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    Home » Meal Type » Salads » Shirazi Salad

    Shirazi Salad

    Published on February 8, 2021 by Diana

    Jump to Recipe
    shirazi salad pinnable image

    This Mediterranean Shirazi salad is so fresh, simple, quick, and easy to make! It complements so many dishes and adds a lot of color and flavor to your meals. Uses very simple common ingredients, and ready in just 15 minutes.

    Overhead shot of shirazi salad in a large white bowl with a serving spoon
    Table of Contents hide
    1 What is Shirazi Salad
    2 The Ingredients
    3 How to Make Shirazi Salad
    4 Top Tips for Making Salad Shirazi
    5 Shirazi Salad

    What is Shirazi Salad

    Shirazi salad or salad-e Shirazi is a traditional cucumber and tomato Persian salad that comes from Shiraz; a city in the South West of Iran.

    It has a similar flavor profile to Greek salad, but it’s naturally vegan without the addition of feta or any other cheese. The dressing is so simple and couldn’t be any easier to make! It uses extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice seasoned with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper.

    Traditionally sour grape juice (ab-ghooreh) is used in the dressing, but it’s a hard-to-find ingredient, I substitute it with lemon or lime juice.

    When it comes to herbs, Shirazi salad is best known for using dried and crushed mint leaves. Dried mint has a unique flavor, and often used in Middle Eastern cooking.

    Angle shot of shirazi salad in a large white bowl with a serving spoon

    The Ingredients

    • Cucumber – normally crisp Persian cucumbers are used, but if you can’t find them (I rarely can) use an English cucumber instead, it has fewer seeds and thin skin so you don’t need to peel the cucumber.
    • Tomatoes – pick a variety of tomatoes that are firm, not too juicy, too seedy, or over-ripe. I usually go for Roma, Campari, or salad tomatoes.
    • Onion – red, white, or yellow.
    • Dried mint – crushed dried mint is what’s used in Shirazi salad. If you can’t find it, you can easily make it by dehydrating some mint leaves and crushing them with your hands. You can substitute dried mint with half a cup of fresh chopped mint leaves.
    • For the dressing, use extra virgin olive oil, lemon or lime, salt, and pepper.
    • Parsley – not a typical ingredient in traditional Persian salad, but I like to add it.
    What you need to make shirazi salad

    How to Make Shirazi Salad

    Finely dice the vegetables, but do not use a food processor or a chopper for that. The dice should be as fine as what you’d do for tabouleh salad. More like this tahini salad, or pico de gallo salsa. See pictures below.

    Make the dressing. Just combine the olive oil with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and add in the dried mint. If you want to emulsify the dressing, use a whisk but this step is not necessary nor traditionally done.

    You can also add the dressing ingredients on top of the diced vegetables rather than whisk in a separate bowl, mix the salad very well.

    Steps on how to make shirazi salad - chop vegetables and make dressing

    Toss the salad with the dressing until everything is well coated in the dressing. Serve immediately or allow the flavors to settle and infuse for 30 minutes before serving.

    Tossing the salad with the dressing

    Top Tips for Making Salad Shirazi

    • If using juicy tomatoes, place them in a colander after dicing to get rid of the extra juices.
    • This salad is best prepared and enjoyed immediately (or within an hour) as the vegetables become soggy with the dressing if stored in the fridge overnight. However, if you’re making this a couple of hours ahead, that works fine but I recommend dressing it right before serving.
    • Add more fresh herbs such as cilantro, dill, and mint leaves. This is not traditional but can be a tasty addition.
    • Serve this salad with rice dishes such as Mujadara, or stews, Middle Eastern pastries, hummus, and soups.
    Persian salad in a bowl, close up shot.

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    Shirazi Salad

    This Mediterranean Shirazi salad is so fresh, simple, quick, and easy to make! It complements so many dishes and can add lots of color and flavor to your meals. Uses very simple common ingredients, and ready in just 15 minutes.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Persian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 67kcal
    Author: Diana

    Ingredients

    • 1 English cucumber chopped, or 4 Persian cucumbers
    • 4 tomatoes chopped
    • 1 red onion chopped
    • ¼ cup parsley chopped

    Dressing

    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon dried mint
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • Finely dice or chop the vegetables and add to a large mixing bowl.
    • In a small bowl or jug, combine the olive oil with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and add in the dried mint. Give everything a good stir, or if you want the dressing emulsified use a whisk.
    • Toss the salad with the dressing until everything is well coated in the dressing. Serve immediately or allow the flavors to settle and infuse for 30 minutes before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    • This salad is best prepared and enjoyed immediately (or within an hour) as the vegetables become soggy with the dressing if stored in the fridge overnight. However, if you’re making this a couple of hours ahead, that works fine but I recommend dressing it right before serving.
    • Add more fresh herbs such as cilantro, dill, and mint leaves. This is not traditional but can be a tasty addition.
    • Serve this salad with rice dishes such as Mujadara, or stews, Middle Eastern pastries, hummus, and soups.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 828IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Hello and welcome to Little Sunny Kitchen! I'm Diana and I love cooking with fresh, and seasonal ingredients. I'm a trained chef, food blogger, and photographer. More about me!

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