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    Cooking Gorgeous » Turkish Recipes

    Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd's Salad)

    Published: Feb 18, 2022 · Modified: Sep 21, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    freshly made turkish Shepherd salad
    The best part of this salad is the juice that sits at the bottom.
    Jump to:
    • What is Coban Salatasi?
    • Why is it Called Shepherd's Salad?
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd Salad)

    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.

    turkish chopped vegetables salad served in a bowl

    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

    labeled picture of ingredients for Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd's Salad)
    • 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.

    Cucumbers are cut in small dices and placed 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.

    The diced tomatoes are added to the cucumbers

    Slice the Turkish peppers and the red onion, and scatter them on top of the cucumbers and tomatoes.

    Thinly sliced peppers and onions are added to the bowl

    Sprinkle on some finely chopped parsley and drizzle with some olive oil.

    Drizzling olive oil on Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd's Salad)

    Lastly, pour the lemon juice and vinegar (if using) on and season your salad with some salt.

    freshly made Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd's Salad)

    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

    What is Turkish Salad made of?

    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.

    How many calories are in Turkish Shepherd Salad?

    One portion of this traditional Turkish salad has only 130 kcal.

    How to store the leftovers?

    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:

    • Lebanese Fattoush Salad
    • Baba Ganoush Without Tahini
    • Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme)
    • Fasulye Piyaz (Turkish Bean Salad)

    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

    Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd Salad)

    Ayla Clulee
    Coban Salatasi is a fresh and simple side salad made with sweet, juicy summer tomatoes, crunchy Turkish cucumbers, fresh green peppers, and crisp red onions.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 4 portion
    Calories 130 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Sharp knife
    • 1 Measuring cups
    • 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

    Calories: 130kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 209mgPotassium: 675mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1747IUVitamin C: 57mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. George

      February 22, 2022 at 12:22 pm

      5 stars
      Such a delicious and fresh salad! The whole family loved it. I didn’t add any vinegar but it was still delicious.

      Reply
    2. Alexandra

      April 24, 2022 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      Very good quick and easy

      Reply
    3. Nedra

      April 29, 2022 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent, simple recipe. One I have made again and again.

      Reply
    4. Jeanine

      May 11, 2022 at 6:00 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing! Super fast, super delicious!
      Worth all the chopping!

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        May 12, 2022 at 5:05 am

        I am so glad you enjoyed it Jeanine!
        Best wishes
        Ayla x

        Reply
    5. Penny

      May 18, 2022 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      Simple and delicious. I love how quick this salad is to throw together, and it goes well with pretty much anything!

      Reply
    6. Coralie

      June 05, 2022 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight. Loved it! Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
    7. Luann

      June 07, 2022 at 5:16 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy and healthy! Easy to make, huge payoff in taste. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply

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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious recipes and culinary inspiration await you! I'm Ayla, a passionate and professional chef based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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