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Chopped salad with Shawarma spiced paneer

Servings 2 large portions
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 Cucumber diced into small pieces
  • 15-20 Cherry tomatoes chopped in half
  • 1 Large Red Pepper diced into small pieces
  • 1 Large Green Pepper diced into small pieces
  • 1 Shallot or half a red onion, diced finely
  • 1 Cup Baby spinach leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 Cup Arugula leaves roughly chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Fresh parsley chopped finely
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil divided. Use a good quality oil
  • 8 Oz Fresh paneer chopped into 1/2” cubes
  • 2 Tsp Shawarma spice powder divided. Such as the Sadaf brand
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Prep the veggies
  • Add all the chopped veggies except the spinach and arugula to a large salad bowl. Reserve a tbsp of parsley for garnish.
  • Add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and 1 Tsp of Shawarma powder to the vegetables.
  • Add a few turns of cracked black pepper and toss everything together. Then cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour while you prepare the paneer.

Prepare Paneer Cubes

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Arrange the paneer cubes in a single layer on a tray lined with a silicone mat, or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Bake for 10 minutes until the corners begin to turn a light golden brown.
  • While the paneer is baking, get a bowl of hot water with 1 tsp of water dissolved in it ready. You need enough water to submerge the paneer cubes.
  • Remove the paneer cubes from the oven and transfer to the hot salt water. This helps keep the paneer from turning hard and rubbery.
  • When ready to serve, drain the paneer from the water and toss with 1 tsp of Shawarma powder and 1 Tbsp Olive oil.
  • Transfer the paneer cubes to a heated saucepan and toss for 2-3 minutes until the shawarma spices release their fragrance in the oil.

Assemble the salad

  • Toss the spinach and arugula with the chopped vegetables. Add salt to taste and adjust the seasoning with pepper and lemon juice.
  • Top with the spiced paneer cubes.
  • Garnish with the reserved parsley.
  • Serve with warm pita bread, or a slice of toasted sourdough.

Notes

  • You will need to let the veggies sit in the lemon juice, oil, and spice powder for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. I prefer to add the salt just before serving. Otherwise the crunchy veggies release a lot of their liquid and get soft.
  • For a spicier salad, you can add crushed red pepper flakes to the salad, or your spice mix of choice. Anything with bright, citrusy, herby flavors works well such as Chimichurri powder and Creole seasoning.
  • This salad tastes best on the day it is made. However, leftovers will still taste good for a day or two in the refrigerator. If you want to make a big batch of this salad, just add the spinach and arugula separately before serving, rather than mixing it all into a big batch.
  • You can find Shawarma spice at many middle eastern, Indian, and specialty food stores. I use the Sadaf brand.