Shopska Salad (Shopska Salata)

Name: Shopska Salad (Shopska Salata)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Bulgaria
Ingredients: 4 medium ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g); 1 English cucumber or 2 small field cucumbers (about 12 oz / 340 g), peeled and seeded if watery; 1 small yellow or red onion (about 4 oz / 110 g); 1 green bell pepper or mild green pepper (about 6 oz / 170 g); 7 oz (200 g) Bulgarian white brine cheese (sirene) or feta, chilled; 3–4 tbsp sunflower oil (or mild olive oil); Salt to taste

Шопска салата Shopska salataSay it: SHOP-ska sa-LA-ta

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 8, 2026.

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In Bulgaria this salad is a warm-weather signal: it lands on the table from late spring through September, usually as an opener, a side for grilled meat, or a light meal on its own. What you taste is juicy, crunchy tomato, cucumber and onion, a scatter of finely diced green pepper, and a thick lid of grated sirene that makes every forkful creamy and salty. Nothing is cooked, and the whole thing takes about twenty minutes — the only real decisions are picking ripe tomatoes and grating the cheese at the last second.

Shopska Salad (Shopska Salata)

Шопска салата, Shopska salata

Pronounced SHOP-ska sa-LA-ta

Serves: 4
Prep: 20 min
Cook: —
Total: 20 min
Level: Easy

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

4 medium ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g)
1 English cucumber or 2 small field cucumbers (about 12 oz / 340 g), peeled and seeded if watery
1 small yellow or red onion (about 4 oz / 110 g)
1 green bell pepper or mild green pepper (about 6 oz / 170 g)
7 oz (200 g)200 g (7 oz) Bulgarian white brine cheese (sirene) or feta, chilled
3–4 tbsp sunflower oil (or mild olive oil)
Salt to taste

Method

Rinse the vegetables and pat them dry. Strip the peel from the cucumber, split it lengthways, scrape out the watery seed core if it is thick, then cut the flesh into cubes of about 1/2 inch (1 cm). Trim and core the tomatoes and cut them to a similar size. Skin the onion and either shave it into thin rings or chop it small.
Halve the green pepper, cut away the stem, white ribs and seeds, then dice the flesh very finely and keep it to one side.
Put the tomatoes, cucumber and onion into a broad, shallow serving dish. Add a light pinch of salt — the cheese brings plenty of its own — trickle 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil over the top, and fold with a soft hand until everything glistens. Taste, then adjust with a little more salt or oil.
Spread the diced pepper evenly across the surface. Grate the chilled sirene or feta straight over the salad on the coarse side of a box grater, letting it fall in a thick, even layer. Leave it undisturbed — once the cheese is on, do not toss.
Bring it to the table at once with bread and, if you like, a cold glass of rakia. Aim to eat it within half an hour, while the vegetables are still firm and have not pooled juice.

Regional variant: Shopska salad with roasted peppers (Shopska salata s pecheni chushki)

Char 2–3 red or green peppers under a broiler or directly over a gas flame until the skins blister and blacken. Steam them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then slip off the skins, remove the seeds and cut the flesh into narrow strips or small dice. Swap these in for the raw green pepper, and stir up to 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar into the oil before dressing the salad.

Cook's notes

Keep the cheese refrigerated until the moment you grate it; cold sirene drops into airy strands instead of clumping together.
Very watery tomatoes benefit from resting in a colander for 5 minutes — tip away whatever drains off before mixing the salad.
Sirene made from sheep's milk is the traditional pick and is saltier than most feta, so season sparingly at first and taste before adding more.

Serve with

Good as an opener or a side alongside rakia, warm country bread, grilled meats, or a bowl of bob chorba (bean soup).

Make ahead and storage

The vegetables can be chopped up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated in separate containers; add the oil and grate the cheese only at serving time.

Questions cooks ask

What is in shopska salad?

Shopska salad combines ripe tomatoes, cucumber, onion and finely diced green pepper, dressed with sunflower oil and salt. It is topped with a thick layer of grated Bulgarian white brine cheese (sirene) or feta. Nothing is cooked, and the whole salad takes about 20 minutes to prepare.

What cheese is in shopska salad?

The cheese is Bulgarian white brine cheese, called sirene, or feta as a substitute. It is grated cold over the salad on the coarse side of a box grater, forming a thick even layer. Sheep's milk sirene is the traditional pick and is saltier than most feta, so season sparingly.

Is shopska salad vegetarian?

Yes, shopska salad is vegetarian. Its ingredients are tomatoes, cucumber, onion, green pepper, white brine cheese or feta, sunflower oil and salt. It is also gluten-free, nut-free and egg-free, but it is not vegan or dairy-free because it contains milk-based cheese.

What to serve with shopska salad?

Shopska salad works as an opener or a side alongside rakia, warm country bread, grilled meats, or a bowl of bob chorba (bean soup). Bring it to the table at once and aim to eat it within half an hour, while the vegetables are still firm.

What country is shopska salad from?

Shopska salad is from Bulgaria, where it is known as shopska salata. In Bulgaria it signals warm weather, appearing on tables from late spring through September as an opener, a side for grilled meat, or a light meal on its own.

Shopska Salad (Shopska Salata)