Turkish Shepherd’s Salad

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the produce

   Rinse the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion and parsley under cool running water for about 1 minute; use no cooking heat, until visibly clean.

2. 2

   Dry the produce

   Pat the produce dry with a clean tea towel for about 2 minutes at room temperature, with no heat, until the surfaces feel dry.

3. 3

   Dice the vegetables

   Dice the tomatoes, cucumber and pepper into roughly 1 cm pieces for about 5 minutes at room temperature, with no heat, until the pieces are evenly sized.

4. 4

   Prepare the onion

   Peel and finely dice the onion for about 2 minutes at room temperature, with no heat, until the pieces are small and even.

5. 5

   Chop the parsley

   Remove any tough stems and finely chop the parsley leaves for about 2 minutes at room temperature, with no heat, until no large leaves remain.

6. 6

   Mix the dressing

   Stir the olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, salt and pepper in a serving bowl for about 1 minute at room temperature, with no heat, until evenly combined.

7. 7

   Toss the salad

   Add the diced vegetables and parsley to the dressing and toss for about 1 minute at room temperature, with no heat, until lightly coated.

8. 8

   Serve

   Serve immediately, within 5 minutes, at room temperature with no heat, when the vegetables are lightly dressed and the seasoning tastes balanced.

Tips

• Dry the produce well so rinsing water does not dilute the dressing.
• Toss shortly before serving to keep the vegetables crisp.
• Taste before serving and adjust the lemon juice or salt to suit the tomatoes.

Swaps

• Use red wine vinegar in place of the lemon juice.
• Replace some of the parsley with finely chopped mint.

Storing

Best served straight away. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and eat within 1 day; the vegetables will soften as they release liquid.