Çoban Salatası
Turkey's shepherd's salad: tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper and parsley diced and dressed with lemon, olive oil and a sprinkle of sumac.
Overview
Vegetables are diced into 1 cm cubes, slightly larger than Israeli salad. Olive oil, lemon and a generous shake of sumac bring it together. Eats at room temperature; doesn't keep, make right before serving.
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes (medium, deseeded; diced 1 cm)
- 1 cucumber (large, deseeded; diced 1 cm)
- 1 red onion (small, diced 1 cm)
- 1 long green pepper (Turkish sivri biber if you can find; diced)
- A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 1 teaspoon sumac (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 100 g feta cheese (crumbled, optional)
- A handful of kalamata olives (optional)
Method
Stage 1 - Combine
- Toss the tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper and parsley together in a wide bowl.
Stage 2 - Dress
- Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
- Sprinkle with sumac, salt and black pepper.
- Toss gently.
Stage 3 - Optional toppings
- Top with feta and olives if using.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Sprinkle with extra sumac for colour.
- Serve at room temperature alongside grilled meats, kebabs or pide.
Notes
- Sumac is the dish: Without it, this is just a tomato salad. The tart, lemony, slightly fruity flavour of sumac is what makes it Turkish.
- Sivri biber peppers: Long, thin, mildly hot Turkish green peppers. If you can find them at a Turkish grocer, use them; pale green Romanos are the next best.
- Don't make in advance: Cucumbers and tomatoes weep; the salad goes watery and limp within an hour.
Storage
- Best within an hour of mixing.
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