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Persian Tomato and Cucumber Salad (Shirazi Salad)
Ripe summer tomatoes shine in this simple salad inspired by a recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij’s book “Cooking in Iran.” To make the dish out of season, try Campari tomatoes (sometimes called cocktail tomatoes), which have a better texture than other varieties in the off seasons. English cucumbers have fewer seeds and thinner skins than the typical garden variety. Even better are smaller Persian cucumbers. If you find them, you'll need 12 ounces. And simply slice them into ½-inch rounds; no need for seeding. The dressing is bracingly fresh and sharp; if you prefer a mellower, slightly richer salad, drizzle in the optional olive oil just before serving.
4
Servings
Don’t bypass the step of salting the cucumber and tomatoes. They will release about ½ cup of liquid, moisture that otherwise would make the salad watery and dilute.
30 minutes
(15 minutes active)
Ingredients
-
1
English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, then cut into ½-inch pieces
-
1½
pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
Directions
-
01In a large colander, combine the cucumber and tomatoes, then set in the sink. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and gently toss to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes, tossing once or twice to encourage the liquid to drain.
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This is now a staple, make it 2-3 times a month. Only change was to use cherry tomatoes, in fact made it tonight to accompany the Portuguese pork and clams