This is one of the most refreshing salads you’ll ever taste! What I love about Persian food is that the ingredients are simple, flavorful and nourishing. Salad Shirzi or Cucumber Salad as I like to call it accompanies many Persian meals. It’s one of two salads you’ll typically find on Persian menus, and this one is so easy to make, you’ll wonder why you don’t have it all the time!!
You can make this as big or small as you like it and with whatever ratio you want, but if you want a basic guideline, here it goes:
2 Persian cucumbers
1 medium flavorful tomato
1 lemon
salt to taste
olive oil optional
That’s it!! One thing to note about this salad is that the cucumbers are finely diced. It really does matter how you cut them if you want to be authentic 🙂
The tomatoes are also finely diced, but not as small or they’ll turn to mush. The flavor of the tomatoes matters. Try your best to find ripe, firm and good tasting tomatoes. For this recipe, avoid the cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes. As tempting as it will be to use them, the sweet tart taste of cherry tomatoes over powers the other other flavors. Of course, you may do as you wish!!
Lemon is really important in this recipe. If your lemons are not juicy, use more. You can’t overdo it on the lemons, so squeeze away! The more the better. And did I mention how good lemons are for you? They are cleansing and detoxifying, so use as many as you can.
Persian cucumbers may be a novalty at most grocery stores, so if you can’t get them, English cucumbers are a good alternative. If you must use the standard cucumbers, then I recommend peeling them, but otherwise, for the Persian and English ones, keep the skin on.
Add salt to taste, but if you are making this in advance, don’t salt until close to serving time. The salt extracts the liquid from the tomatoes and cucumbers, and you will be left with a bland salad if you salt it too early.
Turmeric chicken and Cucumber Salad are perfect with Adas Polo.
Questions? Comments? Leave them below.
And if you make this salad, please be sure to share a pic with me. I love, love, love seeing what you make!!
And remember to keep Teyebeh in your thoughts, as she is the one who gave me this recipe along with so many others. A true chef, friend and all around amazing, generous person. So blessed to have you in my life, Teyebeh! Wishing you all the success in this life!
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