Mechouia salad (slata mechouia) is one of the big stars of the Tunisian table. The name means grilled: peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic are charred over a flame, peeled and chopped, then dressed with olive oil, caraway and coriander. It is served warm or cold, topped with tuna, boiled eggs and olives.
I tasted it at Royal Djerba in Phalsbourg on 11 May 2026, as part of a trio of salads with tuna, and then in Paris at Maison Didon on 13 September 2026. Both times, that smoky, slightly spicy flavour made me want more.
Here is the traditional recipe as it is made in Tunisia, not the one from those restaurants. The secret is to grill the vegetables until the skin is really black: that is where all the flavour comes from.
The story of that day: 🇫🇷 Paris - The Gastronomy Festival at Concorde and a rooftop facing the Eiffel Tower
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
Grilled salad
- 4 long green peppers (about 400 g)
- 1 green chilli (optional)
- 4 tomatoes (about 500 g)
- 1 medium onion (100 g)
- 3 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 1 tsp ground caraway (karouia)
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Topping
- 1 can of tuna in oil (140 g drained)
- 2 eggs
- 12 black olives
- 1 tbsp capers
Method
- Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, then cool them in cold water and peel them.
- Grill the peppers, chilli, tomatoes, whole onion and garlic cloves over a gas flame, on a barbecue or under the oven grill at 250 °C. Turn them regularly until the skin is blackened all over: about 10 minutes for the garlic and tomatoes, 15 to 20 minutes for the peppers and onion.
- Put the peppers and chilli in a bowl covered with a plate for 10 minutes: the steam loosens the skin. Let the other vegetables cool slightly.
- Peel all the vegetables. Remove the seeds from the peppers, chilli and tomatoes, take off the burnt outer layers of the onion and squeeze the garlic out of its skin.
- Finely chop everything with a knife on a board, until you get a soft salad texture but not a purée.
- Put the mixture in a bowl and add the caraway, coriander, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Stir and leave to rest for 15 minutes so the flavours come together.
- Spread the mechouia on a serving plate and top with flaked tuna, quartered boiled eggs, olives and capers. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve with bread.
Tips and variations
- For a stronger smoky taste, grill the vegetables over a charcoal barbecue.
- Do not blend the vegetables: mechouia should keep some texture.
- It keeps for 3 days in a closed container in the fridge, without the topping. It is even better the next day.
- Adjust the heat with more or less chilli, or a touch of harissa.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.