Turkish salads: 12 to know, from çoban salatası to gavurdağı
Turkish salads are sharp, crunchy and packed with herbs, made to cut through grilled meat and rich stews. Here are 12 Turkish salads to know, from the everyday shepherd’s salad to walnut-studded gavurdağı, with recipes and the places in London that make them well.
A Turkish salad is rarely just leaves. Most are finely chopped: tomato, cucumber, pepper and onion, dressed with lemon or pomegranate molasses, olive oil, sumac and plenty of parsley and mint. Many sit on the meze table as starters, and every kebab arrives with one.
Where to eat Turkish salads in London
Everyday Turkish salads
1. Çoban salatası
Shepherd’s salad. Diced tomato, cucumber, green pepper and onion with parsley, lemon and olive oil. The salad that goes with everything. Make it with our çoban salatası recipe.
2. Mevsim salatası
Seasonal salad. Shredded lettuce, rocket, carrot, red cabbage and tomato, whatever is in season, with a lemon and oil dressing.
3. Sumaklı soğan
Onion with sumac. Thinly sliced red onion rubbed with sumac and salt and tossed with parsley. It comes with almost every kebab.
4. Söğüş
Sliced fresh vegetables. Not really a recipe: whole tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers sliced and laid out with salt, for breakfast or alongside a grill.
Meze salads
5. Acılı ezme
Spicy tomato and pepper salad. Finely chopped tomato, pepper, onion and parsley with pepper paste and pomegranate molasses. Hot, sour and essential with Adana kebab. Here is our acılı ezme recipe.
6. Kısır
Spicy bulgur salad. Fine bulgur soaked and kneaded with tomato and pepper paste, herbs, spring onion and pomegranate molasses. Turkey’s answer to tabbouleh, but redder and spicier. See our kısır recipe.
7. Gavurdağı salatası
Walnut and tomato salad. From Gaziantep: finely chopped tomato, onion, pepper and parsley with crushed walnuts, sumac and pomegranate molasses. Nutty, sweet and sour.
8. Patlıcan salatası
Smoky aubergine salad. Aubergines charred over a flame, then chopped with garlic, olive oil and lemon. Try our patlıcan salatası recipe.
9. Piyaz
White bean salad. Cooked white beans with onion, parsley, tomato and a vinegar dressing. The Antalya version adds a tahini sauce. It is the traditional partner for grilled köfte. Make it alongside our ızgara köfte recipe, which includes piyaz.
10. Semizotu salatası
Purslane salad. Juicy purslane leaves with garlic yoghurt, or with tomato and lemon. A summer favourite.
11. Roka salatası
Rocket salad. Peppery rocket with tomato, onion and lemon, sometimes with crumbled white cheese.
12. Patates salatası
Turkish potato salad. Boiled potatoes with spring onion, parsley, dill, olive oil and lemon, no mayonnaise. Often spiced with pul biber.
The flavours that make a Turkish salad
- Pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi): sour and sweet, used like vinegar.
- Sumac: a tart red spice for onions and salads.
- Pul biber: mild chilli flakes.
- Lemon and olive oil: the basic dressing.
- Herbs: lots of flat-leaf parsley, plus mint and dill.
You will find all of these at a Turkish grocer in London. For more small plates, see our guide to Turkish dishes and the full collection of Turkish recipes.
Where to eat Turkish salads in London
Any good Turkish grill brings a salad with the kebab, but these places have meze lists where the salads shine.
Turkish Dish recommends
Browse all meze and fine dining restaurants in London.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common Turkish salad?
Çoban salatası, the shepherd’s salad of tomato, cucumber, pepper and onion. It is served in homes and restaurants all over Turkey.
What is the salad served with kebabs?
Usually sliced onion with sumac and parsley, plus grilled tomatoes and peppers. Many grills also bring a small plate of ezme or çoban salatası.
Are Turkish salads vegan?
Most are: çoban, ezme, kısır, gavurdağı, piyaz and patlıcan salatası are all made without meat or dairy. Check for yoghurt or cheese in semizotu and roka salads.
