Ovcharska Salata
Овчарска салата·(ov-CHAR-ska sah-LAH-tah)
The Meze Table & Summer Salads
If Shopska Salata is the undisputed king of the Bulgarian summer table, Ovcharska Salata is the indulgent, slightly excessive uncle who shows up to the party and makes it a feast. Perfected in the 1960s by chefs at Balkantourist, the state-run hospitality agency, it was designed to show off the nation's best produce and dairy to Black Sea vacationers before quickly infiltrating domestic kitchens to become a nostalgic classic. The secret to making it taste exactly like a summer evening in Sofia isn't foraging in the mountains; it's using the tangy bite of jarred marinated mushrooms and the deep, old-world aroma of unrefined sunflower oil. Leave the raw button mushrooms and extra-virgin olive oil in the pantry.
Before you start
Boil your eggs ahead of time to ensure they are cool enough to handle.
Boil for 6 to 10 minutes to achieve a firm, solid yolk that holds up when quartered.
Ingredients
- beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes3 large
- English cucumber1 large
- red onion1/2 med
- jarred roasted red peppers1 cup
- jarred marinated button mushrooms1 cup
- kalamata-style black olives1/4 cup
- thick-cut deli ham4 oz
- provolone or young gouda cheese4 oz
- Bulgarian sirene or Greek feta cheese in brine1 cup
- eggs2 large
- unrefined sunflower oil3 tbsp
- red wine vinegar1 tbsp
- fresh parsley1/4 cup
- sea salt1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Combine the chunky vegetables and mushrooms in a large serving bowl.
In Bulgarian cooking, we don't mince our salad vegetables—we cut them 'edra', meaning large, rustic, and juicy. Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, roasted peppers, and marinated mushrooms together.
- 02
Dress the vegetables with sunflower oil and vinegar before adding the heavy proteins.
Drizzle the sunflower oil and red wine vinegar over the mix, add the salt, and gently toss. Let this sit for 5 minutes so the tomato juices mingle with the oil to create a vibrant dressing at the bottom of the bowl.
- 03
Scatter the diced ham, cubed provolone, and black olives evenly over the top.
Do not aggressively stir at this point, or the salad will turn mushy and lose its structural integrity.
- 04
Shred the feta in a thick, snowy layer directly over the entire salad.
Use the coarse side of a box grater to cover the ingredients completely. This white blanket is the visual hallmark of a true Bulgarian salad.
- 05
Arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top of the cheese layer and garnish with parsley.
Bring the bowl to the table exactly as it is, serving alongside a stiff pour of rakia or crisp white wine, and let your guests dig through the snowy cheese down to the juicy, marinated vegetables below.
Notes
Sunflower oil is the non-negotiable soul of this dressing.
Extra-virgin olive oil will overpower the dish and ruin the authentic Eastern European terroir; use unrefined sunflower oil to get the true aroma of the homeland.
Never use raw button mushrooms.
Raw mushrooms become rubbery and strange in the mix. The acidity of jarred marinated mushrooms is absolutely essential to cut through the richness of the cheeses and meats.
Provolone is your best weeknight stand-in for traditional Bulgarian kashkaval.
It has the exact same mildness, semi-hard elasticity, and subtle tang as the hard-to-find original cheese.