goes with anything and hits the spot all on its own.  Thank you Mark Bittman.Usually, fresh herbs are used in double the amount of dried. And I used fresh mint, also, and it was delicious.This is typical street food, which embellishes shawarma in pitas in Saudi Arabia. Usually it comes with a white sauce of yogurt and olive oil. Sometimes it contains black olives and/or chopped green bell peppers. The herb is cilantro, though. It's a juicy, mouth-watering salad on its own as well.1/2 tsp of chili flakes would overwhelm 4 tomatoes. A milder chili powder would be a better choice.Love this recipe.  We've also made it substituting watermelon for the tomatoes.  Delightful!8/11/24 - Very good - not sure it was great. Added a bit more chili powder and salt. Also tried adding watermelon - liked that!I love this salad, but my favorite part of this is the liquid that seeps out of the veggies, when I let them sit a while after I’ve salted them. People, it’s not water. It’s flavorful and delicious. Don’t drain and throw it away. Drink the bowl dregs, or, if you’re civilized, put it in a glass, maybe tart it up with a squeeze of lemon, or lime, or a glug of vodka. Add ice and blend it? Sadly, there’s never enough “water” left in the button of
 my bowl to indulge my beverage dreamsAdded peaches, avocado, a little feta and left over tabbouleh - why not ?Tomato and (seedless) cucumber  salad lends itself to a lot of wonderful variations! I often add a little finely-chopped green pepper and/or the onion, or green onion.  Dill and basil sub in for cilantro and mint or dill basil and cilantro or mint. I like my salad with a lot of balsamic vinegar, light on the olive oil. No heat for me thank you. This is really another iteration of a Greek village salad on almost every Greek restaurant menu, with feta of course!Very good. Didn’t have enough cucumber for a recipe, so added some celery with the strings removed.Delicious, classic Shirazi salad you’ll find in the Mid East region. This is not fattoush minus the bread, not sure why some have commented that. If you can’t find Persians, English or any thin-skinned cukes can be subbed. We grew up using supermarket cucumbers but leaving some of the skin on.Made with sardine rillette and green beans herbs perfect summer mealMade with green bean herb salad and sardine rillette perfect summer mealI love the addition of red chili powder, it added complexity without being overpowering. My husband doesn't like mint so I left that out, but increased the basil (I used Thai Basil) and cilantro. It's summer why not!I added pickled onions. Very good touch. It gave it some vinegar taste which I enjoy. I did around a 1:1 ratio.Excellent. Be sure to find the freshest tomatoes possible—it makes all the difference here. And as for the powder vs. flakes debacle, I’d strongly recommend powder. It mixes seamlessly with the rest of the ‘dressing’ and integrates better into the delicious liquid at the bottom than chili flakes ever could. But seriously, make this recipe!!I still haven’t heard a real clarification of chili powder vs flakes…kinda wish Mr Bittman would rewrite that part. I have crushed red pepper flakes, and I have chili powder-hopefully either work!This is very good; I had all ingredients on hand except dried mint - I substituted fresh.  I put some over chick peas & devoured it for lunch.  Will make again!I use fresh spices and always double the suggested amount really nice kick to the tomatoes & cucumbers.Private notes are only visible to you.