Çoban Salatasi Recipe

Prepare tomatoes

Core and finely dice the tomatoes so they total about 3 cups. If tomatoes are very watery, remove some seeds and excess juice before dicing to avoid soggy salad.

Prepare cucumber

Peel (optional) and finely dice the cucumber to yield about 1 cup. If cucumber has large seeds, scoop them out first and then dice.

Prepare pepper

Remove stem and seeds from the green bell pepper and finely dice to equal about 1/2 cup.

Prepare onion

Peel and finely mince the red onion to about 1/2 cup. To soften sharpness, rinse the minced onion briefly under cold water and drain well, or soak 5 minutes in cold water and pat dry.

Chop parsley

Wash and thoroughly dry the flat‑leaf parsley. Remove thick stems and finely chop leaves to yield about 3/4 cup loosely packed.

Combine the diced tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, minced onion and chopped parsley in a large mixing bowl. Toss lightly to mix evenly.

Make dressing

In a small bowl or jar combine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons extra‑virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sumac if using. Whisk or shake briskly until emulsified.

Dress salad

Pour the dressing over the salad bowl. Gently toss with a large spoon or salad hands until all vegetables are coated. Taste and adjust seasoning: add more salt or lemon juice as needed (to taste).

Let the salad rest 5–10 minutes at room temperature for flavors to meld, then give one final toss and serve immediately.