以新鲜芝麻菜为主，拌入烤核桃、薄洋葱片与石榴籽，淋柠檬苏马克或石榴糖酱汁的明亮辛香沙拉。它属于黎巴嫩前菜沙拉家族（与塔布勒、法图什并列），芝麻菜的辛辣叶片是其灵魂食材。
Salatat jarjeer — arugula salad — is the peppery-green member of the Lebanese mezze salad family that includes tabbouleh and fattoush, and arugula is what makes it itself. Where tabbouleh is built on parsley and bulgur and fattoush on a mix of vegetables with crisp bread, jarjeer is built on a single bitter-peppery leaf, dressed simply and eaten fresh. The salad exists because the Lebanese mezze table is rich — dips, fried things, cheeses — and needs a sharp, green counterpoint; arugula's bite, the walnuts' tannin, the pomegranate seeds' sweet-sour burst and the sumac's acid together cut through everything around them. It is a small dish with a clear job: to refresh the palate between the heavier mezze.
Arugula's peppery bitterness meets the sweet-tart pop of pomegranate seeds and the earthy crunch of toasted walnuts, all lifted by a bright lemon-sumac dressing. Each bite is sharp, juicy and refreshing — a perfect counterpoint to richer dishes.
Arugula's peppery bite comes from glucosinolates — the same mustard-oil compounds that give rocket and radish their heat — and they are the structural backbone of the salad's flavor. Pomegranate seeds add malic and citric acid for tartness plus a juicy crunch; toasted walnuts contribute tannins and toasted Maillard notes that balance the leaf's bitterness. Sumac supplies its own malic acid and the deep red color; the lemon-olive oil dressing is a simple emulsion that must be applied at the last moment, because arugula wilts under acid within minutes and the whole texture collapses.
Variations
Some add crumbled shanklish cheese for a salty, pungent note. Sumac or pomegranate molasses is interchangeable as the sour element. A winter version adds segments of orange.
On the Palate
Where Salatat Jarjeer sits in the Lebanese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
6 steps · 15 min
- 14 min
Wash and dry 4 cups fresh arugula; if leaves are large, tear them.
- 23 min
Toast 1/2 cup walnut halves in a dry pan until fragrant; break into pieces.
- 34 min
Seed 1 pomegranate; thinly slice 1 small red onion.
- 43 min
Make the dressing: whisk juice of 1 lemon, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp sumac (or 1 tsp pomegranate molasses), 1/2 tsp salt.
- 53 min
Combine arugula, onion, walnuts and most of the pomegranate seeds in a bowl; dress just before serving and toss gently.
Watch outDress the arugula only at the very last second before serving — acid wilts the leaves within minutes and the whole salad goes limp.
- 62 min
Plate; scatter the remaining pomegranate seeds and a pinch more sumac on top; serve at once.
