Shopska salad
Bulgarian tomato, cucumber and roasted pepper salad under a snow of sirene
Shopska salata is named after the Shopi people of the Sofia region and has become Bulgaria's national salad, the first thing ordered at any mehana (tavern) with a cold glass of rakia. Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, onion and soft roasted peppers are dressed simply with sunflower oil and vinegar, then buried under finely grated sirene, the Bulgarian white brined cheese, so the top looks like fresh snow. Unlike a Greek village salad, there are no olives and the cheese is grated, not in a slab. Chef's tip: salt and dress the vegetables before the cheese goes on; dressing over the cheese is the common mistake and turns the white snow soggy.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Combine 4 ripe tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 2 roasted red peppers, ½ red onion, 1 green chilli and 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley in a wide bowl.
5 minStep 2: Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt, drizzle with 3 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and toss gently.
2 minStep 3: Finely grate 5 ½ oz sirene or feta over the top with the small holes of a box grater, covering the salad completely. Serve straight away.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shopska salad take?
- About 20 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
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