Gavurdagi salad is a delicious Turkish salad with tomatoes, onions, parsley, cucumber, walnuts and a special pomegranate malasses dressing.
This gavurdagi salad is one of my favourites from Turkey but you could serve it with other cuisines as well. It’s delicious and really easy to prepare too.
About this gavurdagi salad recipe.
You might notice that gavurdagi salad is very similar to other Mediterranean salads. The key ingredients and the one that sets it apart from others is the pomegranate malasses in the dressing.
Pomegranate molasses is available at specialty grocers and also online. It has a sweet and sour flavour. If you can’t get it, you can substitute balsamic vinegar or even lemon juice. Do try to get some though as it does have a different flavour that is really good in this salad.
Gavurdagi salad has an amazing mix of flavours and textures. From the mildly sweet and sour dressing the crisp cucumber, onions and tomatoes to the crunch of the walnuts. This is one you need to try soon.
Can you make pomegranate molasses?
Yes, if you live somewhere where you can purchase fresh pomegranate juice. I make it myself and it’s really easy but a bit time consuming. To make it, pour a litre of fresh pomegranate juice in a pan and simmer it down over a medium heat until it reduces by about 75% and is syrupy. Then just allow it to cool and store in the fridge for up to a week.
What is sumac?
Sumac is used in a lot of Turkish recipes including this gavurdagi salad. It is a tangy, deep red spice commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. It comes from dried and ground berries of the Rhus coriaria. Sumac has a tart, lemony flavour that adds brightness to dishes without the acidity of lemon juice or vinegar.
Making the dressing.
When whisking the dressing ingredients together, start by whisking the olive oil with about 2 tbsp of pomegranate molasses. Taste it. If you like it, leave it as it is. If you prefer a tarter flavour, add another tablespoon of pomegranate molasses. Then season with the sumac and salt and pepper to taste.
If you find that you have added too much pomegranate molasses for your taste preference, just whisk in a little more oil.
How long does it take to make gavurdagi salad?
You can whip this salad up in minutes. Finely chop the vegetables as you like and mix with the dressing ingredients. Done! Gavurdagi salad is best served cold so if time permits, place the salad in your fridge for 30 minutes to chill before serving.
How long can you store gavurdagi salad in the fridge?
You can store gavurdagi salad in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 day. It is best to chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving. The fresh vegetables will be at their crispiest then.
If you store the salad for a day or two, the vegetables will be less crispy and will pickle some in the dressing. So you will get more flavour if you store the salad in the fridge but it will not be as crispy.
What do you serve gavurdagi salad with?
Anything you like really. You will find links popular Turkish recipes that you can serve with it below. That said, there is no reason you couldn’t serve gavurdagi salad with another main dish of choice.
Step by step photographs.
These step by step photographs are really quite self explanatory but I would like you to see how I chop the vegetables and walnuts for the salad.
Get all your ingredients together.
Roughly chop all of your salad ingredients as shown in this photo.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and nuts and mix well.
Enjoy!
Gavurdagi Salad
Gavurdagi salad is a delicious tomato, cucumber, onion, parsely and walnut salad that is delicious served with any Turkish main meal or other Mediterranean dishes.
Ingredients
- 25 baby roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 4 small cucumbers or 1/2 English cucumber, roughly chopped
- 150g (1 cup) walnut halves
- 60g (1 packed cup) flat leaf parsley
- 70ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 tbsp pomegranage molasses
- 1 tsp sumac
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using small baby cucumbers, roughly chop them and set aside. If using an English cucumber, do the same but remove the seeds first.
- Quarter the tomatoes and finely chop the red onion and parsley. Place all this in a salad bowl with the walnuts.
- To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, pomegranate malasses, sumac, salt and pepper together. Try it and adjust to taste.
- Toss it all together and if time permits, place the salad in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 151Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 86mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 4gSugar: 25gProtein: 3g