Shopska salad – Bulgarian cucumber-tomato-feta salad

Shopska salad

Bulgarian cucumber-tomato-feta salad
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Bulgarian
Keyword: feta, first course, vegetarian
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 large cucumber
  • 3 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 small red onion
  • ½ bell pepper
  • 1 small hot pepper optional
  • 2 Tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • black pepper
  • salt to taste
  • ½ cup Bulgarian feta cheese

Instructions

  • Wash vegetables. Peel cucumber if desired.
  • Slice cucumber in half lengthwise. Slice each half lengthwise into two pieces. Remove seeds (optional) and slice again lengthwise. Cross cut the 8 strips of cucumber into bite-sized pieces about one-half inch in length. Place pieces in mixing bowl.
  • Slice ends off tomatoes and discard. Dice tomatoes into half-inch pieces. Add to mixing bowl.
  • Clean seeds and ribs from half of one bell pepper and one small hot pepper. Slice into strips and then into half-inch pieces. Add to mixing bowl.
  • Dice onion into one-quarter inch pieces and add to mixing bowl.
  • Drizzle sunflower oil and vinegar over diced vegetables. Stir to coat evenly.
  • Chop parsley and sprinkle on salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Grate Bulgarian feta cheese over salad and serve.

Notes

You could use a whole bell pepper and omit the hot pepper; or you could omit pepper altogether.  A classic Shopska salad can be made from cucumbers, tomatoes and feta alone.