Iranian herb and feta salad recipe

Iranian herb and feta salad

Here's a starter that's as simple as it gets – bunches of all the first spring herbs, a heap of feta and piles of warm pitta. It's a brilliant way to start a huge feast at Easter.

serves 10-12 as a starter

  • 250g feta cheese
  • a few chilli flakes
  • 30g flat-leaf parsley
  • 30g mint
  • 30g fresh chives
  • 30g tarragon
  • 30g coriander
  • 30g watercress
  • 2-3 heads of chicory, leaves separated
  • 200g black olives

to serve

  • 20 warm pitta breads, halved and split open
  • bottle or jug of fruity extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 lemons, cut into wedges

Crumble the feta and place in a heap on a large serving plate. Scatter over a few chilli flakes.

Arrange the bunches of herbs, the watercress and chicory leaves around the feta and pile the olives on the side.

With a basket of warm pitta and the olive oil and lemon wedges alongside, each person takes a pitta pocket and stuffs in a mix of herbs and leaves, a spoonful of cheese and a couple of olives, then drizzles it with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

This recipe features on p.31 of Sarah's Food for Friends and Family cookbook