Herbs are not a garnish but rather a major ingredient in this light salad. Add parsley, mint, and dill to your salad bowl (oregano and thyme work well too), either finely chopped or coarsely chopped with scissors. The vivid and fragrant herbs give colour and a strong scent, but their leaves also contain antioxidants and a host of other health advantages.

Avoid becoming caught down in learning which herbs are good for what. Just make it a point to routinely eat a variety of fresh herbs to your body by making salads like this one. While the component combinations in each recipe for Turkish shepherd’s salad vary slightly, they all aim for a crisp, vibrant flavour. Tonnes of fresh herbs, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, and red onion are combined in this salad along with creamy feta and a zesty dressing made of pomegranate molasses and olive oil.

4 to 6 servings

Two and a half hours in the kitchen

Components

16 ounces (450 g) of halved cherry tomatoes

One bell pepper, cut finely

One large or two tiny cucumbers, diced

½ little red onion, sliced thinly

One cup (240 ml) of chopped or snipped parsley leaves

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped or clipped mint leaves

15 ml of finely chopped dill, one tbsp

One tablespoon (15 ml) of pomegranate molasses

½ teaspoon (or 2.5 ml) of lemon juice

One garlic clove, cut finely

60 ml or ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

1.2 cc or ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt

three black pepper mill grinds

1/2 cup of feta crumbles (2 ounces/56 g)

Guidelines

Gently mix tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, parsley, mint, and dill in a big bowl.

Pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and salt should all be combined in a small basin.

After adding the dressing, mix the salad lightly. Add some feta to the salad.