Shopska Salad

Name: Shopska Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Bulgarian
Ingredients: Ripe tomatoes, 3 large, cut into rough chunks; Cucumber, 1 large, peeled and chopped into chunks; Green or red bell pepper, 1 large, deseeded and chopped; White onion, half, finely sliced into thin rings; Sunflower or mild olive oil, 3 tablespoons; White wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon; Salt, a generous pinch; Fresh parsley, small handful, roughly chopped; Sirene (Bulgarian white brine cheese), 150g, coarsely grated; Salt and black pepper, to taste

Шопска салата/SHOP-skah sah-LAH-tah/

About this dish

Chopped tomato, cucumber, and pepper topped generously with grated sirene cheese.

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History & Origin

Named for the Shopi people of western Bulgaria, this salad's red-white-green colors deliberately echo the Bulgarian flag and are eaten before nearly every meal.

Ingredients

🍅Ripe tomatoes, 3 large, cut into rough chunks

🥒Cucumber, 1 large, peeled and chopped into chunks

🫑Green or red bell pepper, 1 large, deseeded and chopped

🧅White onion, half, finely sliced into thin rings

🫒Sunflower or mild olive oil, 3 tablespoons

🍶White wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon

🧂Salt, a generous pinch

🌿Fresh parsley, small handful, roughly chopped

🧀Sirene (Bulgarian white brine cheese), 150g, coarsely grated

🧂Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

Serves 4

Chop the tomatoes into rough bite-sized chunks and place them in a large salad bowl. Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthways, then chop into similar-sized pieces and add to the bowl.

Deseed the bell pepper and chop it into chunks roughly the same size as the tomatoes and cucumber, then add to the bowl along with the thinly sliced onion rings.

Drizzle the sunflower oil and white wine vinegar over the vegetables, add a generous pinch of salt, and toss everything together gently so the vegetables are evenly coated.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed — the salad should be fresh and lightly tangy. Transfer to a serving plate or bowl, spreading the vegetables out evenly.

Using the coarse side of a grater, grate the cold sirene cheese generously over the top of the entire salad. Do not mix the cheese in — it should sit on top like a thick snowy layer.

Scatter the freshly chopped parsley over everything and serve immediately at room temperature alongside crusty bread.

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