- Natalie Portman says her mom would make a simple tomato-cucumber salad with practically every meal.
- The salad always had tomato, cucumber, lemon and olive oil, and sometimes parsley, too.
- The actress shared the recipe and some other food memories on an episode of the Dish podcast.
It’s a summertime salad fit for a queen—Queen Padmé Amidala, that is. Star Wars alum Natalie Portman recently dished on the salad she ate with every meal growing up, and it’s a super-simple blend of fresh summer produce we can’t wait to add to our hot-weather menus.
Portman, who stars in the new Apple TV film Fountain of Youth alongside John Krasinski, appeared on the podcast Dish, where hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett asked her all about her favorite foods. Portman’s favorite sandwich filling? Falafel. Favorite form of potato? French fries. Favorite candy? Sour Patch Kids. Favorite way to eat tofu? Her mom’s recipe: baked with spices like cumin and turmeric.
An outspoken follower of the vegan diet, Portman also shared details on her favorite salad: one her mom made all the time when she was growing up. “I’d have to say the chopped, Middle Eastern salad,” the Israeli-born actor shared. “We had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My mom was just constantly making it.”
The best part about the fresh, flavorful salad? It can be made with just a handful of ingredients. “Usually just cucumber and tomato and sometimes parsley, but often just cucumber and tomato with lemon, olive oil and salt,” Portman shared. “It’s just like, all we eat all the time, every meal.”
There’s much to love about Portman’s go-to salad. Tomatoes can reduce risk of heart disease, aid in cancer prevention and improve skin and digestive health. Cucumber is hydrating, low in calories, and can help protect against things like cancer and diabetes. Olive oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits, and lemon is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which is one of the reasons people toss the citrus fruit into water so often.
In fact, Portman’s summery salad choice reminds us of our Chopped Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Lemon, which has a few additional ingredients like white-wine vinegar and shallots, and uses both lemon juice and lemon zest for the perfect citrus flavor burst. To make it, whisk a tablespoon of white-wine vinegar, a teaspoon of lemon zest, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and ¾ teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Chop a cucumber, 1 pound of tomatoes and a bit of shallot and add them to the bowl, mixing with the vinaigrette. Let the whole thing stand at room temperature for at least an hour (or up to two hours) before serving. Before serving, add some fresh, chopped parsley or basil and stir to combine. Serve this salad with a slotted spoon to allow some of the liquid to come off the veggies before plating.
Looking for more quick-and-easy summer recipes? Whether you’re grilling, making a veggie casserole or looking for 30-minute summertime dinners, we’ve got you covered. EatingWell also has the scoop on healthy summer mocktails, fruity frozen margaritas and hydrating sips for hot weather—so you’ll be ready for whatever the cookout weather has in store.
