Persian Salad Recipe Goes Global

TEHRAN -- If there ever was a national Iranian salad, it would be the Shirazi salad, writes Leila Heller in her cookbook, Persian Feasts, which comes out in September. 

Whether the salad originates from the city of Shiraz in the southwestern part of Iran is open to question, but its reach is global: you can easily find it at every Persian restaurant across the U.S.
Typically composed of a base of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions dressed in olive oil and lemon juice, Shirazi salad accompanies practically every meal in Iran. Its crunch, freshness, and acidity act as an ideal foil to rich proteins, like kufteh tabrizi simmered in tomato sauce or braised lamb shanks. “It’s so refreshing,” Heller explains, “and, to me, it goes with every type of meal.”
There are numerous versions of the dish — every family has adapted the base recipe to suit their own tastes. Heller’s omits onions (she thinks they overpower the dish) but includes radishes and pomegranate seeds, a nod to her mother’s roots in northwestern Azerbaijan. 
“Although I was born and raised in Tehran, we always got so many pomegranates from my mother’s family in Azerbaijan, which my mom would turn into molasses,” Heller says. A teaspoon of pomegranate molasses gently sweetens the salad, while a garnish of pomegranate seeds makes it look like a platter of gemstones.
According to Heller, the salad has a lot of perks. For starters, it’s incredibly simple to prepare — so whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or simply serving this salad at a small dinner party, it comes together very quickly. 
Heller is also enthusiastic about Shirazi salad’s many health benefits. “In a way, it’s used in our culture as cleansing,” Heller says. “It’s just a healthy salad with an abundance of cucumbers that have a lot of water, and tomatoes which have their own benefits.”
For Heller, a meal is incomplete if Shirazi salad isn’t on the table. “Growing up, my mom would always remind me to finish my salad,” Heller says. “It goes with everything and is so, so delicious that I no longer need the reminder.”