Shirazi salad or salad-e Shirazi is a simple, crunchy, and lettuce-free Iranian salad made with cucumber, tomato & onion. Seasoned with multiple herbs, lemon juice & a dash of olive oil, it goes very well with any dish.
Persian cucumber & tomato salad is so easy and quick to make in just 15 minutes. It is filling, satisfying, and is low in calories. This Mediterranean salad is almost oil-free & macro-friendly.
The post contains helpful tips and tricks to make a successful recipe on your first attempt. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you want to skip.
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What is Shirazi salad
It has two words, "Shirazi" and "Salad". "salad" is self-explanatory, and "Shirazi" is named after the beautiful city "Shiraz" which is in Southern Iran. It always served as sides to other main dishes. As per Wikipedia Shirazi salad is originated from southern Iran.
Traditional Salad-e Shirazi is prepared with cucumber, tomato, onion, different herbs especially dried mint, sour grape juice (ab-ghooreh), and olive oil. Sour grape juice (ab-ghooreh) is not an easily available ingredient. That is why substituted with lemon juice. Dried mint adds a lot of flavors, so do not forget to add it.
Salad Shirazi has some similarities between Greek salad & Mexican Pico de Gallo or fattoush salad. But it is naturally vegan without adding feta cheese. Pico de Gallo does not use so many herbs or oil, and Pita chips are added to fattoush salad. So this Persian salad is unique in its simplicity.
Shirazi Salad vs Israeli Salad
This salad first evolved from Turkey, known as shepherd’s salad or coban salatsi. It is said that shepherds used to bring tomatoes, cucumber, onions with them, and in lunch, cut and ate them. Later this salad was adopted by restaurants and added their own twists. A simple Israeli salad has cucumber, tomato, onion, herbs, lemon, and olive oil.
Over time it became popular and adopted by different places. Ingredients were added or taken away, but the basic components like tomato, cucumber, and onions remain the same. Traditional Shirazi salad is very similar to Shepherd salad but uses "Ab-gooreh" (verjus). Since it is not an easily available ingredient so the best alternative is to use lemon juice.
Why you will love this recipe
- Simple & delicious- Salad-e Shirazi is healthy, light, flavorful, and prepared with minimal ingredients. It is naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low carb.
- Make ahead & meal prep- Being in low-calorie I love including it in my meal planning. Chop all vegetables and make dressing in advance. Store them in seperate containers and refrigerate.
Ingredients & notes
Please check the recipe card for full ingredient list and measurements
There are three main ingredients of salad- Shirazi, cucumber, tomato & citrus dressing.
- Cucumber- Persian & English cucumbers are great to use as they have fewer seeds (or smaller seeds), sweeter in taste, and delicate skin. You do not have to peel them to use. But if using other types of cucumbers, do peel and remove seeds if required.
- Tomato- Any type of tomato works. Just make sure tomatoes are firm enough and you do not need to remove seeds.
- TIP- If tomatoes are very juicy then use a colander to drain the juice.
- Onion- Red onions taste better while eating raw as they are mild as compared to others onions.
- Bell peppers- They give a nice crunch to salad recipes.
- Herbs- Mint, cilantro & dill are the herbs used in the dressing.
- TIP- Dried mint is the best to use but if unavailable, fresh mint will also work. I use a mixture of dried and fresh mint.
- Dressing- All the diced veggies are combined with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and little oil.
- TIP- Many salads often use olive oil in good quantity but if you are trying to fit it in the strict calorie meal plan, add more lemon juice and less oil.
How to make Shirazi salad
There is no rocket science to make this Persian cucumber, tomato, and onion salad from the scratch.
Finely chop vegetables
First, wash and dry cucumber, tomato, onion & bell pepper. Dice all vegetables evenly. Chopped vegetable pieces should be like Mexican pico de gallo style. Transfer them to a mixing bowl (pic 1). Add all the herbs. (pic 2)
Dried mint is the main herb to be used in salad-e Shirazi. But if not accessible then use fresh mint leaves along with other herbs.
