Xanthan Gum Free Turkish Shepherd's Salad
This bright, crunchy salad is a staple of Turkish home cooking, and once you taste it, you'll understand why it shows up on tables at nearly every meal. Juicy ripe tomatoes, cool cucumber, crisp green bell pepper, and sharp red onion come together in a bowl that somehow feels both refreshing and deeply satisfying. A generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice does all the heavy lifting in the dressing — no emulsifiers, no stabilizers, no thickeners of any kind. That makes this an effortless win for anyone avoiding xanthan gum, since the whole dish is built entirely from whole vegetables, fresh herbs, and pantry staples that are naturally free of additives. The sumac is the secret weapon here, lending a subtle tartness that layers beautifully with the lemon and makes the flavors pop. A handful of fresh mint folded in at the end adds an optional but genuinely lovely lift. Serve it immediately to keep everything crisp, and don't be surprised when people start asking for the recipe.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 persian cucumbers (or 1 english cucumber), cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp sumac
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the diced tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, and parsley in a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over the vegetables, then sprinkle with the sumac, salt, and black pepper.
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