Shopska Salad With Balkan Cheese

Shopska salad lives and dies by the tomatoes, so cut them into bite-sized pieces and put them in a large bowl. Add any juice released on the board, it makes the salad juicier and fuller in flavor. Reach for ripe, fragrant tomatoes, they make the summer salad stand out.

Peel the cucumber to taste and slice it into thin half-moons. Core the bell pepper and cut it into strips. Add both to the tomatoes and toss gently.

Slice the red onion into thin rings or half-moons. For a milder taste, rinse it briefly in cold water and pat it dry.

Season the vegetables lightly with salt, drizzle with olive oil and wine vinegar, then toss carefully. Let it rest for 5 minutes so the flavors blend and the vegetables release a little juice.

Grate the Balkan cheese coarsely and pile it over the whole salad. Do not mix it in, in the Balkans it sits on top like a blanket of snow. Serve right away, ideally with fresh bread.