Shopska salad

Shopska salad is a traditional Balkan dish, originating mostly in Bulgarian cuisine but also in Serbian and Macedonian cuisine. It is also known as Bulgarian salad. It was invented in 1955 at the Chernomorets restaurant on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast near Varna. It was established to increase the gourmet offerings of the Druzhba tourist resort. Shopska salad is a simple and refreshing salad that comes together quickly. Cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions, peppers, and salty cheese are used to make it.

However, through time, it gained acceptance in Serbia and has become an essential component of Serbian cuisine. In reality, a Serbian Salad that is extremely similar exists. Serbian salad, on the other hand, is created with the same ingredients but without the cheese. Shopska salad is popular in several nations. Bulgărească salad, or Bulgarian salad, is known in Romania, Opsk salad in the Czech Republic, and Saatka szopska in Poland. It is known as the Sallat Shope in Albania and the Sopszka saláta in Hungary.

It takes its name from the Sopa tribe, who lived in modern-day Bulgaria, Serbia, and Macedonia. Along with it, several salads were invented and named after Balkan geographical locations. Shopska salad, it turns out, has become the most popular. It became a national culinary icon of Bulgaria during the 1970s and 1980s. The European Parliament hosted the "A Taste of Europe" Online Contest in 2014. The Shopska salad recipe received the most votes and was voted #1. A cold beetroot soup from Lithuania and sarmale from Romania followed closely behind.

Ingredients

• 2-3 large vine tomatoes, 1 English cucumber, ½ cup crumbled white cheese, ½ white onion, 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon sunflower oil or olive oil, 1/2 lime, Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Peel and dice the cucumber, chop the tomatoes, and add them to a salad bowl.
• Add the chopped parsley and diced onion.
• Combine the olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper, and add the resulting salad dressing to the salad.
• Toss the salad and top with the crumbled white cheese.