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Octopus Salad 🐙❤️ File this under one of my absolute favorites and it works great with shrimp too! I feel like octopus gets a bad rap about being hard to get right and although it can be tricky, once you get the hang of it it’s quite easy. This salad was very popular at a restaurant I used to work at, well, a version of it anyway. I have since turned this recipe my own!
If you love recipes like this one, you have to try my Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas!
Why You’ll Love Octopus Salad
This Octopus Salad is EPIC! I love the flavors and textures of it obviously but my favorite part is making a big batch ahead of time and letting the flavors develop. It’s fresh, citrusy and so delicious!
How To Prepare Octopus Salad
🍅 First, place the tomatoes atop a strainer with some salt and the bonito flakes. Then, let them sit for 15-20 minutes to release the tomato water which will be used in our vinaigrette.
🍋 Secondly, mix the tomato water, sumac, shallot, lemon, red wine vinegar, dijon, honey and mix well.
🐙 Lastly, add in the octopus, tomatoes, celery, potato, capers and herbs to the dressing bowl. Then, add in olive oil and mix.
Substitutions and Variations
- I know it can be a little time consuming to cook octopus, so if you don’t want to go through the process, you can use squid or even shrimp!
Chef Nadia’s Tip
Use a pot large enough to cover the octopus completely (I use the stock pot by All Clad). Also, serving with tostadas is great.
Similar Recipes
Common Questions
I know that it can be time consuming to cook the octopus, so you can use squid or shrimp.
I use Sumac by Z&Z that I get on Amazon. I also buy whichever they have at my local mediterranean market.
Octopus Salad
Ingredients
- 6 oz Octopus, cooked and sliced (6 to 8 oz work as well)
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 stalks Celery, very thinly sliced at an angle
- 1 Yukon gold potato, small cubes and cooked
- 1 tbsp Bonito flakes, optional
- 1/2 bunch Parsley, flat leaf
- 3 tbsp Cilantro
- 2 Scallions, green part only
- 1/2 large Shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Capers
- 1 tsp Sumac, optional but recommend
- 1/2 Lemon juice, fresh
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup Olive oil, more for drizzling
- 1/2 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp Dijon, grainy
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, place the tomatoes atop a strainer with some salt and the bonito flakes. Then, let them sit for 15-20 minutes to release the tomato water which will be used in our vinaigrette.
- Secondly, mix the tomato water, sumac, shallot, lemon, red wine vinegar, dijon, honey and mix well.
- Lastly, add in the octopus, tomatoes, celery, potato, capers and herbs to the dressing bowl. Then, add in olive oil and mix.
Cooking The Octopus
- Add the whole octopus to a pot large enough to cover it completely and add water, plenty of salt, 1 onion, 1 celery stalk and 3 garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and simmer until you can stick a knife to the tentacles without any resistance. It will be about 1-1.5 hours depending on the size. Let it remain in the water as it cools. At this point you can cut off the tentacles and discard the beak. Refrigerate overnight wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container, or at least 4 hours, this yields a way better result because it sets the skin.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
