Middle Eastern Bread Salad With Mint, Peppers And Tomatoes

• FAST
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. Salt
2. 1 hothouse cucumber—peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch dice
3. Juice of 2 lemons
4. 2 large garlic cloves, minced
5. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6. Freshly ground black pepper
7. 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
8. 3 scallions, green and white, thinly sliced crosswise
9. 1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
10. 1/4 cup chopped mint
11. 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
12. 2 large or 4 small loaves pita bread, toasted or stale, torn into 1-inch pieces
13. 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
14. Black olives (optional)

1. Salt the diced cucumber and let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water and dry well.
2. Whisk half of the lemon juice with the garlic and olive oil in a bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, mint and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Put the bread in a salad bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the salad to the bowl and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Sprinkle the sumac on top. Garnish with black olives and serve immediately.