The Bulgarian national salad: tomato, cucumber, raw or roasted pepper and onion, all crowned with a snowfall of grated sirene cheese. Eaten with rakia and bread.

Codified by the Bulgarian state tourism agency Balkanturist in 1955 as the national salad to promote to foreign visitors, with the colours (red, white, green) matching the Bulgarian flag. Shopska is named for the Shopi people of western Bulgaria; today it is the canonical Bulgarian opening course, eaten with rakia and bread before every shared meal in Plovdiv and across the country.

Where to eat Shopska salad in Plovdiv

4 editor picks for Shopska salad in Plovdiv, ranked by editorial score. All Plovdiv signature dishes · Shopska salad across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 415 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe summer tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced (or roasted red pepper for the winter version)
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 200g Bulgarian sirene cheese, finely grated
  • Handful of parsley, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • Sea salt

Method

  1. Combine diced tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and onion in a wide bowl.
  2. Dress with sunflower oil, vinegar and salt; toss gently.
  3. Spread the vegetables on a serving plate.
  4. Cover the top with a thick, even layer of grated sirene cheese (a snowfall, not a sprinkle).
  5. Scatter parsley over the cheese.
  6. Serve at room temperature with bread and a glass of rakia.

Editor tip. Use the best summer tomatoes you can find; the salad is only as good as the produce. Substitute feta if sirene is unavailable, but rinse it first.

Common allergens: Dairy.