Shirazi Salad is bright, fresh, herbal and lemony with an abundance of pleasing textures from tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and fresh herbs. It is MY idea of the perfect salad! You’re gonna love it!
Shirazi Salad is the solution when you want a scrumptious, fresh salad, not just another lettuce salad. You guys, I can’t wait for you to try it!
Shirazi Salad has its origins in Iran and is traditionally made with sour grape juice. Since I don’t have access to the juice, I have altered the traditional recipe to fit the ingredients available in small-town middle America in the winter.
It’s made from mini cucumbers (Persian Cucumbers), heirloom grape tomatoes and red onion with lots of fresh herbs and a bright citrus and olive oil dressing.
You guys! This one’s a keeper! And it’s naturally gluten-free.
I can’t wait for you to taste that summery, sunshine flavor that’s been perking up the gray Nebraska winter days in our meals this week. Delicious!
The Ingredients
- Organic Mini Cucumbers (Persian Cucumbers) – any thin-skinned cucumber that doesn’t require peeling can work. Try English cucumbers, Turkish cucumbers or Armenian Cucumbers with the same great results.
- Heirloom Grape Tomatoes (Can sub in chopped Roma tomatoes.)
- Red Onion
- Fresh Lemons – You’ll need the zest of 1 and lemon juice of 2.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fresh Herbs: Mint, Parsley and Cilantro
- Dried Dill
- Ground Sumac – I love this Middle Eastern spice. This is not an affiliate link, but it is the brand I use and love. You COULD technically omit the sumac, but you’ll be missing out. I also use it in my Gyro Meat recipe and in my Creamy Hummus with Roasted Garlic.
What are Persian Cucumbers (Mini Cucumbers)?
In my small town, Nebraska grocery store I’ve never seen any vegetable labeled Persian Cucumbers. However, my market does carry “mini cucumbers”. Good news! They’re the same thing.
The important thing about choosing cucumbers for this recipe is to choose a variety with thin skin that’s easy to eat and tastes good. The best cucumbers for cucumber salads are those that you can leave the peel on and don’t have tons of big seeds.
Turkish, Armenian or even English cucumbers work great in this yummy tomato cucumber salad recipe, too. So, just choose the thin-skinned cucumber variety available in your area and your Shirazi Salad will be spectacular!
Can I Substitute a Different Variety for the Heirloom Grape Tomatoes?
Absolutely! Heirloom grape tomatoes are definitely not traditional in Persian Salad (Shirazi Salad). They are simply the tomatoes that have the most flavor in the winter and are available to me, here.
Any grape or even cherry tomato will work. But, if you have access to them, Roma tomatoes are ideal!
Roma tomatoes have meatier flesh and fewer seeds. Sadly, while I can certainly get them in Nebraska in the winter, they are absolutely flavorless.
And this delicious cucumber tomato salad needs the flavor to pop! So, grape tomatoes is what I choose for making Shirazi Salad.
Plus, the mixed heirloom variety adds so much color to this salad. They’re just my favorite!
Use the tomato variety that makes sense for you, your family and where you live. Choose a variety like Roma tomatoes that have fewer seeds and more tomato flesh.
Do I HAVE to Use Ground Sumac ?
No. Of course I want you to make this recipe your own. You can leave out the sumac if you truly can’t add another spice to your cupboard.
That being said, I sure hope you try it. You’ll miss that extra layer of flavor dimension that sumac can bring to Persian salad. And I’m confident it won’t go to waste. You’ll find it used in my hummus and gyro meat recipes, too.
Sumac is a common spice in Persian and Turkish cooking. In any Middle Eastern cooking, you may see it popping up, actually. It’s bright and citrusy, lifting up any dish it’s added to.
It is the dried and ground fruit of the sumac shrub. It adds a citrus-like tang to dishes. And, it’s not only great in Persian Salad, but also in meat marinades, in salad dressings, in soups, stews or sprinkled on vegetables.
I’ve ordered it from Amazon in the past, but most recently from Walmart.
What to Serve with Shirazi Salad
Honestly, any meal will benefit from the bright, acidic notes of this wonderful Persian salad. It’s fabulous with steak or chicken. And, it’s a wonderful complement to the gaminess of lamb. But, refreshing cucumber tomato salad is also beautiful with pork or fish. We also enjoy it with Blog Chef’s grilled chicken.
Cucumber Salad recipes will lift and lighten any gravy- or sauce-heavy meal. And it’s fantastic with casseroles. Try it with any of our favorite main dishes!
But don’t miss out on making it a perfect lunch too, by simply adding a sandwich or some palate-pleasing pasta like this Lebanese Pearl Couscous shared by Janelle over at Plant Based Folk. Yum!
- Any soup or Chili needs salad and bread. Try Shirazi Salad with Colcannon Soup or any other of our delicious soup recipes.
- It’s delightful with Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts or Perfect Baked Chicken Breasts.
- Try it as a side for Maple Mustard Pork Loin or my delicious 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Ham.
- Cucumber Salad is exceptional with Sloppy Joes and with Hamburger Potato Casserole.
- And, Shirazi Salad is also a beautiful complement to Mississippi Pot Roast or even Meatloaf.
- Grilled Cedar Planked Salmon
However you serve it, it will be bright, refreshing and satisfying.
Possible Recipe Variations
- Substitute lime juice and zest in place of the lemon for the dressing.
- Use avocado oil in place of the extra virgin olive oil.
- If you have access to the traditional sour grape juice used for Shirazi salad in Iran, use it to replace the lemon juice and zest.
