Çoban Salatası means shepherd’s salad. Turkish Ministry of Culture recipes show variations in onion, herbs and seasoning; there is no single fixed combination for every region. This home-style version uses red onion, parsley and a mild green pepper, without cheese or a sweet bottled dressing.
Çoban Salatası — Recipe Card
Turkish chopped tomato and cucumber salad
Makes 4 servings · Makes about 1 kg of salad, or 4 generous side portions.US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Çoban Salatası
Wash and dry
Wash your hands and use a clean board and knife kept separate from raw meat. Rinse the vegetables and parsley under running water; scrub the cucumber with a clean produce brush. Dry well. Peel the cucumber only if its skin is tough.
Chop by hand
Cut the tomatoes and cucumber into roughly 1 cm (⅜ inch) pieces. Dice the onion and pepper more finely, and chop the parsley. Put everything in a wide bowl, keeping the tomato juices. For a gentler onion flavor, rinse the diced onion briefly in cold water and drain thoroughly before adding.
Mix the dressing
Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil and measured salt in a small bowl. The dressing should taste bright rather than sweet; use fresh juice rather than lemonade or a sweetened lemon drink.
Dress and serve
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and fold gently with two spoons. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Serve promptly with the juices from the bowl. If serving later, keep the chopped vegetables and dressing covered separately in the refrigerator and combine shortly before eating.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-shepherd-salad-coban-salatasi. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Pepper and heat
Mild when made with a sweet green pepper. Some Turkish sivri peppers are hot, so check the variety. For more heat, offer ¼ tsp hot pul biber separately at the table; leave it out for the mild version.
Dietary notes
Vegan and gluten-free as written, with no wheat, dairy or eggs. Check any purchased seasoning blends and accompaniments if you add them; the labels describe these ingredients, not a guarantee about cross-contact.
Dressing variation
Replace 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the lemon juice with 15 ml (1 tbsp) plain red-wine vinegar if preferred. This is a flavor variation, not a method of preserving the salad. US measures use a 240 ml cup, 15 ml tablespoon and 5 ml teaspoon.
How to store and reheat Çoban Salatası
Best freshly mixed. Refrigerate promptly in a covered container at 4°C (40°F) or below and use within 24 hours for the best texture. Discard if left out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C (90°F). Lemon juice does not make cut vegetables safe to store at room temperature. Do not freeze.
Çoban Salatası: questions and answers
Should I remove the tomato seeds?
No; their juice is part of the dressing. Use firm ripe tomatoes and keep the salad in a bowl rather than draining away all its liquid.
Is cheese part of this recipe?
No. This version is a vegetable salad. Adding feta or Turkish white cheese creates a different variation and means it is no longer vegan or dairy-free.
What goes well with it?
Serve it beside köfte, baked fish or bulgur pilaf. The salad is a side dish; use the separate recipes for the quantities and cooking instructions of the rest of the meal.
