Welcome to Olive Tree Kitchen! Here I will be sharing delicious, easy recipes anyone can prepare!
First up is this lovely little Turkish Shepherd’s Salad which is super easy to prepare and bursting with Mediterranean flavours!
The Shepherd’s Salad, or ‘çoban salatası’ is a favourite in Turkey and is very similar to the more familiar Greek Salad. It requires just a few simple ingredients to produce a light, refreshing salad that is perfect as a starter to a main meal or as an accompaniment to grilled meat or fish. It is most popular during the summer of course, when tomatoes are at their best, but I find it equally tasty at any time of year, if you can find good quality juicy tomatoes.
If you are anything like me, the new year always brings a new focus on healthy eating, and this light salad provides a welcome antidote to the the excesses of the holiday season!
This salad is best served immediately after dressing. Try to make only as much as you will eat at one meal, as the leftovers do not improve with refrigeration.
Turkish Shepherd's Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 cucumbers diced
- 3 tomatoes diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 bunch of spring onions scallions chopped
- Handful of fresh mint finely chopped
- ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
For the Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl
- In a separate bowl add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper
- Whisk together well to combine the dressing
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well to coat all the ingredients
- Serve immediately
Join me as I make healthy Mediterranean style recipes!
I’m so glad I stumbled into an original Turkish recipe that doesn’t claim to be Greek 🙂 This is one of our favourite salads, and we love to eat it with pretty much everything. I suggest you also try it with purple onions instead of scallions. Doubles the flavor, trust me. Sending love from Turkey!
Ooh, great tip, thank you! I’ll definitely try it out next time!
Very nice salad. I love a lemony dressing and this seems like it would only improve with time in the fridge, so I’m looking forward to leftovers. Served with Persian lentil soup and flatbread for a great dinner. Thanks for the recipe!