This easy Turkish chopped salad, called Shepherds Salad, is made with fresh vegetables and herbs and can be topped with feta.
It's called the "salad of the people" because it's made with everyday, seasonal ingredients like tomato, cucumber, and bell pepper - but it's anything but simple! The flavors meld together beautifully for a classic, refreshing dish.
Emily's Recipe Notes
This easy side salad (called Çoban Salatası or Choban Salad in Turkish) is perfect served alongside grilled meat or kebabs, pasta, or to take along to a picnic.
If you serve it with olives and pita bread, it can be eaten on its own for a light lunch. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days, so it's easy to make ahead.
This type of salad is very common throughout the Mediterranean, it's served not only in Turkey but also in Greece and the Levant countries (it's called Salad Baladi or Middle Eastern chopped salad there).
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this Turkish salad.
- Roma tomatoes (or other fresh tomatoes like San Marzano)
- English Cucumber or Persian cucumbers
- Green Bell Pepper (or other green peppers like Anaheim)
- Shallots or Small Red Onion
- Fresh Parsley
- Fresh Mint
- Sumac
- Aleppo Pepper
- Sea Salt
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
This is optional, but you can serve this with 4 ounces of crumbled feta for a topping or side, pita bread, or kalamata olives.
How to Make Shepherd's Salad
Combine the diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, diced bell pepper, sliced shallot, chopped parsley, and chopped mint in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
Top with the sumac, Aleppo pepper, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
Optional - Top with half the feta, if using. Serve alongside some crumbled feta, kalamata olives, and slices of pita bread.
More Great Mediterranean Salad Recipes
If you love fresh flavors, be sure to check out my other fantastic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern salads.
- Tabouli Recipe (Tabbouleh Salad) - a herbaceous salad with loads of flavor.
- Turkish Cucumber Salad - an easy salad with yogurt, cucumber, and fresh herbs.
- Mediterranean Salmon Salad - a delicious main meal salad with lots of fresh veggies and tender salmon.
- Salad Shirazi (Persian Cucumber & Tomato Salad) - a fresh chopped salad with dried mint.
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Shepherd's Salad (Turkish Chopped Salad)
Ingredients
- 4 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 English cucumber or 4 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- optional to serve - 4 ounces crumbled feta for a topping or side, pita bread, kalamata olives
Instructions
- Combine the diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, diced bell pepper, sliced shallot, chopped parsley, and chopped mint in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
- Top with the sumac, Aleppo pepper, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Optional - Top with half the feta, if using. Serve alongside some crumbled feta, kalamata olives, and slices of pita bread.
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