History

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.

Common allergens: Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Easy

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.

Tip from the editors. 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.

Where to eat shopska salad

Shopska salad in Plovdiv

Stariyat Plovdiv ★ 4.3

Eastern European$$kapanaMon-Sun 10:30-00:00Until 00:00

Stariyat Plovdiv runs the charcoal grill until midnight. Kebapche, kyufte, shopska on the rooftop or in the courtyard; late-table Bulgarian classics.

Try: Charcoal kebapche and Bulgarian salads

ul. Frederic Joliot-Curie 6A, 4000 Plovdiv

Pavaj ★ 4.6

BrunchModern Bulgarian late brunch$$25-45 BGNkapanaTue-Sun 12:00-23:00, closed MondayRecommended

Pavaj opens at noon as Kapana's late-brunch stop. Farm-driven Bulgarian small plates with house bread; weekend afternoons settle into long tables and Mavrud.

Order: Farm vegetable plate with Mavrud glass

ul. Zlatarska 7, 4000 Plovdiv

Aylyakria ★ 4.4

BrunchModern Bulgarian and gluten-free brunch$$20-35 BGNkapanaMon-Sun 11:00-23:00Recommended

Aylyakria runs an early-Kapana brunch in a Revival-era room. Banitsa, shopska, mish-mash and gluten-free options listed, alongside Bulgarian wines.

Order: Banitsa with sirene, shopska salad, glass of Bulgarian wine

ul. Kozhuharska 3, 4000 Plovdiv

Restaurant Alafrangite ★ 4.3

Traditional Bulgarian$$old-townMon-Sun 11:00-23:00

Restaurant Alafrangite occupies an 18th-century Revival house with a courtyard garden in Old Plovdiv. Bulgarian salads and meat dishes anchor the long menu.

Signature: Sarmi, Bulgarian salads

ul. Kiril Nektariev 13, 4000 Plovdiv

More cities are in research. Want shopska salad covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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