Persian salad dressing
Prepare the dressing by adding oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sumac to a mason jar. Close the lid and shake it well. (pic 3)
Mix together & serve
Add this dressing over diced vegetables and mix well. Adjust salt and pepper as per taste (pic 4). It's ready to serve.
Tips & FAQ's
- Add the dressing just before serving. Vegetables get soggy when kept for longer in the fridge with the dressing due to citrus & salt.
- Use firm tomatoes and don't remove seeds. In case using juicy tomatoes then transfer them to a colander so that extra juice can be drained.
- It looks beautiful and tempting when all veggies are cut evenly. They should be cut big enough like Pico de gallo and not small like Tabbouleh. Completely personal choice.
- Do not use a food processor to chop veggies. They will become juicy and may not fit in a salad.
You can freeze but vegetables may not retain their crisp and crunchy texture after the thawing process. They are softer, and soggy after freezing.
You can use Persian cucumber for all recipes that call for cucumber or English cucumbers. Gazpacho, cucumber soup, cucumber raita, cucumber salsa are a few ideas to use them.
Calories depend on the ingredients used. For this salad Shirazi, I use only 1 teaspoon olive oil due to which is only 41 cal per serving.
How to serve
Serve chilled, keep 30 min in the fridge after combining everything. It will help vegetables to absorb the dressing and create a flavorful profile.
What to serve with Shirazi salad? It makes a perfect side dish for Khichdi, Dal-Rice, Mujadra, or lentil salad. I love to serve it with my Kitchari recipe most of the time. It adds lots of flavors to ayurvedic Khichdi. This Persian salad is best served with Persian rice recipes like Mujadra, Herb rice.
It is a perfect side dish with Indian Zucchini Curry, Tofu scramble, TVP Crumbles Breakfast, Mushroom Stew, Pita with yogurt chickpeas & Muhammara, and Vegan Falafel Chickpea Patties.
How to store
Do not mix dressing if you are planning to store it in the fridge. Just dice the vegetables and prepare the dressing in a mason jar and store it separately in the fridge. Mix them together just before serving. This way you can store it for up to one week.
More Salad Recipes
You can check some of my favorite salad recipes from the blog.
If you like this Mediterranean recipe then do check a few more Mediterranean recipes.
You can check the food pairing that goes well with ingredients cucumber, tomatoes, and cilantro.
If you try this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a star rating. Don't forget to tag #fitmealideas20 on Instagram or @fitmealideas on Pinterest!
Recipe
Shirazi Salad (salad-e shirazi)
Equipment
- Knife
- Chopping board
Ingredients
For Salad
- 1 cucumber 1 english cucumber or 3-4 persian cucumber
- 3 tomatoes I use roma tomatoes
- ½ cup red onion
- ¼ cup bell pepper I use green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon mint fresh leaves
- 1 tablespoon dry mint
- 2 tablespoon dill fresh dill or just skip
For Dressing
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 pinch of Sumac skip it if not available
Instructions
- First, wash and dry cucumber, tomato, onion & bell pepper. Dice all vegetables evenly.1 cucumber, 3 tomatoes, ¼ cup bell pepper, ½ cup red onion
- Add oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sumac to a mason jar. Close the lid and shake it well.¼ cup bell pepper, 2 tablespoon cilantro, 1 tablespoon mint, 1 tablespoon dry mint, 2 tablespoon dill, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 3 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 pinch of Sumac
- Add this dressing over diced vegetables and mix well. Adjust salt and pepper as per taste
Notes
- Add the dressing just before serving. Vegetables get soggy when kept for longer in the fridge due to citrus & salt.
- Use firm tomatoes and don't remove seeds. In case using juicy tomatoes then transfer them to a colander so that extra juice can be drained.
- It looks beautiful and tempting when all veggies are cut evenly. They should be cut big enough like Pico de gallo and not small like Tabbouleh.
- Do not use a food processor to chop veggies. They will become juicy and may not fit in a salad.
- After mixing keep it for 30 minutes in the fridge before serving.
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