Serving shanklish: letting aged cheese lead the salad
Shanklish has an assertive character that can vary from one product to another.
Taste before adding other strong flavors
Shanklish has an assertive character that can vary from one product to another. Begin with a small taste and read the label for the cheese and its coating. A strongly seasoned piece may need very little additional spice. The aim of a salad or small plate is to frame the cheese, not hide it beneath several competing seasonings.
Crumble rather than pulverize
Break the cheese into pieces that remain visible among chopped vegetables. If you mash it completely with tomatoes and oil, the bowl becomes a spread with a different texture. Neither approach is automatically wrong, but decide which result you want. A few larger crumbs give each bite variation and make it easier to adjust the amount on bread.
Related reading: Cucumber and string cheese salad: making long strands easy to eat.
Prepare the vegetables cleanly
Cut tomatoes and onion finely enough to sit beside the cheese without overwhelming it. Drain excessive tomato liquid and rinse or mellow strong onion according to your chosen recipe. Add olive oil gradually while tossing. The salad should be moist enough to scoop but should not require guests to fish cheese out of a deep pool.
Use a small serving as an accent
Offer shanklish alongside plain bread and fresh vegetables so guests can choose the intensity of each bite. Keep the original packaging available for ingredient questions. The external article discusses shanklish preparation and serving; buying a prepared cheese is a separate choice from attempting to make an aged cheese at home. These notes are for serving a commercially prepared product.
COOK IT AT HOME
Shanklish, Tomato and Onion Salad
Shanklish is an aged cheese with an assertive flavor, so it works best as the seasoning focus of a salad rather than a huge portion on its own. Tomato, onion, parsley, and olive oil carry the crumbled cheese through each bite. This recipe uses commercially prepared shanklish and does not attempt home fermentation. Serve the salad shortly after mixing so the vegetables stay fresh and the cheese remains pleasantly distinct.
- Makes
- 4 side servings
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Cook
- 0 minutes
- Additional time
- Optional onion soak: 5 minutes
A home-kitchen recipe to accompany this guide. Ingredient brands and equipment can change cooking times; use the texture and doneness cues below.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces/115 g commercially prepared shanklish
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 small pita breads, cut into wedges
Step-by-step method
- Keep the cheese refrigerated while preparing the vegetables. Dice tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and drain loose juice in a sieve. Dice the onion finely so it does not overwhelm a mouthful.
- For a milder onion flavor, soak the diced onion in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and blot dry. Place tomatoes, onion, and parsley in a serving bowl.
- Crumble the shanklish over the vegetables in small pieces. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper. Fold gently with two spoons just until the cheese is distributed.
- Taste a complete bite before adding any extra seasoning. Shanklish can be salty and tangy enough to season the salad without additional salt.
- Serve with pita wedges immediately. Keep the salad in a shallow bowl so diners can scoop vegetables and cheese together instead of taking only the top layer.
Helpful tips & substitutions
- Choose pasteurized, commercially prepared cheese and follow the package’s use-by and storage directions. This recipe is not a guide to making or aging cheese at home.
- If shanklish is unavailable, feta gives a milder alternative, but label the result as a feta salad rather than suggesting the flavor is identical.
Storage & make-ahead
Refrigerate at 40°F or below within 2 hours and use assembled salad within 24 hours. Store remaining cheese according to its label. Do not leave the bowl on a warm buffet for an extended period.
How to serve it
Pair with a simple omelet, warm flatbread, or a larger mezze meal. Keep other salty sides modest so the aged cheese remains the main flavor.
Ingredients to explore at the market
Shop selected ingredients for this article and recipe. Check the form, quantity and package label against the recipe above; availability varies by store.
- shanklish — King Cheese Shanklish Robust Flavor .8oz
- olive oil — Al Dayaa Extra Virgin Olive Oil 750ml
- pita bread — Jumbo White Pita Bread Mediterranean 6 Pc
- zaatar — Adonis Spices Zaatar Mix Traditional Lebanes Blue Can 1lb
Recipe & further reading
Explore this independent food blog for another approach and its full recipe or guide: Shanklish: Preparation and Serving — Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine