Shopska salad is one of the most iconic dishes in Bulgaria made with pieces of juicy tomatoes, fresh crunchy cucumber, sweet peppers and slices of onions, all paired to perfection with salty feta cheese. The authentic Bulgarian Shopska salad is cherished not only by the locals but by anyone who’s ever tried it!

There are two reasons why Shopska salad is everyone’s favourite in Bulgaria. First, the quality of the local ingredients is exceptional! All vegetables grown in the Balkans have a wonderful sweetness due to the favourable sun in the summer months. The second reason is the fantastic combination of textures and flavours in the salad.

HISTORY OF THE AUTHENTIC BULGARIAN SHOPSKA SALAD.

Even though the salad was named after a region in Western Bulgaria, it did not originate there. Shopska salad was created by Bulgarian chefs working with the state tourist association Balkantourist in the 50s and was presented for the first time in the Bulgarian Black Sea resort, Druzba. The recipe for Shopska Salad was first published in a Bulgarian cookbook in 1956.

Around the same time, this group of chefs developed several salads named after different regions in Bulgaria, such as Dobrudja, Macedonia and Thracia. Amongst these salads, Shopska salad became the most popular and is served in every restaurant in Bulgaria today.

A few years ago, Shopska salad took part in the EU programme “A taste of Europe” and won special recognition as one of the most popular salads in Europe.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHOPSKA AND GREEK SALADS?

Today Greek salad is made with similar ingredients as the Shopska salad, though evidence shows that before the 1900s the name Greek salad referred to a totally different salad.

The main difference between the Bulgarian and the Greek salads is that Greek salad contains olives and the feta cheese in the Greek salad is not grated but added to the salad in chunks. While in the Shopska salad, feta cheese is finely grated on top of the salad and blends better with the vegetables. It’s made without olives.

HOW TO MAKE AUTHENTIC BULGARIAN SHOPSKA SALAD?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN SHOPSKA SALAD

Tomatoes: Use the sweetest tomatoes you can get. I usually buy large tomatoes on the vine from the supermarket and leave them out of the sun for a week to ripen and become sweeter.

Cucumber: The cucumber must be fresh and crunchy. I prefer to peel the skin from the cucumber because it always tastes tender without the hard skin.

Onions: You can use red, yellow or white onions in this salad. I find red onions sweeter and that is why I prefer to use them in this recipe.

Peppers: Traditionally, Shopska salad is made with a sweet green pointy pepper but pointy green peppers are not widely available in western supermarkets and can be substituted with green bell pepper, or you can use a different colour of sweet peppers. I like to use yellow or orange sweet pepper to give the salad a vibrant colour.

Parsley: Do not forget to add parsley to the Shopska salad! Parsley’s earthy fresh flavours make the salad extra special.

Dressing: Although traditionally, the salad dressing is made with vegetable oil and red wine vinegar, olive oil is more flavoursome and a healthier option and I always use it in my salads. I also substitute the red wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar for its health benefits and wonderful fruity tang.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Shopska salad is super easy to make and it always tastes so delicious! To make it, follow the steps below:

Step 1: GETHER THE INGREDIENTS for the salad

Peel the skin from the cucumber because it may contain chemicals and tastes better without the skin.

Wash the peeled cucumber and cut it into bite-sized cubes, around 1.5-2 cm in size.

Wash the tomatoes well and remove their green parts.

Many peel the tomato skin because they do not like the texture. Sometimes the tomato skin is thick and can be tough. It is easy to cut off the skins with a sharp knife, but do it as thinly as possible. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized cubes, similar to the cucumber.

Peel and wash the onions. Slice them into thin half-moons, then cut them into smaller pieces.

Wash the parsley well and remove the thick stalks. Chop the parsley leaves.

Wash the fresh sweet pepper and remove its seeds and stalk, then cut it into chunky pieces.

Step 2: Make THE dressing for the Shopska salad

Pour the vinegar into a small bowl and add small splashes of olive oil while whisking the mixture vigorously with a fork to blend them.

You can sprinkle salt directly over the salad or add it to your dressing.

Step 3: Assemble the salad

Place all chopped ingredients into a large salad bowl and pour the dressing over the salad. Stir the salad to combine all the ingredients and coat them with the dressing.

🍲 SERVE THIS WONDERFUL AND FRESH SALAD

Sprinkle fresh parsley over the salad and grate plenty of feta cheese to cover the vegetables. Traditionally shopska salad is served with one olive on top and a green chilli on the side.

In Bulgaria, Shopska salad is very popular and is served in all restaurants and pubs as an appetiser or mezze to the local brandy Rakia.

You can serve the salad in a large salad bowl or on individual starter plates. If making individual plates, grate feta cheese over each salad for a more aesthetic appearance and place one olive on top.

Shopska salad compliments wonderfully all types of grilled meat, poultry and fish and works well as a fantastic side dish. it can also be consumed as a light healthy meal on its own.

Enjoy! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