Bulgarian Shopska Salad

The Shopska salad is a very popular dish in Bulgaria, I made this with the Bulgarian Bean Soup as a part of the Culinary Journey around the globe, in the Blogging Marathon # 44

While I was searching for this recipe, I learnt that this is a hot favorite amongst the tourists and that it tastes best with Rakia, the local spirit.This salad is the invention of the Shopps’ and this name is derived from the region called Shopluk. Long time ago, this was one of the few recipes that survived the early socialism and were made to impress the foreigners who visited the country!

Traditionally, White brine cheese is used. I could neither find that[obviously!] nor find its replacement – feta cheese. So used the regular cheese. I am sure there will be loads of difference in taste, yet, I wanted to try this version..

I used:

Tomatoes- 2, chopped
Capsicum-1/2, chopped
Cucumber- 1, small, chopped
Spring onion leaves- chopped from 2 stalks
Green chilies- 1, chopped
Grated cheese for topping

For the dressing

Olive oil- 2 teaspoons
Vinegar- 1 teaspoon
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing. Take the diced veggies in a bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss to mix.Just before serving sprinkle the cheese and serve.