Shirazi Salad is totally on the list of the top 10 best salads I’ve ever eaten or made. I honestly could eat this salad every single day. It’s bright, colorful, and so refreshing – not to mention it’s definitely a healthy salad that goes with just about everything. It’s the perfect side dish to serve along with Middle Eastern dishes like homemade shawarma bowls, hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, arayes, vermicelli rice, and grilled kofta or jujeh chicken. I won’t bother to tell you how many times we make this salad in a week – spoiler alert: it’s definitely A LOT.
What is a Shirazi salad?
Shirazi salad or Salad-e Shirazi is a salad from Iran or more specifically, the Southern city of Shiraz. Traditionally, the salad dressing is made with ab-ghooreh which is grape juice from unripened grapes and has a sour flavor.
How is Shirazi salad different from Tabbouleh?
Tabbouleh is made with a larger quantity of parsley and bulgur wheat. It does contain cucumbers, onions, and cucumbers but in a slightly smaller quantity. Shirazi salad is usually made with equal parts Persian cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes and lightly dressed with a sour dressing.
Ingredients for homemade Shirazi salad recipe:
Persian Cucumbers: I like to use Persian cucumbers but you could also use English cucumbers or hothouse cucumbers if you prefer. I would just avoid using regular cucumbers as they have a ton of seeds. If you do end up using those, I suggest slicing the cucumber in half and running a spoon over the flesh to deseed the cucumber as much as possible before using it in the salad. the seeds really won’t be pleasant in the salad.Roma tomatoes: I like to use ripened tomatoes and remove the seeds before dicing them finely. You could leave the seeds in if you prefer but they do make the salad a bit watery.Red Onion: I use a red onion for this recipe, but you could also use white or yellow onion if you’d like. A local Middle Eastern restuaurant in town uses the whites of scallions instead of a red onion, so you could do that as well. Red onions bring so much color to the salad!Fresh Parsley: Adds a bit of color and lots of flavor. Keep in mind that you only need a quarter cup of fresh parsley for this recipe, not a lot like you would use to make tabbouleh. You can also add a handul of cilantro if you’d like!Olive Oil: I suggest using a high quality extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe. Since the dressing is added on and the salad is served cold, you’ll really be able to taste the quality of olive oil you use.Citrus juice: I use a combination of lemon juice and lime juice here. However, you could also use just one or the other if that’s what you have on hand.Dried Mint: I always have dried mint on hand so I add a couple of teaspoons to the dressing. Feel free to use fresh mint leaves and add it directly to the salad along with the parsley if you’d like.Salt and Black Pepper: Basic seasonings to season the dressing with.
How to make a Shirazi salad:
If you like this recipe, you might also like these other salad recipes:
Lebanese Fattoush SaladMoroccan Chickpea Quinoa Power SaladGreek Quinoa Salad JarsZesty Italian Pasta Salad (Potluck Salad)Lemon Basil Arugula Pasta Salad
