Coban Salatasi (or Turkish Shepherd's Salad, Choban Salad) is a light, easy-to-make, and incredibly refreshing side dish made with juicy summer tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers.
It is very easy to make and comes together in only 10 minutes. All you need to do is finely chop the ingredients, drizzle on olive oil and lemon, season with salt and pepper, and then mix them all together.
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What is Coban Salatasi?
Coban Salatasi (means Shepherd's Salad in Turkish) is a simple yet delicious side dish made with tomatoes, cucumbers, Turkish green chilies, and parsley and then lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon or/and vinegar.
This healthy and refreshing salad is possibly the most popular side salad among all the Turkish salads and you will find it everywhere when you travel around the country. It is usually served alongside grilled meat, kebabs, or seafood dishes.
Why is it Called Shepherd's Salad?
The Turkish name for this dish is Coban Salatasi, which means Shepherd's Salad. Shepherds would go to their farms, taking some of their daily crops, including cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions (the basic ingredients of Choban Salad). He would mix them together to make a salad for his lunch and have it with some bread.
Today, this salad doesn’t belong to shepherds only, everyone in the country loves it because it's super easy to make, refreshing, and extremely delicious.
Why This Recipe Works?
- Similar to Persian Shirazi Salad, this simple yet super tasty salad is very easy to make and full of Mediterranean flavors.
- You can serve Turkish Shepherds Salad as a side dish with your favorite meals or you can eat it on its own as a light lunch along with some feta cheese and Greek Pita Bread.
- You can add any fresh vegetables and herbs to your Choban Salad as long as you keep tomatoes and cucumbers as your main ingredients.
- No need to make a vinaigrette for this simple Turkish Salad. Just drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice and season with some salt. Add some vinegar or pomegranate molasses for extra sharpness if you prefer!
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Tomatoes - Ideally, you should use juicy and ripe summer tomatoes. However, any flavourful tomato will work great. Peeling your tomatoes will enhance the flavor so take some extra time and peel your tomatoes and sprinkle them with salt after chopping them before adding them to the salad.
- Cucumbers - For maximum flavor and crunch, I prefer small Turkish or Persian cucumbers. They are more flavorful and less watery than the regular, long varieties. You can buy them from Turkish or Middle Eastern markets.
- Peppers - I prefer using long Turkish green peppers for this dish. They are one of the most popular peppers used in Turkish cuisine. They are usually mild but some of them can be quite hot. You can replace them with bell pepper or Spanish Padron peppers.
- Red Onions - Onions are another key ingredient here and I prefer using red onions for their color and strong flavor. You can use brown onions or spring onions if you prefer. Slice them thinly to add a bit of crunch to the salad.
- Parsley - It is one of my favorite herbs that add flavor and brightness to salads. It is very popular to use this aromatic herb in many Turkish salad recipes such as Piyaz (Turkish Bean Salad) and Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme).
- Lemon juice - I always use lemon juice squeezed from fresh lemons instead of bottled lemon juice for a fresher and more delicious taste.
- Olive oil - I use good quality extra virgin olive oil for my salad dressings as it makes a huge difference in taste.
- Vinegar - It is optional to use vinegar for this salad. I like adding a little bit to mine but leave it out if you prefer. Both white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar works great.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This delicious Shepherd's Salad is super quick and simple to make. However, to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple tips:
Peel and cut the cucumbers into small dice. If using large cucumbers, deseed them before dicing. Place them in a bowl.
Chop the tomatoes the same size as the cucumbers and add them to the bowl. If you have the time, peel the tomatoes to make your salad even juicier.
Slice the Turkish peppers and the red onion, and scatter them on top of the cucumbers and tomatoes.
Sprinkle on some finely chopped parsley and drizzle with some olive oil.
Lastly, pour the lemon juice and vinegar (if using) on and season your salad with some salt.
Top Tips From the Chef
- As with any fresh salad, use the best and freshest ingredients you can possibly get. Always use extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice for the dressing.
- There are different preferences when it comes to how chunky or finely chopped the Shepherd Salad vegetables should be. My personal opinion is that they should be fairly finely chopped, but not so small that the vegetables become mushy. Shepherds Salad vegetables are meant to be fresh and crunchy.
- Toss the salad well to ensure that the dressing is evenly distributed throughout the dish.
- Make sure you taste the salad dressing before you add it to your vegetables and adjust the amount of the ingredients to your taste.
- Don't prepare this salad too much in advance as it will lose its crunch and it will get soggy. Prepare only as much as you need as the leftovers won't keep well.
Serving Suggestions
This salad is a great side dish that pairs perfectly with almost everything from kebabs to casseroles.
To name a few, try this refreshing salad with Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant), Keema Naan Bread, Easy Lamb Goulash (Hungarian Stew), Baked Turkish Meatballs, Cokertme Kebabi, Creamy Shrimp Risotto With Peas, Turkish Lahmacun, and Pasta with Green Sauce.
Alternatively, you can eat it on its own as a light lunch along with some feta cheese and Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread).
Recipe FAQs
Turkish Shepherd Salad is made of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and herbs. The simple dressing is made of lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil, and salt.
One portion of this traditional Turkish salad has only 130 kcal.
This Coban Salatasi is best when eaten freshly made. However, if you want to keep the leftovers, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for 24 hours. It won't be as crunchy as freshly made but will still be delicious!
Related Recipes
For more easy and delicious salad recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious, healthy, and easy çoban salatası as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd Salad)
Equipment
- 1 peeler
Ingredients
- 3 small cucumbers (peel and cut in small cubes)
- 3 tomatoes (peel and cut in small cubes)
- 1 Turkish green pepper, or ½ green bell pepper, or 3 Padron peppers (sliced)
- ½ red onion (finely sliced)
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (adjust it to your taste)
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (adjust it to your taste)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (optional, adjust it to your taste)
- ⅓ teaspoon salt (adjust it to your taste)
Instructions
- Peel and cut the cucumbers into small dice. If using large cucumbers, deseed them before dicing. Place them in a bowl.
- Chop the tomatoes the same size as the cucumbers and add them to the bowl. If you have the time, peel the tomatoes to make your salad even juicier.
- Slice the Turkish peppers and the red onion, and scatter them on top of the cucumbers and tomatoes.
- Sprinkle on some finely chopped parsley and drizzle with some olive oil.
- Lastly, pour the lemon juice and vinegar (if using) on and season your salad with some salt.
Notes
- The vegetables for Coban Salatasi should be fairly finely chopped, but not so small that the vegetables become mushy. They are meant to be fresh and crunchy.
- Don't prepare this salad too much in advance as it will lose its crunch and it will get soggy. Prepare only as much as you need as the leftovers won't keep well.
- One portion of this traditional Turkish salad has only 130 kcal.
- This Coban Salatasi is best when eaten freshly made. However, if you want to keep the leftovers, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for 24 hours. It won't be as crunchy as freshly made but will still be delicious!
- This salad is a great side dish that pairs perfectly with almost everything from kebabs to casseroles.
Nutrition
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George
Such a delicious and fresh salad! The whole family loved it. I didn’t add any vinegar but it was still delicious.
Alexandra
Very good quick and easy
Nedra
Excellent, simple recipe. One I have made again and again.
Jeanine
Amazing! Super fast, super delicious!
Worth all the chopping!
Ayla Clulee
I am so glad you enjoyed it Jeanine!
Best wishes
Ayla x
Penny
Simple and delicious. I love how quick this salad is to throw together, and it goes well with pretty much anything!
Coralie
Made this tonight. Loved it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Luann
Yummy and healthy! Easy to make, huge payoff in taste. Thanks for the recipe!