From Shiraz, a city of gardens and poetry. A relatively modern Persian table salad — it postdates the tomato's arrival in Iran in the late-19th-century Qajar era.
Diced cucumber, tomato, and onion in lime juice with dried mint — a Persian version of pico de gallo, eaten at every Iranian table. Cold, crunchy, mint-perfumed.
Shirazi cucumbers have thin skin and minimal seeds, so they hold their shape after dicing; the lime juice's citric acid keeps the cucumber pectin firm. Dried mint (not fresh) is essential — drying mellows the sharp fresh-menthol top notes and concentrates the oil into a warmer, earthier aroma that disperses evenly through the diced vegetables.
Variations
Verjuice is the traditional dressing in the north (Gilan and Mazandaran) and the Azerbaijan region, with lime or lemon as a common seasonal substitute; a Tabrizi version adds sumac, and some versions add pomegranate seeds.
On the Palate
Where Shirazi Salad sits in the Persian flavor cloud
Use dried mint, not fresh — drying mellows the sharp menthol into a warmer, earthier aroma that spreads evenly through the diced vegetables, and it is the single flavor that makes this taste Shirazi.
Ingredients
How it's made
6 steps · 15 min
- 11 min
Finely dice the cucumber, tomato, and red onion.
Watch outAim for an even fine dice, roughly the size of the mint flecks, so nothing dominates a bite.
- 21 min
Combine the vegetables in a bowl.
- 31 min
Squeeze fresh lime juice over the mixture.
- 41 min
Sprinkle with dried mint, salt, and black pepper.
- 51 min
Drizzle olive oil over the salad and toss well.
- 611 min
Let the salad marinate for 15 minutes before serving.
Watch outAfter 15 minutes a little liquid should pool in the bowl and the mint aroma should rise — that is when it is ready.
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