Shopska Salata (шопска салата)- Summer salad
Shopsla Salata, which has the same colors as the Bulgarian flag, is the queen of all Bulgarian meals and has been declared the national dish. Foreigners are familiar with the salad since it is supposed to have been devised in the 1960s by the socialist party like a tourist marketing to showcase local delicacies, with the socialist party feeling that Bulgarian veggies were among the tastiest in Europe. Another theory is that it originated with the Shopi people, who lived in the Shopluk region in the Balkans.
Shopska salad is simple to make with coarsely sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, delicious red and green peppers, green onions, red wine vinaigrette, finely shredded sirene cheese, and parsley on top. Serve as an appetizer or side dish for baked meat. Baked peppers are used instead of fresh peppers in some areas, and because olive trees are not as prevalent in Bulgaria as they are elsewhere, sunflower oil is utilized in most cooking and salad dressings. This century-old dish, which may also be found in Serbia and North Macedonia, is commonly served with a shot of rakia at the start of the meal.
Ingredients:
4 Servings
- 400 g tomatoes
- 250 g cucumbers
- 1 green pepper
- 1 onion
- 100 g sirene cheese
- parsley, chopped
- vinegar
- sunflower oil
- salt
Instruction:
- Chop the tomatoes into large pieces, then peel the cucumbers and chop them into slices or half-circles.
- Next, cut the pepper into stripes or another shape of your choice, and finely chop the parsley and the onion.
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl then season with sunflower oil, vinegar, and salt to taste.
- Finally, grate the sirene cheese over the salad and serve.
