Salad Shirazi (Persian Cucumber Tomato Salad)

About this recipe

Each country has its own traditional salad. Greeks have horiatiki -Traditional Greek salad and Turks have Gavurdagi (Turkish walnut salad). And us Iranians have our beloved salad shirazi, a simple combination of tomatoes, cucumbers and onions with an abundance of flavor.  

Salad shirazi has two words: salad, which is what we call salad in Farsi and shirazi which means from Shiraz, a city in the south west of Iran. I've been to Shiraz only once but I can easily say it's one of the most beautiful cites in Iran. With all its flowers and amazing weather, Shiraz is a great place to visit in the springtime. 

The origins

As far as I know, this Persian salad originated from Shiraz and through the years it has made its way to many tables around the world. It's probably the fresh flavor and crisp texture of this salad that has made it one of the staples in Persian cuisine since it compliments the flavors of the main dishes very well. Also, its simplicity and quick preparation time makes it a perfect healthy side dish on busy days.

The ingredients

Salad shirazi is made of 3 main ingredients and a simple dressing. Let's take a look at the components. 

Cucumbers

We traditionally use Persian cucumbers to make this recipe since they are seedless and very crisp. However, if that's not available, English cucumbers work as well, but make sure to scoop the seeds out. You want the cucumbers to be fresh and firm. They are usually chopped into small pieces. You don't need to peel the cucumbers. 

Tomatoes

Much the same as Turkish tomato salad, we are looking for fresh and firm tomatoes to make this recipe. Make sure they're not too seedy and if they are, remove the soft seedy parts. The tomatoes are also going to be chopped finely. 

Onions

Red onions are the best type of onion for this recipe. The amount of onion you use depends on how much you like them in your salad. I usually go for one small red onion or half of a larger one. 

These vegetables are combined with a simple dressing traditionally made with unripe grape juice known as verjuice (ab-ghooreh), dried mint, salt and pepper. However, verjuice is of course not always available so for acidity and brightness we can simply use lemon juice.

Pro tip: Don't skip the dried mint! Dried mint brings so much flavor to this simple salad and that's what makes it different from every other salad you've had.

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the cucumbers, tomatoes and onion.
2. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Then cut each half into 3-4 pieces lengthwise. Chop the cucumber finely. Add them to a large bowl.
3. Cut the tomatoes in half, if they're too seedy, discard the soft seedy part and slice the tomatoes into strips. Chop them finely and add them to the cucumbers. 
4. Chop the red onion finely as well and add it to the cucumbers and tomatoes. Give everything a nice stir to combine. 
5. Add in lemon juice, dried mint, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt if needed. 

Serving suggestions

Salad Shirazi is usually served with Persian rice dishes and main courses such as Adas Polo (Persian Lentil Rice), or Meygoo polo (shrimp and rice) as a side dish. It also makes a great side for grilled dishes such as zaatar chicken or beef shish kabob. 

The acidity and freshness of this salad pairs well with many different dishes and brings more flavor to the table.

Frequently asked questions

Notes and tips

• This cucumber and tomato salad salad is best served chilled. Make it a couple of hours ahead of time and refrigerate it so the vegetables absorb the flavors of the dressing. Sometimes, vegetables starts releasing their juice and that's fine.
• To make this recipe you need to use seedless cucumbers or ones with very small seeds like Persian or English cucumbers. These cucumbers also have very delicate skin so no peeling is needed.
• You can find dried mint at Middle Eastern, Iranian shops or online. If you don't have dried mint, ½ cup chopped fresh mint would work, too.
• Tomatoes, cucumbers and onions are usually chopped very finely for this recipe. Chopping the veggies into very small pieces would help them absorb more flavor.