🥗 Shepherd's salad (çoban salatası)
Çoban salatası, the Turkish shepherd's salad, is a chopped salad of ripe tomato, cucumber, onion, green pepper and parsley dressed simply with olive oil and lemon. Everything is cut into small, even dice, so each spoonful is crisp, juicy and fresh. It is served alongside kebabs, grilled meat, rice and pilaf, and with almost any home meal in Turkey.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ripe tomatoes, diced
- 2 cucumbers, diced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 long green peppers, diced
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt
Method
- Dice the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers into small, even pieces.
- Rub the chopped onion with a pinch of salt for a minute to soften its bite.
- Combine the vegetables, onion and parsley in a bowl.
- Dress with the lemon juice and olive oil, season with salt, toss and serve straight away.
How to make it lighter
- The vegetables are very light; most of the calories come from the oil — 1 tbsp olive oil ≈ 120 kcal.
- Use 1 tbsp oil for the whole bowl and more lemon for flavour.
- Serve a large portion next to kebab or pilaf and take a smaller scoop of rice.
History
The name means “shepherd's salad”, usually explained by its simple ingredients that could be chopped anywhere with a knife. Today it is one of the most common side salads in Turkish homes, kebab houses and meyhanes.
Count it in one photo
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →