Salads
The salad family follows one pattern: chopped raw vegetables, salt, acid, optional oil and fresh herbs are combined at the last moment. If you know shepherd's salad (çoban salata), the Turkish salad of tomato, cucumber, onion and parsley, this pattern gives you five more salads.
Salt does the same work every time. The choosing belongs to the cook.
What is the pattern?
The pattern of the salad family is this formula: Chopped raw vegetables + salt + acid (+ oil) + fresh herbs → combine at the last moment.
Each salad changes one part of this pattern. That is why you do not need to learn a whole new recipe for a new salad. You only need to learn the part that changes.
Which salad do you learn first?
You learn shepherd's salad first. Shepherd's salad is the plainest form of the pattern, and it teaches the cut, the timing of the salt and the balance of acid. That is why the other five salads are explained by comparing them with shepherd's salad.
What do the variations change in the pattern?
Each variation changes the cut, the acid, the timing of the salt or an added ingredient. Gavurdağı is a chopped tomato and walnut salad from southeastern Turkey. Salad-e Shirazi is a Persian cucumber and tomato salad. Horiatiki is the Greek village salad, and Fattoush is a Levantine salad with toasted bread. Three ingredients here may be new to you, and Middle Eastern groceries and online shops sell all of them. Pomegranate molasses is a thick, sour syrup of reduced pomegranate juice, and balsamic glaze with a little lemon juice can replace it. Chili flakes (Aleppo-style) are the mild Turkish pul biber, and a smaller amount of red pepper flakes can replace them. Sumac is a tart, dark red ground spice, and lemon zest is the closest substitute.
| Salad | What changes in the pattern | What it teaches |
|---|---|---|
| Gavurdağı | The dice becomes 0.5 cm, the acid is pomegranate molasses, cucumber comes out, walnuts and chili flakes go in | Fine dice, toasting in a dry pan |
| Salad-e Shirazi | The juice at the bottom becomes the dressing, salt goes in first, the salad rests for 15 minutes, the ratio becomes 1 : 3, dried mint replaces fresh herbs | Using dried herbs, resting |
| Pico de gallo | The tomato is salted and drained, hot chili, cilantro and lime go in, no oil | Adjusting the heat of the chili, draining |
| Horiatiki | The cut gets larger, most of the salt comes from the cheese and olives, the cheese sits on top as a block | Large cut, working out the salt |
| Fattoush | Toasted bread goes in, the acid comes from three sources, there are more greens | Drying bread, timing |
How do the six salads compare side by side?
The six salads differ in cut size, acid, oil : acid ratio and what happens to the water that the salt draws out.
| Salad | Cut | Acid | Oil : acid (by spoon) | Water drawn out by the salt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd's | 1 cm dice | Lemon | 3 : 1 | Not wanted, salt goes in last |
| Gavurdağı | 0.5 cm dice | Pomegranate molasses | 3 : 2 | Not wanted, tomato seeds are removed |
| Shirazi | 0.5 cm dice | Lemon | 1 : 3 | Wanted, it becomes the dressing |
| Pico de gallo | 0.5 cm dice, hot chili 3 mm | Lime | 0 : 1 | Drained in a sieve and discarded |
| Horiatiki | Large bite-size, pepper and onion in 3 mm rings | Red wine vinegar, a little | 4 : 1 | There is little, and you dip bread in it |
| Fattoush | Bite-size, 2 cm | Lemon, pomegranate molasses, sumac | 1 : 1 | The bread absorbs it |
What is the critical point in a salad?
The critical point is the water that the salt draws out. Salt pulls water out of vegetables in every salad. What changes is whether you want that water in the salad. That is why you do not memorize the timing of the salt. You decide based on the water.
- If you do not want the water, salt goes in last.
- If the water will become the dressing, salt goes in first and the salad rests.
- If the water will do harm, salt goes in first and you drain the water away.
What questions do you ask about a new salad?
For a new salad, you ask five questions about the cut, the acid, the ratio, the water drawn out by the salt and the last ingredient.
- What size are the vegetables cut? If they are cut small, the dressing reaches every piece. If they are cut large, you taste each piece separately.
- Where does the acid come from? The acid can come from lemon, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, sumac, or the tomato and cheese themselves.
- What is the ratio of oil to acid? With more oil the salad is soft and filling. With more acid it is sharp and refreshing.
- Do you want the water drawn out by the salt? If you do not want it, salt goes in last. If it will become the dressing, salt goes in first. If it will do harm, salt goes in first and you drain the water away.
- What goes in last, and why? Walnuts, bread, cheese and fresh herbs change when they touch the dressing. That is why these ingredients go in last.
If you know these, what can you make in other cuisines?
If you know the salads in this family, you can also make salads from other cuisines that rest on the same pattern.
| If you know | You can also make | What they share |
|---|---|---|
| Shepherd's salad | Indian kachumber | Diced vegetables, salt, acid |
| Horiatiki | Bulgarian shopska | Raw vegetables and salty white cheese |
| Fattoush | Italian panzanella | Dried bread that meets the dressing |
If something goes wrong with a salad, see the Rescue page.