This salad is a traditional Persian recipe that is easy to prepare and very tasty. It has a similar flavor profile as a greek salad, but it’s unique and delicious in its own way. It’s perfect as a side to any dish that can benefit from a little acidity such as winter beef stew, but it can also make for a great appetizer or a simple and light lunch on its own.
It’s best to use fresh, ripe tomatoes in the salad for maximum flavor. For the cucumber, I recommend using English or Persian cucumbers since they have smaller seeds and are more crisp. Traditionally this salad is made with dried mint, but to make it more accessible, I substituted fresh mint instead.
This salad is best served fresh; if you’re preparing it ahead of time, keep the chopped vegetables in the fridge and dress the salad 10-15 minutes before serving. Dressing the salad slightly ahead of time allows the flavors to come together better, however, you do not want to add the dressing too early since the mint can discolor. Left-overs can be refrigerated for one to two days in an airtight container.
Cucumber Tomato Salad (salad Shirazi)
Course: Appetizers, SaladsCuisine: PersianDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes15
minutesWith only a few ingredients, this salad is easy to make and tastes amazing!
Ingredients
2 cups diced cucumber
2 cups diced tomatoes
2/3 cups diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (alternatively you can use 1 ½ tbsp dried mint)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Cut tomatoes and cucumbers into similar-sized cubes of ~1/3 inch. Chop red onion into smaller cubes of ~1/4 inch
- Combine the cucumber, tomato, onion, and mint.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pour over the veggies and mix well.
- You can enjoy the salad immediately, but the flavor improves if you allow it to rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
