Shirazi Salad
Updated May 16, 2026
This Shirazi salad is an easy side dish full of fresh and vibrant flavors. Dressed with olive oil & lime, it pairs well with many dishes!
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Persian Shirazi Salad
I first tried this Persian Shirazi Salad at a Persian restaurant on the side of Grilled Chicken Kabobs and I immediately loved it! It reminded me of Lebanese Fattoush Salad that I grew up eating, but much simpler in ingredients and much smaller in cuts.
In fact, that’s what makes Shirazi Salad so iconic – the fresh finely diced cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and onions tossed in the simplest vinaigrette. It’s known for being simple, fresh and a great side salad to go along with Mediterranean entrees like chicken or Beef Shish Kabobs. To make it easier to chop up everything uniformly, I’ve been relying on my vegetable chopper and it comes out so good!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Shirazi Salad Ingredients
- Cucumbers: It’s a Persian salad, so I opt for Persian cucumbers of course! They are smaller and sweeter than English cucumbers, with thin skin you don’t need to peel and fewer seeds. If you can’t find Persian, use half an English cucumber and make sure to peel it.
- Tomatoes: I like to use Roma tomatoes which are firm and less watery than other varieties. If you have time and you notice the tomatoes have a lot of seeds, remove the seeds before chopping. That way you can make sure the dressing doesn’t taste watery.
- Onion: Use red onions because they are milder than white onion and hold up well in this Shirazi salad without overpowering the other ingredients. If raw red onion is too sharp for you, soak the diced pieces in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain before adding.
- Green pepper: It’s optional to use peppers in a Shirazi Salad, so leave it out if you don’t like peppers or you can try a couple small radishes for a different kind of crunch.
- Fresh herbs: Cilantro and parsley are both traditional. Use one or both depending on what you like. See how to chop cilantro if you need a refresher.
- Dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, dried mint, salt, and pepper. Fresh lime is important here so skip the bottled lime juice. Traditionally, sour grape juice is used instead of lime and is worth trying if you can find it.
How to Make Shirazi Salad
Recipe Video Tutorial
Shirazi Salad
Video
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 Persian cucumbers chopped
- 3 Roma tomatoes chopped, seeded
- ½ red onion chopped
- ¼ green pepper seeded and chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon dried mint optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, mint (if using) salt and pepper until well combined.
- Place the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, green peppers, cilantro and parsley on top of the dressing.
- Toss gently to combine the dressing with the vegetables and herbs. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add chickpeas. Fold in half a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas to make the salad more filling while keeping it vegan.
- Add sumac. A pinch of sumac over the finished salad adds an extra layer of tartness that’s common in Middle Eastern cooking and works really well here.
- Make it a grain salad. Toss everything with cooked couscous or quinoa for a more substantial side or light lunch.
- Lighten the dressing. Reduce the olive oil to 1 tablespoon and add 1 tablespoon of water for a much lighter dressing that still coats the vegetables well.
Recipe Tips
- Seed the tomatoes before chopping. Roma tomatoes hold a lot of liquid in their core. Removing the seeds before dicing keeps the salad from getting watery as it sits.
- Chop everything to the same size. Uniform, small pieces are what give Shirazi salad its characteristic look and make sure every bite has a balanced mix of ingredients.
- Dress and serve immediately. This salad is at its best right after tossing, the vegetables are crisp and the dressing is bright. The longer it sits, the more liquid the vegetables release.
- Taste and adjust before serving. The right balance of lime and salt depends on the size and ripeness of your vegetables. Always taste at the end and adjust as needed.
Serving Ideas
- Rice and stews: Traditionally served alongside Lebanese Rice Pilaf or Lebanese Bean Stew.
- Chicken:Oven Baked Chicken Breast, Shish Tawook, Yogurt Marinated Chicken
- Beef:Beef Shawarma, Cast Iron Skillet Steak
FAQs
The salad is named for the city in Southwestern Iran, also called salad-e Shirazi. Very similar to a classic Greek salad or a simpler Fattoush salad. The texture, flavor and simplicity are what make it so appealing and it’s often served with Persian meals alongside rice and stews.
Comments
I’ve had what appears to be Shirazi salad with green olives at a local Mediterranean store that also sells premade foods. Love that salad! The olives are not too pungent. Any recommendations how to add green olives?
Hi Steph, you can definitely add green olives if you’d like! It’s not traditional for Shirazi salad, but they add a nice briny flavor. I’d chop up a small amount so they don’t overpower the fresh herbs and vegetables, and reduce the salt a bit since olives are already salty. If you love olives, you can always add more. Hope that helps!
Fabulous and healthy!
Thank you, Angie!
How about adding some couscous or quinoa?
Sounds delicious! Let me know how it turns out!!
The salad looks and sounds so good. But I have a little problem. We don’t like mint and green pepper. What you you suggest as substitutions? Thanks
I would leave them out—the green peppers are optional and the other herbs will still give great flavor without the mint. Enjoy!!
I made this today. Unfortunately, dried mint is not available in northern NJ in December. I had to use just parsley.
Oh no! So sorry you weren’t able to find mint this time of year. I hope the parsley was a tasty replacement!!
Great Iranian salad 👍🏻😊
Loved this! Will be making it again..it was a great compliment to my little Persian feast
Yay, so happy to hear!
Delicious! I love the addition of some mint.
Thanks so much, Estela!
We often have this salad at our local Persian restaurant and I love theirs. Instead of 3 tbsp of olive oil, they add two drops of oil and 1 tbsp of water, salt and pepper and sumac. Virtually no calories and so very refreshing. I envy those of you that can eat peppers. I loathe them so there’s no peppers in mine, but I do add radishes if available.
That is such a great alternative for those looking for a lighter version of this salad. Radishes are a great idea!
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