Snow White Salad

We bet you’ve never had a famous salad named after you! Well, same, cause us neither. Although this traditional Bulgarian salad shares the same name as ours, it is mostly due to the fact that the name means “Snow White” in English and perfectly describes the beautiful, creamy, white texture of this spread. When it comes to us, our parents were apparently unwittingly prepping us for a life in snowy Canada. LOL!

Despite being called Snow White Salad, this is actually more of a spread or dip rather than a traditional salad. In Bulgaria, this popular dip is called “Sux Tarator” or “Snezhanka” and it is served with almost everything!

What stands out

Similar in taste and texture to Tzatziki, this Snow White Salad is the spread for any occasion. It consists of strained yogurt, salt, pickles, dill, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil, so we’re talking probiotics and lots of protein.

Not only is this spread the combination of creamy, crunchy, and tart but you can enjoy it in so many different ways. Spread it on some freshly baked bread or a nice warm pita, serve it alongside chicken, veggies or fish, or use it to make our Zucchini Egg Roll for the protein-packed meal. The best part is you can store this spread in the fridge for up to a week and use it to elevate any basic weekday meal.

How to Prepare

Place yogurt in cheesecloth, tie it up and let it drain over a sieve in a bowl overnight. You can tie it to the sink faucet for drainage.

Allow the yogurt to drain until it becomes thick. It should resemble the texture and taste of cream cheese by the next morning.

Then in the morning, mix the thick strained yogurt with salt, pickles, dill, and garlic in a bowl.

Enjoy the dip by topping it with crushed walnuts, olive oil, and olives.

Kitchen tip

You can save time by using thick Greek yogurt, or Labneh, instead of making the filling from scratch.

Snow White Salad Variations and Substitutions

This simple recipe for snow white salad (snezhanka) is as is, but you can certainly feel free to mix and match these variations based on your preferences and dietary needs!

1. Experiment with various types of olives such as Kalamata, green olives, or stuffed olives.
2. You could substitute olive oil with other flavorful oils such as walnut oil, avocado oil, or truffle oil for a different flavor profile.
3. Instead of crushed walnuts, use almonds, pistachios, or pine nuts.
4. Try different types of pickles or pickled vegetables in your snezhanka, such as dill pickles, and bread-and-butter pickles, or you could even use pickled onions.
5. Besides dill, you can incorporate other herbs like parsley, chives, or mint, depending on what you like or have on hand.

Serve it with

• Warmed pita bread or crispy pita chips
• Other dips and spreads like hummus, olive tapenade, or whipped feta
• Some roasted vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant, or cherry tomatoes

Questions

How do we store the snow white salad?

You can store it in the fridge in a glass Tupperware with the lid on as it will stay fresh for 5-7 days.

What type of salt do you use?

We use mark Redmond Real Salt. 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.

strong How long should we let the yogurt drain?

Let the yogurt drain until it becomes thick, resembling the texture and taste of cream cheese, usually overnight.

strong What types of pickles work well in this dip?

We like to use dill pickles, but you could try other pickles such as bread-and-butter pickles, or pickled onions, depending on your taste.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 1 tub plain yogurt, strained overnight in a cheesecloth so it thickens (725 grams)
• pinch of salt
• 5 large diced dill pickles, or grated cucumber
• ¼ cup dill, freshly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• drizzle of olive oil
• crushed walnuts, optional

Equipment

• Nakiri Knife
• Mixing Bowls
• Cheesecloth
• Redmond Real Salt
• Cutting Board
• Measuring Cups + Spoons

Method

1. Add yogurt to a cheesecloth, tie it up and let it drain overnight.
2. NOTE: You can let it drain over a sieve that sits on top of a bowl, but we like to tie the cheesecloth to the sink faucet and let it drain into the sink overnight. You can also buy thick Greek yogurt and skip this step.
3. The strained yogurt should be super thick and taste like cream cheese the following morning.
4. Add the strained yogurt to a bowl with salt, pickles, dill, and garlic. Mix well and enjoy with crushed walnuts, olive oil, and olives on top.
5. You can store it in the fridge in a glass Tupperware with the lid on as it will stay fresh for 5-7 days.