When Orna Agmon and Ella Shine started a quaint little café, ‘Orna and Ella’ on Sheinkin Street, Tel Aviv way back in 1992, their only intention was to showcase traditional Israeli cuisine in a modern, contemporary way. But today, this café has become a culinary institution and boasts of a highly versatile and varied menu where gourmet dishes rub shoulders with homemade mama’s recipes.

The ‘Everything’ Salad, so aptly named by the staff at the café because it simply contained everything, has become a signature salad served at the café. The crunchy lettuce and the peppery rocket leaves try to keep their heads above the cool tomatoes and cucumbers which in turn battle with the salty feta and crispy croutons but all these get tied down with the fresh herby creamy dressing to create this bowl of healthy freshness.

Mixed salad with bread croutons in wooden salad bowl

Print Recipe

Everything Salad

Course: Salad

Ingredients

For the Dressing:

Fresh mint – 1 cup finely chopped
Fresh basil – ½ cup finely chopped
Fresh parsley – 1 cup finely chopped
Chives – ¼ cup finely chopped
Mayonnaise – 1 cup
Sour cream – 100 ml
Salt – to season
Black pepper – to season

For the Salad:

Tomato – 4 diced
Cucumber – 2 diced
Rocket leaves – a large handful
Romaine lettuce – 5 roughly shredded
Fresh parsley – ½ cup chopped roughly
Mint – ½ cup chopped roughly
Feta cheese – 1 cup cubed
Croutons – 1 cup

Instructions

To make the dressing, either mix ingredients 1-8 in a food processor or add finely chopped herbs to the mayo-sour cream mix.
Mix all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl and pour dressing on top just before serving.

Notes

If you want to make croutons at home, cut any fine bread into cubes; toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking tray and bake at 170°C for 30-40 minutes. If you do not have an oven, toast the bread cubes in a non-stick pan on low heat till golden brown and crunchy. Croutons can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.