Justin Tsucalas
The medley or cucumbers, tomatoes, shallots, and herbs is impossible to beat
“If there ever was a national Iranian salad, it would be the Shirazi salad,” writes Leila Heller in her cookbook, Persian Feasts, which comes out in September. This salad originates from the city of Shiraz in the southwestern part of Iran, but its reach is global: you can easily find it at every Persian restaurant across the U.S.
Typically composed of a base of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions dressed in olive oil and lemon juice, Shirazi salad accompanies practically every meal in Iran. Its crunch, freshness, and acidity act as an ideal foil to rich proteins, like kufteh tabrizi simmered in tomato sauce or braised lamb shanks. It even works well alongside a crab feast, where it’s a welcome contrast to rich, buttery crabs and salty Old Bay seasoning. “It’s so refreshing,” Heller explains, “and, to me, it goes with every type of meal.”
There are numerous versions of the dish — every family has adapted the base recipe to suit their own tastes. Heller’s omits onions (she thinks they overpower the dish) but includes radishes and pomegranate seeds, a nod to her mother’s roots in western Azerbaijan. “Although I was born and raised in Tehran, we always got so many pomegranates from my mother’s family in Azerbaijan, which my mom would turn into molasses,” Heller says. A teaspoon of pomegranate molasses gently sweetens the salad, while a garnish of pomegranate seeds makes it look like a platter of gemstones.
According to Heller, this salad has a lot of perks. For starters, it’s incredibly simple to prepare — so whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or simply serving this salad at a small dinner party, it comes together very quickly. Heller is also enthusiastic about Shirazi salad’s many health benefits. “In a way, it’s used in our culture as cleansing,” Heller says. “It’s just a healthy salad with an abundance of cucumbers that have a lot of water, and tomatoes which have their own benefits.”
For Heller, a meal is incomplete if Shirazi salad isn’t on the table. “Growing up, my mom would always remind me to finish my salad,” Heller says. “It goes with everything and is so, so delicious that I no longer need the reminder.”
Shirazi Salad Recipe
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
5 large tomatoes
8 radishes, coarsely chopped
5 Persian cucumbers, peeled and diced
4 shallots or 6 scallions (spring onions), finely chopped
1 cup (2 ounces/55 grams) finely chopped parsley or cilantro (coriander)
4 tablespoons finely chopped dill
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Instructions:
Step 1: Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Cut an X in the bottom of the tomatoes, just deep enough to penetrate the skin. Carefully plunge them into the saucepan of boiling water, leaving them in for 10-15 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes from the water and place them in an ice water bath for 30 seconds to cool. Remove them from the water bath and peel the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half, then scoop out the seeds and discard. Chop the tomatoes.
Step 2: In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.
Excerpted from Persian Feats © 2024 by Leila Heller. Reproduced by permission of Phaidon. All rights reserved.
Justin Tsucalas is an award-winning photographer and owner of Plaid Photo, a Baltimore, Maryland-based studio.
Creative director and set designer Giulietta Pinna specializes in visual content creation for commercial and editorial food, interior, lifestyle, product and still life projects.
Recipe tested by Ivy Manning
