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Shirazi Salad
By Snejana Andreeva
on Mar 21, 2022, Updated Apr 17, 2024
This Shirazi Salad, similar to bruschetta, has to be in my top three favorite salads ever. Many cultures have different variations of chopped salads but this specific recipe is inspired by one of my friends Yasmin who is Persian and was born in Iran. It is incredibly easy to make but does require some patience and love. The magic is in the fine dice so I highly suggest you take your time and enjoy the process. I took it up a slight notch and made homemade tortilla chips to go along with this salad but feel free to skip this step or use store-bought.
- Why You’ll Love Shirazi Salad
- How to Prepare Shirazi Salad
- Nonna’s Tip 🍅
- Variations and Substitutions for Shirazi Salad
- Similar Recipes
- Best Served With
- Common Questions
- Shirazi Salad Recipe
Why You’ll Love Shirazi Salad
This Shirazi Salad is so bright and fresh and full of crisp and juicy vegetables. This salad is a great variation on a bruschetta, so switch it up and introduce everyone to something new. This salad is so versatile too. You can serve it as a dip with chips, as a side salad to a main protein, on top of crostini (as you would bruschetta), or in a sandwich or wrap with grilled chicken or cold cuts. The options are endless, so make a big batch for the week!
How to Prepare Shirazi Salad
🔥 First, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
🔺 Using a sharp knife , cut the tortillas into small triangles.
🧂 Spray the pieces with an oil spray and sprinkle with salt .
⏲️ Now, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and then bake until golden about 12 minutes, then set them aside.
🔪 Next, take your knife and make thin slices out of each Persian cucumber. You can stack 2-3 of the thin slices on top of each other and make 4 cuts lengthwise.
🥒 Dice the cucumbers into small pieces and add into a mixing bowl .
🍅 Then, finely dice the red onion and tomato and add them into the bowl.
🫙 Now, to a mason jar or liquid measuring cup , add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and mint and then shake or whisk.
🥣 Pour the dressing onto the salad, toss and enjoy with the tortilla chips.
Nonna’s Tip 🍅
The secret to this Shirazi Salad is a fine dice on all the vegetables. That gives you the perfect balanced flavor in every spoonful : crisp cucumber, juicy tomato and bite from the red onion. It’s so worth a little bit of extra time chopping!
Variations and Substitutions for Shirazi Salad
- Traditionally, dry mint 🌿 is used instead of fresh but I couldn’t find any at my grocery store. If you are using dry herbs make sure you add less because they are stronger.
- I have been told that 🍇 grape juice is used in the traditional recipe, but I coudln’t find any in my area, so I added lemon juice instead. Let me know if you try this with grape juice!
- Feel free to add some feta cheese into this Shirazi Salad.
- If you don’t have time ⏱️ to make your own chips , store bought is totally fine!
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Best Served With
- Serve this Shirazi Salad as a side dish at your next barbecue. It would be delicious served over my Grilled Chicken Thighs or Grilled Lemon Chicken Breast .
- Serve this over toasted crostini just as you would bruschetta.
- Add a nice spoonful or two in a sandwich or 🌯 wrap with grilled chicken or cold cuts.
Common Questions
Yes, you can make this ahead of serving and keep covered in the refrigerator for up to a day. The flavors will meld together beautifully and the salad will be juicer/softer. If you prefer a crisper salad, I would wait to toss it together with the dressing just before serving.
A sturdy cutting board and a sharp, good-quality chef’s knife is key here. I love this knife as it is amazing quality and gives me great control and precision when cutting.
I think cheese is always the right answer, so go ahead and add some feta, goat cheese or your favorite non-dairy variety on top. Bell peppers would also be a nice, sweet addition to this Shirazi Salad.
Persian cucumbers are best because they have a thinner, more tender skin. If you would like to use English cucumber instead, I would simply use a peeler to remove some of the thicker skin before dicing.
Yes, you absolutely can use white onion instead of red onion in this Shirazi Salad, as long as it’s finely diced! You could even use shallots for a milder onion flavor.
Absolutely! Gluten-free, corn or keto tortillas would still be delicious toasted up as chips. Just watch the oven in case they have a different cooking time.
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Video
Equipment
- ▢ Nakiri Knife
- ▢ Cutting Board
- ▢ Oil Spray Bottle
- ▢ Redmond Real Salt
- ▢ Small Mason Jars (250ml)
- ▢ Mixing Bowls
- ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
- ▢ Liquid Measuring Cup
- ▢ Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- ▢ 3 small flour tortillas , cut into triangles
- ▢ 1 tablespoon avocado oil , in a spray bottle
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
- ▢ 4 Persian cucumbers , finely diced
- ▢ ½ red onion , finely diced
- ▢ 3 vine tomatoes , finely diced
The Dressing⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢ 1 lemon , juiced, or grape juice in Shiraz which is traditional
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt , to taste
- ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh mint , finely chopped
Instructions
- ▢ Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) cut the tortilla with a knife into small triangles.
- ▢ Spray it with avocado oil spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden. Mine took 12 minutes but it will depend on the oven. Once golden, set them aside.
- ▢ Now take your knife and make thin slices out of each Persian cucumber. You can stack 2-3 of the thin slices on top of each other and make 4 cuts lengthwise.
- ▢ Dice it into small pieces and add into the bowl. Finely dice the red onion and tomato and add it in.
- ▢ Feel free to dress the salad directly in the bowl or do what I did which is add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and mint in a small mason jar and give it a shake.
- ▢ Pour the dressing on top and enjoy with the tortilla chips, on rice, on crostini or anyway you love.
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Shirazi Salad
Equipment
- Nakiri Knife
- Cutting Board
- Oil Spray Bottle
- Redmond Real Salt
- Small Mason Jars (250ml)
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups + Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 3 small flour tortillas cut into triangles
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a spray bottle
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 Persian cucumbers finely diced
- ½ red onion finely diced
- 3 vine tomatoes finely diced
The Dressing⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced, or grape juice in Shiraz which is traditional
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) cut the tortilla with a knife into small triangles.
- Spray it with avocado oil spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden. Mine took 12 minutes but it will depend on the oven. Once golden, set them aside.
- Now take your knife and make thin slices out of each Persian cucumber. You can stack 2-3 of the thin slices on top of each other and make 4 cuts lengthwise.
- Dice it into small pieces and add into the bowl. Finely dice the red onion and tomato and add it in.
- Feel free to dress the salad directly in the bowl or do what I did which is add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and mint in a small mason jar and give it a shake.
- Pour the dressing on top and enjoy with the tortilla chips, on rice, on crostini or anyway you love.
Video
Nutrition
Shirazi Salad https://themodernnonna.com/shirazi-salad/ March 21, 2022
