Shopska Salad

Shopska Salad is a beloved staple of Balkan cuisine. Featuring fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, and parsley, topped with brined white cheese or feta, this colorful salad celebrates the flavors of our homeland, Bulgaria. The salad was invented in the early 1950’s at one of the first Balkan tourist hotels on the Black Sea and is well known throughout the Balkans. This salad offers a refreshing taste of Bulgaria’s culinary heritage.

What stands out

You’ll fall in love with Shopska Salad for its medley of fresh vegetables bursting with flavor and crisp textures. Each bite offers the best combination of juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and sweet bell peppers, complemented by the kick of onions and the freshness of parsley. Topped generously with brined white cheese or feta, the salad delivers a creamy richness that perfectly balances the acidity of the vegetables. Whether enjoyed as a light lunch or a refreshing side dish, Shopska Salad is sure to become a favorite for its simplicity, freshness, and irresistible flavors.

How to Prepare Shopska Salad

In a large bowl combine tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, red pepper(s), and onion. Season with salt and oil to taste and then toss well.

Optionally, add chopped parsley if desired.

Now grate brined white cheese or feta on top of the salad, measuring to your preference.

Last but not least, add an extra drizzle of oil on top before serving. Enjoy!

Kitchen tip

Be sure to purchase good-quality brined white cheese or feta from European delis or grocery stores, preferably in a fresh block or in brine. Avoid pre-crumbled cheese. Costco offers tubs of fresh feta as an alternative option.

Swaps

This simple salad is straightforward to adjust for what you have on hand or to make for a crowd. Be sure to let us know in the comments how you make it your own.

1. Instead of just using olive oil, you could use a vinaigrette with olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, and herbs. Also, feel free to Incorporate lemon or lime juice or even a balsamic glaze or a little honey.
2. This would go well with any protein you like, such as chicken or steak if you want to make it a full meal.
3. Feel free to serve this over a bed of mixed greens arugula, spinach, or any other leafy greens you enjoy.
4. Add olives capers, or sun-dried tomatoes for flavor.
5. Definitely include your favorite fresh herbs such as basil or mint.

Serve it with

• A traditional Bulgarian dish such as our Branzino Recipe
• Some crusty bread like our No Knead Peasant Bread

Questions

What type of salt do you use?

We use mark Redmond Real Salt, but please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is to taste so please always taste and adjust as you cook.

What type of white cheese should we use for this salad?

Any white cheese like feta will work, however, we use Bulgarian white cheese which is a feta variation known in Bulgaria and other Balkan countries called ” strong Sirene “. Made from sheep’s milk, Sirene is a touch saltier than Greek feta and has a creamier texture, with a hint of yogurt overtones. mark This is what Bulgarian white cheese looks like, but feel free to use feta as it’s similar in taste/texture.

Where can we find the correct cheese for this salad?

You can find any good-quality white cheese or feta at any European deli or grocery store behind the deli counter. Always buy it in a big fresh block or in brine. Additionally, you can also ask the person behind the deli counter to give you a small sample.

WHat type of cheese should we avoid?

Please do not buy any pre-crumbled cheese. Sometimes Costco has tubs of fresh feta if you’re looking for other alternatives. Or you can use any white cheese that is sold in brine, or a feta, that you love most.

What type of peppers should we add to our shopska salad?

You can add raw or roasted bell peppers to this salad, we added both. To make roasted bell peppers: first place the pepper(s) on an oven-safe dish and then bake them at 425F (215C) until charred. Once cool enough to handle, remove and discard the peel, stem, and seeds, and cut the pepper into slices. Alternatively, you can use jarred roasted bell peppers.

How should we chop the vegetables for this salad?

Feel free to chop the veggies to your preference like we do. Here’s how we like to chop each veggie: For the tomatoes, cut each tomato in half, those halves in half, and those halves in half again. Chop across each piece as big/small as you prefer. For the cucumber, you can leave the skin on, but we like to peel it. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and then each half again lengthwise. You should now have four long quarters that you can then cut across at half-inch intervals to dice into equal pieces. Then, for the sweet green pepper, cut it into small thin circles or half circles. Traditionally we like to remove the core/seeds, slice it into thin slices, and chop across making a fine dice.

What type of olive oil should we use?

Feel free to use any mild oil or olive oil in this recipe.

What if we don’t like parsley?

If you don’t like parsley, definitely leave it out.

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• ½ cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, raw or roasted (or both)
• ½ small yellow onion, diced or sliced
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, to taste
• fresh parsley, (optional)
• 50-100 grams Bulgarian white cheese (or feta), measure with your heart

Equipment

• Rotary Grater
• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Redmond Real Salt

Method

1. In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, red pepper(s), and onion and season to taste with salt and oil. Toss well. Add some chopped parsley, if using (our mom doesn't like it as much, so we left it out).
2. Grate the feta cheese on top of the salad and measure with your heart.
3. Add an extra drizzle of oil on top and enjoy!
4. Note: you can find any good-quality brined white cheese or feta at any European deli or grocery store behind the deli counter. Always buy it in a big fresh block or in brine. You can also ask the person behind the deli counter to give you a small sample. Please do not buy anything pre-crumbled. Costco has tubs of fresh feta if you're looking for other alternatives. You can use any white cheese sold in brine, or feta, that you love most.