Simple Turkish Shepherd’s Salad with Herbs Recipe
This Simple Turkish Shepherd’s Salad is a fresh, vibrant mix of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and tangy feta cheese, dressed with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Enhanced with aromatic spices like sumac and Urfa pepper, this salad offers a refreshing and colorful Mediterranean side dish perfect for warm weather meals or light lunches.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Turkish/Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 pound tomatoes, chopped
- 1 large English cucumber, diced (¾ pound)
- 1 Anaheim or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
Dressing and Seasonings
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons sumac
- 1 teaspoon Urfa pepper
Additional
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Whole-wheat naan or pita, for serving
- Olives, for serving
- Bibb lettuce, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the shallots: Add the thinly sliced shallot to a medium bowl and cover it with cold water. Let it soak while you prepare the other ingredients to reduce sharpness.
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, the lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt until emulsified and well combined.
- Combine vegetables and herbs: Drain the shallots from the cold water and add them to the large bowl along with the chopped tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced green bell pepper, parsley, mint, dill, sumac, and Urfa pepper. Toss everything gently to evenly coat with the dressing and spices.
- Add feta and adjust seasoning: Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the salad and toss gently again to combine, being careful not to break up the cheese chunks. Taste the salad and season with additional salt and lemon juice as needed.
- Serve: Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature alongside whole-wheat naan or pita bread, olives, and Bibb lettuce for a complete, refreshing meal or side dish.
Notes
- Soaking shallots in cold water mellows their pungent flavor, making the salad more balanced.
- Sumac adds a tangy, citrusy flavor that enhances the freshness of this salad.
- Urfa pepper provides a subtle smoky heat, but you can substitute with smoked paprika if unavailable.
- For a vegan version, simply omit the feta cheese.
- Best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
Keywords: Turkish shepherd's salad, Turkish salad, Mediterranean salad, fresh herbs salad, no-cook salad, summer salad, feta salad
