Moroccan · Salad
Moroccan Tomato Salad (Shlada Matecha)
Shlada is the finely diced fresh salad that sits on nearly every Moroccan lunch table — ripe tomatoes and onion cut small, tossed with green pepper, cumin, olive oil, lemon and coriander. Cool, sharp and simple, it refreshes the palate against grilled meats, fried fish and couscous, and is scooped up with bread like everything else.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 5 ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
- 1 small red onion, very finely chopped
- 1 green pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 small bunch coriander and parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper; a pinch of paprika (optional)
Method
- 1
Prepare the vegetables
Deseed the tomatoes and dice them small and even, along with the green pepper. Chop the onion very finely — the pieces should be small enough to eat in a scoop of bread.
- 2
Soften the onion
If the raw onion is sharp, rinse it briefly in cold water or toss with a little of the lemon juice and salt first to mellow it.
- 3
Dress
Combine the vegetables in a bowl with the cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper and toss gently.
- 4
Rest and serve
Let it sit 10 minutes for the flavours to meld, then taste and adjust the lemon and salt. Serve cold as a fresh side, with bread.
Chef's tips
- Dice everything small and even — shlada is about a fine, uniform texture, not chunky pieces.
- Deseed the tomatoes so the salad stays crisp rather than swimming in juice.
- Dress it close to serving; sitting too long makes the vegetables release water and go soft.
Frequently asked questions
What does shlada mean?
Shlada (or slada) simply means salad in Moroccan Arabic. Shlada matecha is the fresh tomato salad; the word covers the whole family of fresh and cooked Moroccan salads served at the start of a meal.
What is Moroccan tomato salad served with?
It is a cooling counterpoint to rich mains — grilled kefta and merguez, fried fish, roast meats and couscous — and, like most Moroccan dishes, is eaten with bread rather than a fork.