
A classic Turkish salad, found everywhere in Turkey, especially popular in the summertime. Simplicity itself but oh, so refreshing on a hot day! I’ve eaten this so many times in Turkey – at restaurants, cafes, friend’s house, aunts’ houses – and more often than not, it is served in its basic form, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes.
However, I’ve also been served it with crumbled feta, lettuce and/or toasted pitta, the latter resembling Fattoush, of course.
Here is how I make it more often than not. Chopping the cucumbers and tomatoes to roughly the same size makes for a prettier salad.
More Salad Recipes on LinsFood

Çoban Salatası (Turkish Shepherd Salad)
Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber
- 2 medium ripe but firm tomatoes
- 2 spring onions
- half a green chilli
- 1 handful fresh parsley
*Dressing*
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Sumac
- half tsp salt
- dash/pinch black pepper
Instructions
Salad Dressing
- Mix all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
Prep the Vegetables
- Cut the cucumber into 4 lengths, then chop them up fairly thinly, as in the image above.
- Slice the spring onions and green chilli thinly.
- Chop the parsley finely.
Assembly
- Mix all the vegetables up in a large salad bowl.
- Drizzle the salad dressing all over the salad and toss to mix.
- Letting the salad stand for for 5 minutes before serving improves the flavour
how many does this serve?
Hi Hope, it serves 4, and may even stretch to 6, if serving smaller portions.
I made this salad last night (with dolma biber and kofte) and two of my guests asked for the recipe. I lived for a year in Turkey many years ago and I am still craving the food and the culture. Tonight I am making the salad again, serving it with midye tavasi!
Ian, Sydney Australia
Hey, Ian, thanks taking the time to leave a comment. It’s such a quick yet satisfying recipe, isn’t it? And I am loving all those recipes you served it with.
Have you tried Hünkar Beğendi (The Sultan’s Delight)?
https://linsfood.com/hunkar-begendi-sultans-delight/
That aubergine/cheese sauce alone is enough to enslave me!
I’m very glad to see our “Çoban Salatası” recipe here! And I give your recipe 10 point, 5 stars!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that, Selma! It means a lot when someone who is from the country of the recipe says that! x