Turkish Shepherds Salad (Printable)
Tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and mint in lemon-olive dressing—bright, herbaceous side for grilled dishes.
# 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 to 8 pitted Kalamata olives
# How-To Steps:
01 - Combine diced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, green bell pepper, parsley, and mint in a large salad bowl.
02 - Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until fully emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss gently to coat evenly.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if desired.
05 - Transfer salad to a serving platter. Top with feta cheese and Kalamata olives if using. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- This salad comes together faster than you can set the table and tastes like sunshine in a bowl.
- Its the easiest way to impress friends, even if you accidentally double the dressing.
02 -
- Once, I forgot to dry my tomatoes and cucumber before mixing—hello, watery salad.
- Mixing the dressing separately prevents the herbs from getting soggy and bland.
03 -
- Always chop the herbs at the last minute for maximum flavor and brightness.
- Letting the salt work on the onions for a few minutes softens their sharpness—they mellow out beautifully.