Salad Shirazi (coban Salad) Recipe

Wash and dry

Rinse the cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, green pepper, and onion under cold water. Pat dry with a clean towel or spin-dry the parsley.

Dice cucumbers

Trim the cucumber ends. If using large cucumber with seeds, halve lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon; otherwise leave as is. Dice into small uniform pieces about 1/4 inch (6 mm). Measure about 2 cups when diced.

Dice tomatoes

Core the tomatoes and dice into the same small roughly 1/4 inch pieces. If tomatoes are very juicy, remove most seeds/pulp before dicing to avoid watering down the salad. Measure 1 cup diced.

Dice onion and green pepper

Peel and finely dice the onion to yield about 1/2 cup. Remove seeds and membrane from the green bell pepper and finely dice to yield about 1/2 cup. For milder flavor, soak diced onion in cold water for 5 minutes then drain and pat dry.

Chop parsley

Stack parsley leaves, roll into a tight bundle, and finely chop to yield 1/2 cup packed. Avoid chopping stems too finely; use mostly leaves.

In a small bowl or jar, combine 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried mint (or 1 tsp fresh chopped), 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and optional 1/2 teaspoon sumac. Whisk or shake until emulsified and salt dissolves.

Place all diced vegetables (cucumber, tomato, onion, green pepper) and chopped parsley into a large mixing bowl. Toss gently to combine so ingredients are evenly distributed.

Pour the dressing over the mixed vegetables. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat all pieces. Taste and adjust seasoning: add more salt, lemon juice, or sumac as needed.

Let the salad rest for 10–15 minutes at room temperature to allow flavors to marry. Stir again before serving.

Serve chilled or at room temperature as a side salad, with flatbread, or as part of a mezze spread. Keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours (vegetables will soften and release more liquid).