A refreshing, finely diced Persian salad of cucumber, tomato, and onion dressed with lime juice, mint, and olive oil.
Salad Shirazi, named for the city of Shiraz, is Iran's everyday fresh salad -- cucumber, tomato, and onion diced into small, uniform pieces and tossed with a bright dressing of lime juice, olive oil, and dried mint. It's a near-universal accompaniment at Persian meals, served alongside rice dishes, kebabs, and stews to provide a fresh, acidic counterpoint to richer main courses. The technique that matters most is the fine, even dice: cucumber, tomato, and onion should all be cut into small pieces of similar size, ensuring each bite has a balanced mix of all three vegetables. Dried mint, rather than fresh, is the traditional choice here, providing a more concentrated, slightly different flavor than fresh mint would, and a generous amount of lime juice (rather than vinegar) gives the salad its distinctly Persian brightness. Served cold alongside virtually any Persian main dish, salad Shirazi is refreshingly simple -- proof that a handful of good vegetables, properly diced and dressed, can elevate an entire meal.
Serves 4
Cut cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion into small, even dice, roughly matching sizes.
Toss vegetables together in a bowl.
Add lime juice, olive oil, dried mint, salt, and pepper.
Toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavors meld.
Serve cold as a side dish alongside rice, kebabs, or stews.
Dice everything small and uniform -- this is what distinguishes salad Shirazi from a larger chopped salad and lets it scoop easily onto rice.
Use dried mint rather than fresh for the most authentic flavor; it has a different, more concentrated character than fresh mint.
Salt the salad shortly before serving rather than far in advance, since salt draws out liquid from the tomatoes and cucumbers over time.
Add finely diced bell pepper for extra crunch and color, a common variation.
Use fresh lemon juice instead of lime for a slightly different acidity if that's what's on hand.
Add a small amount of minced garlic for extra punch, though this is a less traditional addition.
Best eaten within a few hours of dressing, as the vegetables release liquid over time. Store undressed diced vegetables separately in the fridge up to 2 days and dress just before serving.
Salad Shirazi is named for the city of Shiraz in southern Iran and has become one of the most universal side dishes across Persian cuisine, prized for its simplicity and its role in balancing richer, heavier main courses.
Dice the vegetables ahead and store separately, but dress no more than an hour before serving to keep the salad from becoming watery.
Tomatoes and cucumbers naturally release liquid once dressed and salted; this is expected, but for a drier result, salt the diced vegetables briefly and drain before combining with the dressing.
Yes, though the flavor will be brighter and less concentrated than the traditional dried mint used in most Persian households.
Per serving (150g / 5.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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