Shopska salad is a Macedonian chopped salad recipe made with contemporary cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and peppers, with creamy feta and a drizzle of oil and vinegar. It’s the best salad with essentially the most wonderful flavors!
For an additional conventional facet dish, attempt my tomato onion salad and Russian salad recipes. Or, toss collectively the well-known La Scala chopped salad.
Macedonian Shopska salad is THE summer season salad. As quickly because the odor of contemporary cucumber hits your nostril, I’m positive you’ll agree! I believe I ate this conventional chopped salad for 4 weeks straight once I visited my sister in Macedonia years in the past.
It’s a scrumptious mix of every little thing I like to eat, primarily contemporary backyard cucumbers, tomatoes, and tangy feta. No fancy salad dressings right here, simply oil and vinegar. Full cease. With the assistance of the tomato juices and creamy feta, it’s like a taste explosion!
About This Macedonian Shopska Salad Recipe
- Easy to make. All of the greens get chopped after which tossed in a super-simple French dressing. The simplicity of this dish lets the substances shine.
- Made for sharing. That’s the way you eat this salad in my homeland: All of the forks in a single salad bowl! When it’s not simply household, it’s simply as scrumptious dished onto plates.
- Solely the freshest substances. Even higher if in case you have the veggies in your backyard!
- Make it prematurely. Since this salad wants a little bit time to sit back within the fridge earlier than serving, it’s an awesome choice to make forward for events and holidays.
What the Heck Is a Shopska Salad, You Would possibly Ask?
Shopska salad is a sort of chilly salad. This recipe contains substances like tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, banana peppers, and crumbly feta cheese. It’s possible you’ll already be acquainted with its cousin, the Greek salad, which usually contains olives. Bulgaria’s model of shopska is even its nationwide dish.
The whole Balkan peninsula claims Shopska as its salad. We prefer to debate possession of every little thing over there, from ajvar (pink pepper relish) to baklava, kebapi (kebabs), musaka, and land. It’s the way it goes. All love!
Collect These Salad Elements
In her Mediterranean grandmotherly method, my Baba had a knack for turning the best substances into the BEST meals, and that features a conventional chopped salad. When making Shopska salad, be sure that your tomatoes are juicy. I’ve included notes beneath, and you’ll discover the total printable recipe within the recipe card after the submit.
- Ripe Tomatoes – The ripest you’ll find which might be plump, agency, and juicy. Good decisions are Roma tomatoes, vine tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes. I prefer to roll bigger tomatoes gently in opposition to the countertop, such as you would a lemon, to launch their juices earlier than I chop them up.
- Banana Peppers – These delicate peppers are a staple in Macedonian cooking, and my grandmother would at all times develop them in her backyard. For those who can’t discover banana peppers, inexperienced bell peppers make an excellent substitute.
- Cucumber – I exploit English cucumbers, which are typically lengthy. Mediterranean/Persian cucumbers are shorter with fewer seeds. Each will work on this recipe; chances are you’ll simply want an additional Persian cucumber in the event that they’re on the smaller facet.
- Yellow Onion – Select a gentle yellow or white onion, like Vidalia or shallot. Crimson onion additionally goes properly on this salad.
- Olive Oil – High quality counts! You can also make the straightforward dressing with a gentle or extra strong olive oil, relying on what you favor.
- Vinegar – Crimson wine vinegar is my first alternative, however you should use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic.
- Feta Cheese – Conventional shopska salad recipes use a brined cheese known as sirene. It’s much like feta, solely milder. I exploit feta cheese because it’s available in most shops. Goat cheese or shaved Parmesan cheese are additionally good alternate options.
- Parsley – Freshly chopped. You may as well use basil.
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Mix the veggies. Place the chopped tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and onions in a big serving bowl.
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Toss with dressing. Add salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar to a bowl and whisk to mix. Pour the dressing over the salad combination, toss it, and blend till nicely blended. Style for seasonings and modify accordingly.
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Add cheese. Prime with crumbled feta cheese and sprinkle with contemporary chopped parsley.
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Chill and serve. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, or till prepared to make use of. Serve.
Energy: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fats: 3g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 269mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 740IU | Vitamin C: 15.7mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values could range in response to the substances and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
Make Shopska Salad
The longest step is the chopping, however I’ll usually get my ladies concerned, and it goes shortly! To make this simple shopska salad the Macedonian method, comply with alongside beneath:
- Get out a big serving bowl. Add your chopped tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and onions.
- Make the French dressing. In one other bowl, whisk collectively the salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar. Pour the dressing over the chopped salad.
- Toss, then add cheese. Toss the salad with the French dressing. Give {that a} style and modify the seasonings as wanted, then crumble over the feta cheese. Sprinkle the salad with chopped parsley.
- Chill and serve. Refrigerate the salad for no less than 20 minutes so all of the flavors have an opportunity to mingle. This can be a nice salad to prep the day earlier than, too. When it’s time to serve, go across the forks, and luxuriate in!
Storing Leftovers
Shopska salad shops very nicely within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days. Retailer leftovers hermetic and luxuriate in them for simple lunches. I prefer to high my leftover salad with cooked rooster or fast air fryer salmon for a lightweight meal.