Salad Anar-o Khiar – Pomegranate and cucumber salad

Who doesn’t love a good salad? Particularly a sparkling one with crisp, bright colors and flavors, that celebrates the much-loved pomegranate. Pomegranates are native to the Middle East and quite significant in Persian cuisine. In Iran, pomegranates are served just as they are, or juiced, or cooked down to create pomegranate syrups and pastes. They…

Salad Shirazi – Cucumber and tomato salad with dried mint dressing

There is something extraordinarily special about this salad, which has great significance in Persian cuisine. The bright and refreshing flavors of tomato and cucumber are enhanced by a dressing of dried mint and unripe sour grape juice (Ab Ghooreh in Farsi). Its simplicity makes it relatively easy as a perfect companion to just about any…

Salad Olivieh – Chicken and potato salad

Salad Olivieh is a chicken and potato salad that has won most if not every Iranian’s heart! To mention Salad Olivieh to an Iranian is to watch an excited smiling face staring back at you and to hear tales of where and how they used to eat this salad. Most of us would have it…