Shopska Salad
This traditional Bulgarian salad is weeknight-friendly, nutritious, and absolutely bursting with flavor and texture. Roast the bell pepper at home for the best flavor, just be sure to give yourself about 30 minutes of extra time.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 large red or orange bell pepper, roasted, skin removed, and coarsely chopped (see step 1, or use one (6-ounce) jar of roasted red peppers)
- 5 to 6 campari tomatoes (or 3 Roma tomatoes), quartered
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced into 1/4-inch half moons
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
- 2 shallots or 1 small red onion, chopped
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, grated or crumbled
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
Instructions
- If you’re using fresh bell pepper, begin by roasting the pepper. If you have a gas stove, roast the pepper directly over medium-high flames, turning with a pair of tongs every few minutes until the pepper has softened fully and charred well on all sides (about 15 minutes). Or, roast on a sheet pan in a 450°F, turning until charred on all sides (about 15 minutes). Transfer the charred pepper to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes while you work on other things. When the pepper has cooled enough to handle, peel the charred skin off and coarsely chop into bite sized pieces.
- Mix: In a medium salad bowl, add the pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and shallot. Sprinkle with a big pinch of kosher salt. Add the vinegar and a good drizzle of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons). Toss to combine.
- Finish: Transfer the salad to a serving platter. Top with feta cheese and olives. Serve.
Video
Notes
- Try to get smaller cucumber varieties like Persian or English. If the larger waxy cucumbers are the only option, peel their skin for better texture and flavor.
- Look for blocks of feta packed in brine as they tend to be higher quality and more flavorful than pre-crumbled feta.
- This recipe calls for one roasted pepper, but I like to roast a batch to keep on hand. I use the remaining to bring the flavor party to sandwiches, salads, hummus, and Muhammara or Spicy Greek Feta Dip all week.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams and spices.
Nutrition
Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.6g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 5.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.9g | Cholesterol: 16.7mg | Sodium: 355.4mg | Potassium: 382.2mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2045.1IU | Vitamin C: 55.8mg | Calcium: 122.9mg | Iron: 1mg
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