Српска Салата / Srpska Salata (Serbian Salad)

Serbian Fast With Oil Published April 10, 2026

Serbian salad is not a composed, artistic arrangement. It is a rough chop of whatever ripe vegetables are at hand — tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers — dressed with oil, vinegar, and nothing else. No lettuce, no herbs, no fuss. The vegetables must be good, ripe, and seasonal, because there is nowhere to hide.

This salad appears at every Serbian meal, fasting or not. It is the universal accompaniment, the constant presence on the table alongside bread, beans, and whatever else is being served. During fasting, it provides freshness and crunch alongside the heavier bean and grain dishes.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil (for strict days, simply omit the oil and use only vinegar or lemon juice)
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks or thick slices
- 2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced into half-moons
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced or chopped
- 2 green or red bell peppers (or one of each), sliced into rings or strips
- 1-2 hot peppers (feferoni), thinly sliced (optional)
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Cut the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and peppers into rough, generous pieces. There is no correct shape — just make sure everything is large enough to pick up with a fork.

2. Combine everything in a wide, shallow bowl or plate.

3. Season with salt, drizzle with oil and vinegar. Do not toss aggressively — a gentle mix with your hands is enough. The tomato juices will mingle with the oil and vinegar to form a natural dressing at the bottom of the bowl.

4. Serve immediately. This salad does not wait. Mop up the juices with bread.

NOTES

- This salad lives and dies by the quality of the tomatoes. Out-of-season supermarket tomatoes will produce a mediocre result. Wait for summer, or use the best you can find.
- White onion is traditional. Red onion is acceptable. Spring onion is not srpska salata.
- Some Serbians add a crumble of feta cheese on top — obviously not during fasting, but it tells you about the salad's normal life.
- In the Balkans, the bread-dipped-in-salad-juice course is as important as the salad itself.
- No dried herbs, no balsamic vinegar, no olive oil infusions. Simplicity is the whole point.