A Taste of Tbilisi: Mastering the Traditional Nut-Crusted Salad Usually Served with Georgian BBQ
The side dish that will go perfectly well with whatever type of meat you’ll decide to serve.
Despite some salad recipes still being more popular than others, sometimes it feels like their taste needs some kind of improvement — like a completely new sauce that will give a different taste to the entire dish.
This is exactly the way this Georgian salad can be described: the main ingredients are the most basic ones, but the nut and greens sauce offers a radically new experience that makes vegetables way tastier than before.
Here’s what you need: 1 large tomato, 1 cucumber, 1 bell pepper, 30 g of walnuts, 2–3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar (white wine vinegar), 1 tbsp of water, 1 red onion, hot pepper to taste, salt to taste, ground black pepper to taste, 20 g of lettuce, 10 g of cilantro, garlic (optional).
Wash the lettuce leaves thoroughly, pat them dry, and arrange them on a large platter to form the base of the salad.
Cut the tomato and cucumber into thick slices and arrange them neatly on top of the lettuce. Add the bell pepper and red onion, sliced into half-rings.
Next, chop the hot pepper to your liking and add it to the vegetables.
Prepare the nut dressing in a separate bowl: lightly dry the walnuts, then grind them thoroughly in a food processor until oil is released and a paste-like consistency is achieved.
Add fresh cilantro to the walnuts. Then add apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, pour in a little water, and season the dressing with salt and pepper.
Mix everything well until you get a smooth, thick consistency. Carefully spoon the nut dressing over the vegetables, trying to distribute it evenly.
Bonus tip: do not mix the salad before serving, let it remain in layers to preserve the freshness and richness of each ingredient, and then combine the flavors into a single whole at the table.
