Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Šopský salát (Shopskee Salad)




I love salads that have twenty different veggies, nuts, seeds and fruits. However, my absolute favorite salad is still the one I used to love as a kid. Šopský salad is very simple, flavorful, refreshing salad that reminds me of spring and summer in Czech Republic. It is a bit labor consuming (lots of dicing) and it is not originally vegan because the topping is crumbled feta cheese (Balkan cheese). 
You can get this salad at most Czech restaurants. It is originally a Bulgarian salad but it has been very popular in Czech Republic for decades. I veganized mine by using Almond feta cheese instead of dairy feta cheese. I added more salt to make it more authentic. It was almost as good as I remembered from Europe.  I like to serve mine in a glass bowl for a better visual effect. The vinegar should be a white vinegar but since white vinegar is not very healthy, you can use apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar or red wine vinegar. Don't use balsamic though. 




Šopský salát (Shopskee Salad)


2 large cucumbers, peeled
1 red bell pepper, top cut off and seeds removed
1 green bell pepper, top cut off and seeds removed
4-5 large tomatoes
1/2 onion (white or yellow), peeled
1 Tbs olive oil (or more to taste)
1 Tbs vinegar (or more to taste) 
salt to taste
vegan feta cheese topping of your choice (as much as you like)


Finely dice all vegetables and place them into a large bowl. Don't drain the vegetables since the juices will make a great addition to the dressing. Pour vinegar and olive oil over vegetables and stir until well combined. Season with salt to taste. You can add more vinegar or olive oil until you reach desired taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour before serving. 
Serve in bowls topped with crumbled vegan feta cheese. 


If you add some cooked Israeli couscous you will have a tasty, light and refreshing dinner. 

2 comments:

  1. Hello, I am also a Czech vegan living in the US and am so happy I found your blog. I look forward to trying some of your veganized Czech recipes. Did you know happy herbivore has a great recipe for vegan feta? Very easy to make too.

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    1. Thank you for visiting my blog! I like your blog! I have not tried HH's feta cheese yet but if it is the one made out of tofu I would not use it in this recipe. Tofu feta cheese tends to be mushy and moist, unlike the original feta which is more crumbly and firm. The almond feta tastes almost like the feta that I remember from Czech Republic and it is nice and crumbly without being too mushy. You can try the HH's feta cheese in this recipe and let me know what you think.

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