Turkish Shepherd’s Salad, or Çoban Salatası, is, perhaps, the most frequently served salad on a Turkish table. In our family it is a must when we have grilled meats, rice and bulgur pilafs, stews, and myriad of other dishes. It is super good on its own too, as a light meal.
The salad is made with a crunchy and colorful concoction of finely chopped fresh vegetables, jazzed up with aromatic herbs – the classic one being parsley, with dill and mint as additional options.
The dressing is nothing more than a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Turkish Shepherd’s Salad is a nutrition bomb.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE TURKISH SHEPHERD’S SALAD:
- 4 medium ripe, juicy tomatoes, finely chopped
- 4 medium cucumbers, finely chopped (peel completely if the skin is coarse, otherwise, do a zebra-stripe peel, or leave the peel on)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- Handful of chopped fresh parsley
- Few pinches of chopped fresh dill (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 3-5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly squuzed juice of ½ lemon
- Pinch of sumac (optional)
- Put the vegetables and herbs in a large mixing bowl.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Add the olive oil and lemon juice, and, if using, sumac. Adjust these ingredients to your taste.
- Toss to combine.
- Serve immediately.
Leave a Reply