Persian Shirazi Salad (Sour Grape or Lemon Juice)

Crisp, zesty, and naturally vegan, this traditional Persian Shirazi salad pairs finely diced Persian cucumbers and firm Roma tomatoes with a vibrant dressing of sour grape juice (ab ghooreh) or lemon juice and a heavy pinch of mint. The secret to this refreshing, no-greens side dish lies in its ultra-fine, uniform chop, which coaxes out the natural juices to form a pool of tangy marinating liquid. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s the ultimate crunchy, gluten-free pairing for grilled kabobs like joojeh kabob and saffron rice.

Shirazi salad is an Iranian dish, which originates from the city of Shiraz in the south of Iran, the city my mom is from. This city is known for its gardens, and this salad. The ingredients and flavors in the salad are ones you will see reflected throughout Persian, Iranian, and broader Middle Eastern cuisine.

The biggest difference between this salad and a classic Mediterranean cucumber tomato salads is the addition of (optional) mint, the option to use either sour grape juice or lemon juice instead of lemon or lime juice, and the fine dice, which literally changes how your mouth processes the acidity of the salad. The fine dice is a non-negotiable with Shirazi salad.

🧾Ingredients in this recipe

• Cucumber – you’ll be able to recognize Persian cucumbers as they are much smaller and shorter in size.
• Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes have a distinct shape, and are a bit bigger than plum tomatoes. You could sub in plum tomatoes but they will be slightly less crisp and more watery in the salad.
• Red onion – This is traditional to Shirazi salad. If you’re looking for a substitute, you can use white onions, or thinly sliced scallions. Minced shallot works, too.
• Parsley – Use fresh parsley, not dried.
• Mint – This is an optional inclusion, but a great one. Use fresh mint leaves, minced. Or dried, crushed leaves.
• Ab Ghooreh (sour grape juice) or Lemons – Sour grape juice and lemon juice are both traditional in this recipe, so use whichever you prefer.
• Olive oil – Use high-quality olive oil if you can for the dressing. As the dressing is so simple, the oil’s quality really makes it.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

• First, add all the prepped ingredients to a large serving bowl.

• Mix them all together well. Taste the salad and adjust to your liking for salt, pepper, and sour grape juice or lemon.

🥒Serve this salad with…

Serve it fresh. This salad is fantastic alone but works well as a side dish for other great Persian/Iranian dishes like kabob barg and joojeh kabob.

Mahi ba Zafferan (Persian Saffron Cod)

Koobideh (Persian Ground Beef Kabob)

Joojeh Kabob – Persian Chicken Kabob

Kotlet – Persian Meat and Potato Patties

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Persian Shirazi Salad (Sour Grape or Lemon Juice)

5 from 12 votes

Persian Shirazi salad takes Persian cucumbers & Roma tomatoes & pairs them with parsley, & sour grape juice or lemon for a crisp, light salad.

Author: Candice Walker

Print Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Persian

Calories: 80

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb tomato finely diced*
• ▢ 1 lb cucumber finely diced*
• ▢ ⅓ lb red onion finely diced*
• ▢ 1.5 oz. Parsley minced
• ▢ 2 tbsp mint minced (optional)
• ▢ 3 tbsp ab ghooreh sour grape juice, see notes, or lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt plus more to taste
• ▢ ¼ tsp pepper plus more to taste

Instructions

Cook Mode

1. Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl.
2. Mix well, taste, and adjust for salt, pepper, and sour grape juice or lemon.
3. Serve immediately.

Notes

* Salad Shirazi is known for its fine, uniform dice. The closer you can get to 1/4″ dice, the better.

** Ab ghooreh is sour grape juice. You can find it at most middle eastern markets or online.

Video

Nutrition

Calories80kcalCarbohydrates8gProtein2gFat5gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat3gSodium108mgPotassium376mgFiber2gSugar4gVitamin A1353IUVitamin C28mgCalcium39mgIron1mg

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