Best Break-the-Fast Israeli Salad Recipe and Fasting Tips
Find out how to make this delicious salad below!
Around the world, Jews will be fasting this Friday night through Saturday night in honor of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. And like any good Jewish holiday, even a day of fasting is all about food! For some of us, the most satisfying part of Yom Kippur- aside from the deep reflection and asking forgiveness for our sins of course- is getting to break the fast at the end of the day once the sun finally sets.
This year’s Yom Kippur wraps up on Saturday night, which also falls on the conclusion of Shabbat. Israel is known for its peaceful energy as everyone slows down for this day of rest, although this particular weekend will be a little more intense as those who observe gear up for the fast as well as the lavish meal that comes at its end. Whether you are in Israel this weekend for this holy day, or just want to get a taste of Israeli food at your own break fasts around the world, we have lots of tips and tidbits for you to get the most out of your ritual fast breaking!
Fasting Tip One: Keep it Easy the night before
One common tendency is to stock up on food the night before a fast to make up for the lack of food the next day. Doing this will actually make you feel hungry sooner because your stomach will have stretched and your body will be expecting you to continue the trend. The best way to go is to have a meal high in fat but low in salt to keep away hunger longer. Along those lines, this is a great time to eat carbs and avoid meats which will take up more energy to digest.
Drink slowly and steadily
By Abhijit Tembhekar [CC BY 2.0], via flickr
Fasting Tip Two: Start With Water
One of the biggest challenges of Yom Kippur is not being able to drink water. While the human body can go days without eating solid food, going without hydration is a much more challenging feat. Break your fast first and foremost by drinking a few cups of water very slowly. This will begin to hydrate you as well as brace your digestive system for the shock of stimulation that is to come.
Fasting Tip Three: Keep it light
At the end of a day of not eating it is very easy to grab the first edible thing in sight and try to fill one’s stomach as quickly as possible. This can lead you to as much discomfort as you had when fasting, especially if you break your fast with calorie-rich foods. For a more pleasant dining experience, try some fruits, vegetables, and light salads to ease your body back into its regular routine. Many favorites include egg salad or tuna salad on some simple bagels, with a side of fruits and veggies. Traditional Israeli salads are especially excellent for this step of the fast breaking process- check out our recipe below and tell us how it goes over for you and your guests!
Easiest Break-the-Fast Israeli Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
3 tomatoes
3 cucumbers
1 red bell pepper
3 scallions
olive oil
lemon juice
salt
pepper
Preparations:
1. Chop the vegetables into small pieces. The secret to a really good Israeli salad is finely chopped vegetables.
2. Immediately before serving, season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. (Israelis tend to sprinkle on quite a bit of salt)
Tips:
1. To add color to the salad, use some red pepper, some green pepper and some yellow pepper rather than just one red pepper.
2. Use fresh lemon juice to give full fresh flavor to the salad.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve this salad fresh.
G’mar Chatima Tovah!
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