This Turkish salad from Gaziantep combines small cubes of ripe tomato and cucumber with crunchy walnuts. Pomegranate molasses, lemon and sumac turn the tomato juices into a fresh, fruity dressing.
Gavurdağı salad is associated with Gaziantep, in southeastern Turkey. The combination of ripe tomato, cucumber, red onion and walnut is simple, but the size of the dice makes a difference: small pieces blend well with the dressing, giving you both vegetables and nuts in every bite. Pomegranate molasses adds a concentrated sweet-and-sour note; lemon and sumac keep it fresh. So the salad should be more than just crunchy: the juices at the bottom of the bowl are an important part of the dish.
Use tomatoes that are ripe but still firm enough to cut neatly. In summer, flavourful tomatoes are often easier to find; out of season, you can use firm vine tomatoes and let them come to room temperature first. Very watery tomatoes will make the bowl wet more quickly. If they contain an unusually large amount of liquid, you can remove some of the seed pockets, but don’t discard the flesh. Dice the cucumber and onion about the same size as the tomato, so no one ingredient overpowers the others.
The walnuts are chopped finely, not ground to a crumb. This gives the salad a distinct bite while still allowing them to soak up some of the tart, sweet tomato juices. Pomegranate molasses varies in thickness and sweetness by brand; start with the stated amount and taste before adding more. If you don’t have sumac, use a little more lemon zest or juice for a similar fresh note, though the flavour won’t be exactly the same. Regular syrup is not a great substitute for pomegranate molasses: it lacks the tart depth.
Serve the salad shortly after mixing, while the vegetables are still firm and the walnuts crunchy. It goes well with grilled meat, but also with flatbread and other mezze. Put the bowl on the table with a spoon so the seasoned juices make it onto the plate too. Cover leftovers and store them in the fridge, and preferably eat them within a day; the salad will still be good, but the vegetables will soften and release more liquid. So, if you’re preparing ahead, mix the chopped ingredients and dressing just before serving.
Cut the tomatoes and cucumber into small cubes, about ½ cm. Finely chop the red onion. Coarsely chop the walnuts and chop the parsley.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, sumac, salt and a few turns of black pepper.
Add the tomato, cucumber, red onion, walnuts and parsley. Toss gently so the dressing combines with the vegetable juices.
Taste and add a little extra lemon juice or pomegranate molasses if you like. Serve immediately.
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