Shopska Salata
Шопска салата·(shop-ska sa-la-ta)
The Meze Table & Summer Salads
A block of sheep's milk feta sits beside a standard box grater and a serrated knife. Forget the ancient peasant myth. To build the right flavor profile, three rules apply: rely on roasted red peppers, use a heavy pour of sunflower oil (never olive), and grate your cheese into a snowy mountain rather than settling for clumsy cubes. Built for an Ohio backyard or a Black Sea resort alike, the only real technique here is letting the salt pull the tomato juices into the oil before you eat.
Before you start
Mellow the onions.
If your red onion is overly sharp, soak the chopped pieces in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes, then drain thoroughly before adding to the salad to remove their harsh bite.
Ingredients
- summer tomatoes3 large
- English cucumber1 med
- jarred roasted red peppers1/2 cup
- red onion1/2 med
- sunflower oil3 tbsp
- red wine vinegar1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- block feta in brine1 cup
- fresh flat-leaf parsley2 tbsp
- Kalamata olive1 med
Method
- 01
Dress the vegetables.
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red peppers, and onion. Sprinkle with kosher salt, drizzle with the sunflower oil and red wine vinegar, and toss gently until the vegetables are coated and their juices mingle.
- 02
Build the mountain.
Transfer the dressed vegetables and all their juices to a shallow serving bowl or platter, using a spoon to gently shape them into a slight mound.
- 03
Create the snowfall.
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the block of feta directly over the vegetables until the entire salad is blanketed in a fluffy, white layer of cheese. Do not mix it in.
- 04
Garnish and serve.
Sprinkle the fresh parsley over the snowy cheese peak and place a single black olive right at the summit. Serve immediately.
Notes
The oil is non-negotiable.
Do not substitute olive oil. The neutral, slightly nutty background of sunflower oil is the definitive taste of the Balkans and allows the fresh vegetables to shine.
Tomato acidity dictates the vinegar.
Taste your tomatoes before adding the red wine vinegar. If they are highly acidic on their own, skip the vinegar entirely.
The spicy upgrade.
For a regional variation favored by spice lovers, mix a finely diced hot green pepper into the base vegetables before adding the cheese.