Çoban Salatası (Turkish Shepherd’s Salad)

Çoban salatası, literally shepherd’s salad, is Turkey’s version of the chopped tomato-and-cucumber salad you will find in some form on nearly every table around the Mediterranean. What sets it apart is the cut: everything, tomato, cucumber, pepper, onion, is diced small and even, so every bite gets a little of everything.

It is a close cousin of the escalivada already on the site, minus the roasting, and it belongs in the same category as fattoush and panzanella, both also posted here — proof that nearly every culture around this sea solved the same problem of ripe summer vegetables the same basic way, then made it their own with different herbs and dressing.

This is my August salad, made the week the farmers market tomatoes finally taste like something and the cucumbers stop being watery. Sofia insists it needs pomegranate molasses, which is not traditional everywhere in Turkey but has become non-negotiable in our kitchen.

Çoban Salatası Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 0 minutes · Total: 20 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~110 per serving

Ingredients

• 4 ripe tomatoes, diced small
• 1 English cucumber, diced small
• 1 green bell pepper, diced small
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses, optional
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the diced tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, and red onion in a large bowl.
2. If the tomatoes are very juicy, let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then drain off any excess liquid that collects at the bottom of the bowl.
3. Add the parsley and mint.
4. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses if using, salt, and pepper.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently.
6. Scatter the crumbled feta over the top just before serving. Do not toss the feta in, or it will disappear into the vegetables.

Recipe Notes

• Dice everything to roughly the same small size; the texture, not any single ingredient, is what makes this salad distinct.
• Salting the tomatoes and cucumbers briefly and draining the liquid keeps the salad from turning watery, especially if you are making it ahead.
• Pomegranate molasses is sold at most Middle Eastern grocery stores and adds a sweet-tart edge; a squeeze of extra lemon works if you cannot find it.
• Best eaten within a few hours of dressing, while the vegetables are still crisp.