From Israel to Spain to Morocco, produce is so flavorful that many salads need only ripe tomatoes and cool cucumbers to be delicious. But the watery, bland vegetables in the average American supermarket too often disappoint to work this way.
That’s why we use a simple trick to give them a boost — salting the chopped vegetables for about 10 minutes before dressing them. Besides seasoning the vegetables throughout, salting draws out moisture, which concentrates their flavors and gives them a more substantial, meatier texture.
Just half a teaspoon of salt for about a pound of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers was plenty for this refreshing salad in our book “Tuesday Nights Mediterranean,” which features weeknight-friendly meals from the region.
For additional flavor inspiration, we merged two Mediterranean classics, Greek horiatiki and the shopska salata of the Balkan countries.
For additional punch, we soak slices of red onion and rings of fresh chile in vinegar to soften their bite, then whisk the infused vinegar with olive oil and garlic to make the dressing. Briny capers add another layer of texture, and creamy feta cheese contrasts with the crisp, cool vegetables.
Good-quality feta is key here. The pre-crumbled stuff is loaded with artificial preservatives and lacks flavor, so look for varieties sold in blocks and crumble it yourself.
After assembling the salad, don’t wait to serve it. The flavors and textures are best when fresh.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.