Georgian Salad – Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Walnut Dressing

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 This is the salad that appears on almost every Georgian table, from a simple family dinner to a big supra feast: juicy tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers with red onion and lots of fresh herbs, dressed with a creamy sauce of ground walnuts, garlic and Georgian spices. The walnut dressing turns an everyday tomato and cucumber salad into something rich and nutty without any mayonnaise or dairy, so it is naturally vegan. Make it in summer when tomatoes are at their best and serve it next to grilled mtsvadi, khachapuri or fresh bread.

How to Make Georgian Salad

1. Make the walnut paste. Blend or pound the walnuts with the garlic, coriander, blue fenugreek, pepper flakes and salt into a fine paste.
2. Loosen the dressing. Add the vinegar, then stir in the cold water little by little until the dressing is creamy and pourable, like thick yogurt. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar.
3. Cut the vegetables. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, slice the cucumbers and the red onion. Put the onion in a little cold water for 5 minutes to soften its bite, then drain.
4. Combine. Put the tomatoes, cucumbers and onion in a wide bowl with most of the herbs.
5. Dress and serve. Spoon the walnut dressing over the vegetables just before serving, toss gently and finish with the remaining herbs.

Tips for the Best Georgian Salad

• Use the ripest, sweetest tomatoes you can find – they make the salad.
• Dress the salad at the last minute so the vegetables stay crisp.
• A few drops of pomegranate juice in the dressing give it a lovely sour note.

FAQ

What is Georgian salad made of?
Georgian salad is made from tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and fresh herbs, often dressed with a sauce of ground walnuts, garlic, vinegar and Georgian spices.

What is Kakhetian salad?
Kakhetian salad is the simplest Georgian tomato and cucumber salad, dressed only with fragrant unrefined sunflower or olive oil, salt and onion.

Is Georgian walnut salad vegan?
Yes – the dressing is made only from walnuts, garlic, spices, vinegar and water, with no dairy or mayonnaise.

👉 Serve it with mtsvadi, chicken tabaka or penovani khachapuri. More Georgian walnut dishes: badrijani nigvzit and pkhali; read about the spices in khmeli suneli.

Footnotes:

For a lighter version skip the walnut dressing and dress the vegetables with Georgian unrefined sunflower oil (or a good olive oil), salt and a little red onion – this simple style is called Kakhetian salad.
The salad is best right after dressing; the walnut dressing keeps 2 days in the fridge.