Easy Persian Shirazi Salad Recipe - Tiffin And Tea (2024)

Easy Persian Shirazi Salad Recipe - This 5 minute Shirazi Salad, or Salad-e Shirazi, is a refreshing, vibrant Persian salad and a staple of Persian cuisine. It is packed full of fresh flavor and isquick and easy to make. It consists of cucumber, tomato, red onions and herbs and the dressing is made up of olive oil, mint and citrus. It goes well with a lot of meals especially kebabs like these Joojeh Kebabs. You can use a salad chopper for the quickest results or chop it all yourself which really doesn't take much longer!

Easy Persian Shirazi Salad Recipe

This well known recipe comes from Shiraz - a city in South West Iran.

The salad is made up of standard salad vegetables and herbs and the dressing is made from simple ingredients.

The most important element of this recipe is that the vegtables are chopped into small pieces.

The fresh veggies add crunch and the olive oil dressing is so good, it is often drunk straight from the bowl!

This simple salad is so good that you can have it as a snack on its own with pita bread.

Often served alongside Persian meals, this recipe makes a great side dish.

The original shirazi salad recipe includes an unripe sour grape juice (ab ghooreh) is used as part of the dressing. This isn’t something that I have come across in the UK so I use either Lemon or Lime Juice.

Here are the handful of simple ingredients that you need to make this Shirazi Salad (aka the perfect side dish) -

Crisp Cucumbers

Either use 3 - 4 small Persian cucumbers (these have fewer seeds and thinner skin) or english Cucumbers. If using Regular Cucumbers, 1 willl be enough.

Tomatoes

I either use baby Plum Tomatoes, Grape tomatoes, Salad Tomatoes or Roma tomatoes.

Use firm tomatoes that are not over ripe/juicy.

If the tomatoes you have used are excessively juicy, I would drain them in a colander first.

Onion

Red Onion is my preference as it adds a touch of sweetness but White and Spring are ok too.

Mint

Dried mint is what is traditionally used. You could also use fresh mint leaves - just chop finely.

Seasoning

Salt and Black Pepper balances the whole dish. So add it, toss the salad together, then taste and adjust.

Dressing

Extra virgin olive oil, mint, lemon juice or fresh lime juice, salt, and pepper.

How to Make Salad Shirazi

Dice the Salad Vegetables

Dice your Vegetables to a similar size (1/4 inch) - Cucumbers, Red Onions, Tomatoes. Add to a large bowl.

Add the Herbs and Seasoning

Stir in Dry Mint, Salt and Pepper.

Add the Dressing and toss together

Add the Olive Oil and Lime and toss the salad together.

Tips and Notes

Vegetables

Try to dice the Vegetables to a similar size - 1/4 inch.

Serve

I like to serve the salad immediately but it is actually fine to serve it up to a couple of hours after it has been assembled.

The flavours are just more pronounced.

Salad Dressing

If you prefer the salad to be perfectly crisp, add the dressing just before serving.

Tomatoes

If you have very juicy tomatoes, drain in a colander before using.

Herbs

Add more fresh herbs if you like such as coriander and tarragon.

Varations in Persian Shirazi Salad

Add fresh Herbs

Stir in some Fresh Parsley or chopped Fresh Dill Leaves as I often do in this healthy salad.

Sumac

Sumac adds a tangy flavour to this recipe. I add it occassionally for an even more obvious Citrus hit.

What to serve with easy shirazi salad recipe

This simple shirazi salad recipe goes well with so many dishes.

I serve it with kebabs, chicken or as a side to many a traybake.

Try it alongside:

Easy Homemade Chicken Doner

Shish Tawook

Tandoori Chicken Kebab

The Easiest and BEST Joojeh Kebab

Indian Chicken Goujons

Healthy and Tender Ninja Foodi Chicken Breast

One tray Herb and Citrus Chicken with Potatoes

Storage

Shirazi Salad, or Salad-e Shirazi stores well for up to 2 hours in an airtight container.

The Vegetables to release alot of water which is delicious by the way but it is also the reason that it isn't rellay suitable for storage longer then that.

More Easy Salad Recipes:

Lemon and Herb Chicken Salad

The BEST Cowboy Caviar Salad

Kachumber Salad (another popular cucumber tomato salad)

Green Chilli Avocado Egg Salad

Taboule

Related