News

Nov 26, 2023

Shopska Salad

Shopska salad, or shopska salata, is a simple yet elegant Bulgarian side dish

Shopska salad, or shopska salata, is a simple yet elegant Bulgarian side dish you can make with a handful of pantry staples.

Shopska salad is a cousin to Mediterranean cucumber and tomato salads but with its own distinct personality. Like Greek salad or Shirazi salad, it swaps lettuce for bright parsley, crunchy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes. Bulgarians–brilliantly, I must say, add sweet, silky, and smoky roast pepper and a tangy grated cheese that's similar to Greek feta. Each gives the vibrant salad yet another layer of flavor and texture.

I’ve taken a few liberties with the traditional Shopska salad recipe to accommodate the ingredients I can easily find at the supermarket. The result is a simple side dish that goes with just about everything! It's fresh meets smoky, bright meets creamy, briny meets sweet, and crunchy meets silky all in one. Roast the peppers yourself for the boldest, sweetest flavor. From there, it's on your table in under 10 minutes! Shopska salad is easy to make and packed with nutrition, color, flavor, and texture. Get your veggies in on a weeknight, or serve as a no-fuss side for a casual dinner party.

"Shopska salad" was first named in a Bulgarian cookbook in 1940 as a variation on lyutenitsa, a Bulgarian vegetable relish. The dish we know as Shopska today was created in 1955 as part of the state tourist agency. It got its name from the Sopski region in western Bulgaria, where it is said to have originated.

Shopska salad was developed and popularized by Petar Doychev, a pioneer in Bulgarian tourism. The ingredients resemble the colors of the Bulgarian flag (though they’ve also been staples of the Bulgarian diet for centuries). The easy-to-make salad became a staple of Bulgarian home cooking, later earning its place as an emblem of the country's cuisine.

Shopska salad comes together with ingredients that most Mediterranean kitchens keep stocked. Luckily, they’re all easy to grab at your local market, aside from a few near-identical swaps which I find just as delicious.

This traditional Bulgarian salad couldn't be easier. Roast your bell pepper and all you need to do is chop and toss:

Shopska Salad is like table wine: it's economical and simple yet perfect for brightening up a weeknight dinner. And it goes with everything! Serve this nutritious "table salad" with other weeknight-friendly dinners, like our 15-minute Broiled Salmon or easy sheet pan Chicken and Potatoes.

For a dinner party, serve family-style along with a showy main like whole Roast Chicken, Branzino, or Cauliflower (must love feta!). Roast a few extra bell peppers while you’re at it and welcome your guests with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus or Muhammara with a side of homemade pita. It's a convenient two-for-one situation, but the flavors are so different no one will be the wiser!

Salads

Salads

Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Greek

Browse all Mediterranean recipes .

Visit Our Shop

Bundle and Save!

Four of our best-selling signature olive oils, perfect for everyday use.