Shopska Salata (Bulgarian Tomato and Cucumber Salad)
Local name: Шопска салата
In short: Chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers dressed with sunflower oil and vinegar and buried under a snowfall of grated white sirene cheese. It takes about 15 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 235 kcal
Shopska salad is on almost every Bulgarian table in summer, at home and in restaurants. Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sweet peppers and raw onion are dressed with sunflower oil, a little vinegar and salt, then covered with a thick layer of grated sirene, the brined white cheese. It is often served alongside grilled meat and a glass of rakia (fruit brandy).
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes into bite-size chunks and the cucumbers into 1 cm (1/2 in) dice. Dice the pepper and slice the onion thinly.
- Combine the vegetables in a shallow serving bowl.
- Whisk the oil, vinegar and salt together and pour over the vegetables. Toss lightly. Go easy on the salt, because the cheese is salty.
- Scatter the parsley over the top.
- Pile the grated cheese thickly over the whole salad so it forms a white layer.
- Serve straight away, before the cheese starts to weep into the juices.
Tips
- Use ripe, in-season tomatoes. With so few ingredients, the tomatoes carry the salad, and watery winter ones make it dull.
- Chill the cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes and grate it on the large holes of a box grater for the traditional fluffy snowfall.
Questions and answers
What cheese goes in shopska salad?
Bulgarian sirene, a salty white cheese brined like feta, is traditional. Feta is the closest substitute.
Can I make shopska salad ahead?
Chop the vegetables up to 2 hours ahead and keep them cold. Dress them and add the cheese just before serving, or the salad turns watery.
Does shopska salad contain lettuce?
No. It is made with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onion only, topped with cheese.
How long does it take to make Shopska Salata (Bulgarian Tomato and Cucumber Salad)?
About 15 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 0 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Shopska Salata (Bulgarian Tomato and Cucumber Salad)?
About 235 kcal per serving, with 7 g of protein, 13 g of carbohydrates and 17 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 235 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Fat | 17 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 650 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
