Balkan Shopska Salad with White Brined Cheese 🥗✨

Description

Balkan Shopska Salad is a bright, juicy, crunchy salad with ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, sweet peppers, red onion, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, and a snowy layer of grated white brined cheese. It is simple, fresh, colorful, and deeply loved across the Balkan table, especially beside grilled meats, warm bread, and summer meals. ✨

Hook ✨

Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, sweet peppers, sharp onion, and salty white cheese make this Balkan salad fresh, bold, and impossible to ignore. 🥗

Ingredients

• Vegetable base 🍅
• 🍅 500 g ripe tomatoes, chopped (3 cups / 17.6 oz)
• 🥒 300 g cucumber, diced (2 cups / 10.6 oz)
• 🫑 220 g red and green peppers, diced (1½ cups / 7.8 oz)
• 🧅 80 g red onion, thinly sliced (½ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🌿 15 g fresh parsley, chopped (½ cup / 0.5 oz)
• Dressing 🫒
• 🫒 45 ml olive oil or sunflower oil (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🍷 20 ml white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (1 tbsp + 1 tsp / 0.68 fl oz)
• 🧂 4 g fine sea salt (¾ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• ⚫ 1 g black pepper (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🍋 10 ml lemon juice, optional (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• Finish 🧀
• 🧀 180 g white brined cheese or feta, finely grated (1½ cups / 6.3 oz)
• 🌿 5 g fresh parsley, extra for garnish (2 tbsp / 0.18 oz)
• 🌶️ 1 g chili flakes, optional (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prepare the vegetables 🍅
2. Chop the tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers into bite-size pieces. Slice the red onion thinly so it adds sharpness without overpowering the salad.
3. 2️⃣ Salt and rest lightly 🧂
4. Place the tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, and onion in a large bowl. Add salt and let them rest for 5 min so the vegetables release a little juice and become naturally glossy.
5. 3️⃣ Dress the salad 🫒
6. Add olive oil, vinegar, black pepper, and lemon juice if using. Toss gently for 20 sec, keeping the vegetables fresh and chunky.
7. 4️⃣ Add parsley 🌿
8. Fold in the chopped parsley. Taste and adjust salt only if needed, because the cheese will add plenty of salty flavor.
9. 5️⃣ Finish with cheese 🧀
10. Transfer the salad to a wide serving bowl. Grate the white brined cheese generously over the top until it forms a snowy layer. Do not mix after adding the cheese.
11. 6️⃣ Serve fresh ✨
12. Finish with extra parsley and chili flakes if using. Serve immediately while the vegetables are crisp, juicy, and bright.

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 0 min
🛋 Rest: 5 min
⏰ Total: 20 min

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