- Omit the ground sumac.
How to Make Persian Cucumber Salad (Salad E Shirazi)
- Wash and chop all your vegetables and herbs. You want the cucumbers and tomatoes to be small diced, while the red onion should be minced. Also chop the fresh mint, parsley and cilantro, finely.
- Zest one of the lemons. You can actually zest both and freeze the zest of the second one for another recipe if you like. But you’ll only need the zest of one for this bright cucumber salad.
- Juice both lemons. You’ll need about 1/4 cup of lemon juice. For the medium lemons I had, it required two.
- Add the chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, fresh herbs, (fresh mint, parsley, & cilantro) and lemon zest to a mixing bowl. Stir everything together to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- In a liquid measuring cup, add the fresh lemon juice, olive oil, dried dill, ground sumac, salt and pepper. Whisk them together to make the dressing for your salad.
- Pour the dressing over your salad and toss to coat all the vegetables.
- You can serve the salad immediately. But, if you have 30 minutes to let it rest in the fridge, the flavors in Shirazi salad come alive and meld to be their brightest best. Yum!
The Recipe
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Shirazi Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Shirazi Salad is bright, fresh, herbal and lemony with an abundance of pleasing textures from tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and fresh herbs. A simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil highlights the crisp, bright herbaceous salad. This delectable cucumber salad it complements any main dish from beef, lamb, pork chicken and fish to soups, stews and casseroles.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 mini cucumbers (Persian cucumbers), small diced
- 10 oz. grape tomatoes, small diced (I used heirloom, but any work.)
- 1/2 cup red onions, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- zest of 1 lemon (save the juice for the dressing)
For the Dressing:
- Juice of 2 medium lemons (1/4 cup)
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon dried dill weed
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Wash and chop all your vegetables and herbs. You want the cucumbers and tomatoes to be small diced, while the red onion should be minced. Also chop the parsley, mint and cilantro, finely.
- Zest one of the lemons. You can actually zest both and freeze the zest of the second one for another recipe if you like. But you’ll only need the zest of one for this bright cucumber salad.
- Juice both lemons. You’ll need about 1/4 cup of lemon juice. For the medium lemons I had, it required two.
- Add the chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, mint, parsley, cilantro and lemon zest to a mixing bowl. Stir everything together to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- In a liquid measuring cup, add the fresh lemon juice, olive oil, dried dill, ground sumac, salt and pepper. Whisk them together to make the dressing for your salad.
- Pour the dressing over your salad and toss to coat all the vegetables.
- You can serve the salad immediately. But, if you have 30 minutes to let it rest in the fridge, the flavors in Shirazi salad come alive and meld to be their brightest best. Yum!
Notes
I don’t have access to the traditional sour grape juice for the traditional dressing. If you do, by all mines give it a try. You could also try substituting lime juice for the lemon, in the recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad, Side Dish, Vegetable
- Method: Cold Prep
- Cuisine: Persian American
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
Your fresh salad recipes is the best. I just made this for dinner last night paired it with lamb chops.
Oh my goodness! It’s perfect with lamb, isn’t it? I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Roxie!
This is just as tasty and beautiful as it looks in your photos! That combination of fresh herbs is absolutely delicious and the lemon & sumac dressing was perfect.
So happy you loved the salad, Gen!
I love simple and healthy salads like this one so much. I loved sumac so much in it.
Thanks, Shilpa! The sumac makes it for me, too!
The dressing on this salad is SO fresh and bright! It’s such a nice change from creamy cucumber salad recipes.
Thanks, Bec! I love it, too!
I love any cucumber salad, and I can’t wait to find some ground sumac so I can try this new taste. It sounds absolutely spectacular!
Sue, it’s a fabulous spice. You’re gonna love it!
This salad is so bright and pleasing, not to mention delicious. I have never had a Persian salad before. This was amazing.
Thank you, Rachna! I love that fresh, zingy flavor, too!
This is my new favorite! Shirazi salad was so bright and fresh, it tasted incredibly delicious and irresistible. I’ll surely have this again.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Sharina!
Shirazi salad is new to me so I gave it a try. I’m impressed! This salad recipe is sooo delicious and satisfying. Indeed a keeper!
I’m happy you liked it, Journa! And I completely agree.
This was one of the best salads I’ve ever made! Love this!
Yay! Thanks Cam!
I love healthy salad that have exotic taste. This is an amazing salad that was easy to make. Served it as a light Sunday lunch.
Yum! That’s my kind of lunch. Thank you, Healing Tomato!
This was my first time using sumac, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. We just loved it! I can see us making this a lot through the summer months.
I’m glad, Bella. Be sure you check out my gyro meat and hummus recipes, too. They both use ground sumac, also.
This is the type of salad I grew up eating. It’s simple yet so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
You’re so welcome, Hilda! Thanks for stopping by the blog, today!
I am new to use sumac and have been looking for recipes that use them. This was is by far my favorite. Love the flavor it adds to the salad! So refreshing and light. Thank you.
Thank you, Shilpa! I hope you try the sumac in my gyro meat and hummus recipes, too.
Dill is an entirely underrated herb. I love that its part of the flavoring for this salad’s dressing. Yum. Can’t wait to make a big batch of this for lunches!
Sarah, I absolutely agree! I love it in salads and dips!
I was looking for a light side dish, and this was perfect! It was so fresh tasting, and it couldn’t have been easier to prepare. I’ll definitely make this again.
That’s awesome, Amanda! I’m so happy it worked well for you.