Turkish Shepherds Salad (Printable Version)
Bright Turkish salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, mint and lemon-olive dressing—quick, fresh, and zesty.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 3 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
02 - 2 Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber, diced
03 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped (optional)
→ Dressing
07 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (optional)
10 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnish
12 - 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
13 - 6 to 8 pitted Kalamata olives
# How-To:
01 - Place diced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, green bell pepper, parsley, and mint in a large bowl.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to combine.
04 - Taste and adjust salt or pepper if needed.
05 - Transfer to a serving platter and top with crumbled feta and olives if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- You can pull this together in minutes, but it tastes like a garden party on a plate.
- The zesty, herb-flecked dressing makes even basic vegetables feel special enough for company.
02 -
- If you let it sit too long, the veggies begin to droop and lose their irresistible crunch.
- Adding the dressing just before serving keeps everything crisp and punchy.
03 -
- Resist the urge to overpower with too much dressing; the vegetables should shine through.
- A quick soak of onions in ice water takes away any harshness but keeps their crunch.