Çoban Salatası (Turkish Shepherd's Salad) Recipe

By
Elizabeth Taviloglu
Elizabeth Wilson Taviloğlu
Elizabeth Taviloglu
Food writer Elizabeth Taviloğlu learned Turkish cooking hands-on in Turkey where she has lived and traveled for more than 24 years.
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Updated on 05/5/22
Çoban Salatası (Turkish Shepherd's Salad) in a bowl

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
221 Calories
19g Fat
11g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 221
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 387mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 39mg 196%
Calcium 133mg 10%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 442mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Shepherd's salad, or çoban salatası (Cho-BAHN' sah-lah- tah-SU'), is a favorite in Turkey and Greece where fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers are sweet and plentiful during the summer months. This salad comes together easily, other than some peeling and chopping, and is dressed with a simple mixture of oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper and finished off with feta cheese and black olives.

There is some prep involved, including peeling the tomatoes and cucumbers and seeding the bell pepper, but all of this makes for a more palatable and attractive dish. And chopping all of the vegetables into roughly the same size makes for a prettier presentation. If you like, you can include some chopped red onion to add a bit of purple color and a little extra flavor.

A nice alternative to mixed greens, this refreshing salad goes very well with cookout menus, at summer potlucks, and with grilled steak and chicken. You can also serve it as part of a Mediterranean spread, including chicken kebabs, bulgur pilaf, and lamb gyros. Because it is similar to the vegetable salads made throughout the Middle East, feel free to serve çoban salatası with chicken shawarma and falafel.

Ingredients

  • 2 large tomatoes

  • 2 medium cucumbers

  • 1 green bell pepper

  • 1 small red onion, optional

  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped plus more for garnish

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, or Turkish white cheese

  • Turkish or Greek black olives, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Çoban Salatası (Turkish Shepherd's Salad) ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Wash and pat dry the vegetables. With a sharp paring knife, skin the tomatoes then dice them into cubes, being careful not to crush the flesh.

    Chopped tomatoes and a knife on a wooden cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Remove the stems and seeds from the pepper and peel the cucumbers and red onion, if using. Dice all of the vegetables into cubes about the same size as the tomatoes.

    Chopped cucumbers, peppers and onions on a cutting board, next to a knife

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Put all the diced vegetables in a serving bowl, add the chopped parsley, and toss gently with your fingers.

    Tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and peppers in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. In an empty jar or covered container, combine the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and shake well. Pour the mixture over the salad and toss gently.

    Oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and vegetables in a bowl, with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Top the salad with the feta, black olives, and a bit more chopped parsley.

    Çoban Salatası (Turkish Shepherd's Salad) in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Let the salad rest a few minutes before serving. Enjoy with pita or crusty bread for soaking up the dressing.

    Çoban Salatası (Turkish Shepherd's Salad) in a bowl with a spoon, with bread slices on the side

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Ways to Serve Shepherd's Salad

In addition to serving çoban salatası as a side dish, this salad can be used as a filling for sandwiches such as a vegetarian pita wrap, chicken souvlaki, and falafel.

Recipe Variation

  • Use 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice.
  • If you like spice, you can use a hot pepper, such as serrano, in place of the bell pepper.

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