Shirazi Salad Recipe

Shirazi Salad Recipe – Persian cucumber tomato and onion salad. Diced vegetables in juicy sauce, loaded with flavors. Nutritious and delicious. Serve with crusty bread, chips, meat or seafood. Made with simple ingredients and ready in 10 minutes.

The hardest part about making this salad is doing all the chopping.

Get some seasonal tomatoes and cucumbers and make this amazing “salsa style” salad.

What is Shirazi Salad?

Salad-e Shirazi is a Persian tomato and cucumber salad dressed with a very simple lemon juice and olive oil dressing. It originates from the city of Shiraz in Iran. The salad has gained popularity lately. It makes it perfect for people, who cook at home and follow a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

The recipe varies and I’m sharing with you the way I make it for my family.

A salad with bright colors and flavors.

How to make “Salad Shirazi”?

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes – one of the hardest things to do these days – find great quality tomatoes. Unless you have a garden and are growing your own tomatoes, this year I’ve been having issues with buying tomatoes. Check your local Farmer’s market, if possible. I recommend using Roma tomatoes, they are easy to find and taste great, when ripe. Pink or heirloom tomatoes will work as well. I don’t suggest using cherry or grape tomatoes, but even these will work. Check out “Recipe Tips”, if you are not sure about removing the seeds.
• Cucumbers – preferably Persian, but English cucumbers work as well. There is no need to peel them, but you can definitely do so, if you’d like to.
• Onions – Shirazi salad is made with red (purple) onions, but milder varieties like white or yellow can be substituted. Chop onions and place them in cold water, while chopping the other veggies. By immesing them in water, the onion flavor softens and makes them more pleasant to use in salads and other recipes.
• Fresh herbs – parsley and cilantro 
• Fried Herbs – I used Mint and Sumac
• Salt – sea salt or Pink Himalayan
• Olive oil – extra virgin works best
• Lemon juice – freshly squeezed. The original Shirazi salad recipe uses sour grape juice (also called Ab Ghooreh), which I don’t have and you can also omit it. Use lemon juice instead. Lime juice can be substituted for lemon juice, or you can use a combination of both.

Instructions:

1. Dice onions and place in water, until you are chopping the rest of the veggies.
2. Chop the tomatoes and cucumbers. The smaller the better! Chop fresh parsley and cilantro (optional)
3. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, mint and sumac. 
4. Place chopped vegetables in a deep bowl.
5. Pour dressing on top of the vegetables. Stir to combine.
6. Let the veggies marinate in the dressing for 10 minutes, then serve.

Recipe Tips:

• If the tomatoes you are using are extra ripe, make sure you peel before you chop them.
• Add ins – fresh herbs, peppers, Feta cheese, quinoa
• Salad may become too juicy – then you may want to remove the seeds from the tomatoes, or place the diced tomatoes in a colander over a bowl to let them release some liquid.
• Add fresh herbs of your choice – Parsley, Mint, Cilantro, Dill or even chives

More Salad Recipes:

• Fig Salad
• Avocado Tuna Cucumber Salad Recipe
• Tequila Lime Shrimp Salad

What to serve with?

This salad tastes perfect on its own, served with pita bread or tortilla chips (homemade or store bought). Add some feta cheese, grilled chicken or fish and call it a meal.

• Lamb Loin Chops in the Oven
• Pan Seared Salmon
• Baked Split Chicken Breast Recipe
• Serve with Kebabs, Koftas and Doners

How to store Shirazi Salad?

Store the salad in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. 

The vegetables will release a lot of liquid and you may need to add more salt and lemon juice before serving.

Want to save this recipe?

Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you'll get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Save Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Shirazi Salad

Shirazi Salad Recipe - Persian cucumber tomato and onion salad. Diced vegetables in juicy sauce, loaded with flavors. Nutritious and delicious. Serve with crusty bread, chips, meat or seafood.

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Save RecipeSaved Recipe Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ Salad:
• ▢ 3 large Roma tomatoes or 1 extra large pink tomato
• ▢ 1 large English or 3 Persian cucumbers
• ▢ 1/4 medium red onion
• ▢ 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• ▢ Dressing:
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 tsp dried mint
• ▢ 1/4 tsp sumac
• ▢ 3 tbsp lemon juice, or more to taste
• ▢ 4 tbsp olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

• Chop onions and place in a bowl with cold water.
• Dice the tomatoes and cucumbers and place in a bowl. Drain the onions and add to the bowl. Add the fresh chopped herbs.
• In a bowl whisk together the salad dressing ingredients.
• Drizzle on top of the salad. Toss to combine.
• Serve or store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Notes

When ready to eat, you may drain some of the sauce and add more salt and lemon juice to taste if needed.
Keep in mind that this salad can easily become soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 147kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Sodium: 295mg, Potassium: 236mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 446IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Iranian, Persian

Tried this recipe?Mention @cookinglsl or tag #cookinglsl!