Gavurdağı Salatası, Turkish Walnut and Pomegranate Salad
Gavurdağı salatası takes its name from the Gavur Dağı mountains near Gaziantep, in Turkey's southeast, a region famous for pomegranates and walnuts. It looks like a cousin of the chopped shepherd's salad but eats completely differently, because two ingredients change its character: coarse walnuts fold richness through every bite, and pomegranate molasses turns the dressing dark, tart, and faintly sweet. Most recipes still pour in olive oil, but the walnuts already carry the fat a salad like this needs, so it comes out here without any. The double acid of pomegranate molasses and sumac does the seasoning that salt usually would. Cut everything small, drain the tomato, and dress it at the last minute so the walnuts stay crisp. Serve it cold, as a meze or alongside grains and beans.
Ingredients
- 3 wholes Fresh tomatoes, about 1 lb (450 g), seeded and diced small
- 1 whole Bell peppers, green, diced small
- 1/2 whole Red onions, diced small
- 1/3 cup Walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 3 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses
- 1 tsp Sumac
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper, salt-free
Method
- Dice the tomatoes, pepper, and onion into pieces no bigger than a walnut piece. Matching the vegetable dice to the walnut is the point of this salad, so every forkful carries all of it at once.
- Seed the tomatoes before dicing and let the diced flesh sit in a colander for a few minutes. Draining the jelly keeps the salad from flooding, which matters more here than usual because there is no oil to hold the dressing together.
- Soak the diced onion in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain it well. The soak rinses off the harsh sulfur bite so the raw onion reads sweet and sharp instead of aggressive.
- Toast the walnuts until fragrant, chop them coarse, and toss them with the drained vegetables and parsley. The walnuts do double duty, adding the richness that oil normally would and the crunch that defines the dish.
- Just before serving, dress with the pomegranate molasses, sumac, and Aleppo pepper and toss. The molasses and sumac layer two kinds of sourness, tart and tangy, which is what lets the salad skip salt entirely. Use salt-free Aleppo pepper, since the flakes are often sold pre-salted.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 130 calories, 4 g protein, 3 g fiber, 15 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
