Turkish Shepherds Salad (Printable)
Bright Turkish salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs with zesty lemon-olive oil dressing—ready in 15 minutes.
# What You’ll 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 (optional)
12 - 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
13 - 6-8 pitted Kalamata olives
# How To Make It:
01 - Place diced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, green bell pepper, parsley, and mint (if using) in a large bowl.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar (if using), sea salt, and black pepper until blended.
03 - Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to coat evenly.
04 - Taste and modify salt or pepper if needed.
05 - Transfer to a platter and top with feta cheese and olives if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Chopping the vegetables is almost meditative, and the resulting flavors are so lively and crisp.
- This salad instantly perks up any meal and handles whatever is in season at the market.
02 -
- If you let the salad sit too long before serving, the veggies lose their crunch—toss right before mealtime.
- Switching to a big, sharp knife makes the chopping not just faster but more satisfying.
03 -
- A pinch of salt over tomatoes helps release their juices and deepens the flavor.
- Rubbing the bowl with a piece of lemon before adding the salad ingredients adds a subtle brightness to every bite.