Craving a delicious Middle Eastern side dish? Try the perfect rocca salad featuring fresh ingredients tossed in a simple sour dressing. This is also known as a Lebanese salatat jarjeer.
Just like a rabbit, I can't resist munching on fresh green rocca leaves with their peppery kick; I eat them on their own, they're so tasty to me.
Rocca, also known as roquette, rocket, or arugula, is a common salad green in the Middle East.
In Arabic, rocca is called jarjeer, pronounced as “jarr-jeerr” with rolled r’s, and is also known as “gerger leaves”.
This rocca salad is known as “salatat jarjeer” (Arabic) and can complement almost any lunch or dinner. Similar to this radish greens salad. I particularly enjoy it with baked kibbeh in a tray or cold kibbeh.
Moreover, I appreciate the herbaceous flavor of rocca in any good ol' salad.
Ingredients Highlight
The complete list of ingredients with measurements, can be found in the full recipe card below.
I have used two types of rocca leaves for this salad, either large and leafy or small wild leaves. Both work well. For the larger leaves, I chop them into bite-sized pieces.
When selecting rocca, look for the brightest green ones, as they are the freshest and have the best flavor.
Zesty white or red onions are on the sweeter side, complementing the pepperiness of the rocca, toasted walnuts, and juicy pomegranate arils. If pomegranates are hard to come by, they can be omitted.
A Lebanese salad dressing including sumac, a naturally sour and salty red spice adds an amazing flavor.
This dressing is commonly used in Lebanese salads, such as the juicy tomato and onion combination.
Janelle's Tips
Use a salad spinner to gently dry rocca leaves after washing, as they are delicate and can bruise easily if handled roughly. This goes for any salads with rocket.
Rocca leaves absorb the dressing well, the longer the prepared salad sits, the juicier the leaves become. For this reason, I recommend consuming the salad immediately.
To prepare ahead, you can chop the vegetables and keep them separate from the prepared rocket salad dressing (in a jar) in the fridge. You can also store the dry roasted walnuts in an airtight container in the pantry. When ready to serve, combine all the ingredients. I do this all the time, when I have a crowd to feed.
If you like this salad, then you'll love my beet salad or this chick fil a kale salad too.
Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ star rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.
Recipe
Rocca Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups Rocca leaves if using small variety, leave as is. If using large leaf variety, chop up into bite sized pieces.
- ½ medium White onion finely sliced
- ½ cup Walnuts roughly chopped
- ¼ medium Pomegranate optional. Use arils only.
Dressing
- 1½ tablespoons Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon Sumac
- ½ medium Lemon fresh juiced
- 1 pinch Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts and dry toast them until they are golden brown. Remove the walnuts from the pan to stop further toasting and let them cool to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients, including the dressing. Serve immediately or let it sit for 20 minutes to soak up the flavors.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
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Gav
I have an abundance of rocket growing in my garden, and this salad has become my current favorite. It's simple, nutritious, and has a nice peppery flavor.
Leena
It was good with the potato and leek soup as you suggested. Thanks again.