Gavurdağı Salatası Recipe

Gavurdağı Salatası is a vibrant Turkish walnut and tomato salad served as a refreshing side dish. This zesty mezze combines finely chopped cucumbers and peppers with crunchy walnuts and tangy pomegranate molasses.

If you need a solid side dish that cuts through grilled meats, this is the one. The whole thing comes down to the dice. If your vegetables are too chunky, the dressing won’t coat everything, and you’ll end up with a bowl of dry veg instead of a cohesive salad.

The walnuts are doing more work than you’d think. Without them, you just have a standard chopped salad, but the oils from the nuts give it a needed richness. I’ve tried a few versions of this dish and this one is the one I keep going back to because the ratio of crunch to acidity is spot on.

Gavurdağı Salatası Ingredients

• 2 firm tomatoes
• 2 mild green chillies
• 2 medium cucumbers
• 1 large red onion
• 15g (1/2oz) fresh coriander
• 50g (2oz) walnut halves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground sumac
• 4 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

How To Make Gavurdağı Salatası

1. Prepare the vegetables: Dice the tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion into tiny cubes about 5mm (1/4 inch) in size. Remove the seeds from the green chillies before chopping them to the same small scale.
2. Chop the herbs and nuts: Finely chop the coriander leaves and use a knife to roughly crush the walnuts into small, irregular pieces. Do not use a food processor for the walnuts as they will turn into a paste.
3. Mix the dressing: Whisk the sumac, salt, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small jug until the liquid is dark and glossy. Taste a tiny drop to make sure the balance of salt and acid is sharp enough for your liking.
4. Combine the salad: Place all the diced vegetables, coriander, and crushed walnuts into a large glass bowl. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and stir gently with a large spoon until every piece is coated.
5. Let it rest: Leave the salad to sit on the side for 10 minutes before you serve it. This short wait allows the salt to draw the juice out of the tomatoes to create the signature sauce at the bottom.

Recipe Tips

Use a sharp knife. A dull blade squashes the tomatoes and bruises the coriander rather than cutting them cleanly. Sharp tools are essential for achieving the tiny, clean dice required for an authentic look.

Toast the walnuts. Briefly heating the walnut pieces in a dry pan for two minutes before adding them to the salad makes the flavour much deeper. Make sure they are completely cold before mixing them in so they don’t soften the vegetables.

Drying the cucumbers. Pat the diced cucumbers with kitchen roll before adding them to the bowl. This prevents excess water from thinning out the pomegranate dressing too quickly.

Balance the sweetness. Different brands of pomegranate molasses vary in thickness and sugar content. Start with three tablespoons and add the fourth only after tasting the finished mix.

Chop the onion first. Let the diced red onion sit in the lemon juice and salt for five minutes before adding everything else. This trick removes the harsh raw bite of the onion and makes the salad more pleasant to eat.

Serve it immediately. While a ten-minute rest is good, do not make this salad hours in advance. The salt will eventually make the cucumbers go soft and the walnuts will lose their crunch.

What To Serve With Gavurdağı Salatası

This salad is the classic partner for spicy lamb koftas or grilled chicken shish skewers. The acidity in the dressing works as a palate cleanser between bites of rich, charred meat.

You can also serve a large scoop alongside some warm flatbread and a bit of hummus for a light lunch. It works well as a side for a piece of grilled salmon or a simple jacket potato.

How To Store Gavurdağı Salatası

Fridge

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Be aware that the vegetables will release more water over time, so the salad will be much juicier on the second day.

Reheat

This is a cold salad and must not be heated. If it has been in the fridge, take it out 15 minutes before eating to let the olive oil soften.

Freeze

Do not freeze this dish. The high water content in the tomatoes and cucumbers means they will turn to mush once thawed, and the dressing will separate.

Gavurdağı Salatası Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 4): Calories: 310kcal, Protein: 4g, Fat: 26g, Carbohydrates: 18g, Sugar: 12g, Sodium: 580mg. Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

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