Spanish Salad Recipes
Spanish Salad Recipes - Salads are always popular especially during the summer months. Salads range from uncomplicated combinations to the quite elaborate. Why not try some of these tasty Spanish recipes.
Ensalada Mixta - This can be found on almost every Spanish menu and is served as a starter for a family meals. This is a “table salad,” served on a big platter, to be shared amongst the diners round the table. In traditional style, everybody eats from the serving dish, rather than dish out individual servings.
Ingredients
1 head of lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 tomatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
4 small spring onions, including the tender green tops, cut crosswise into ½-inch-long pieces, or 1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 small potatoes, about 1ib boiled, peeled, and cut into small chunks
1 (3-ounce) can tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
12 green or black olives
½ cup Sherry Vinaigrette
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into wedges
6 anchovy fillets in olive oil (optional)
Method
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, spring onions, potatoes, tuna, and olives and mix well.
Drizzle all but about a spoonful of the vinaigrette over the salad and mix gently to cover all the ingredients.
Garnish the salad with the egg wedges and the anchovies, sprinkle the remaining vinaigrette on the eggs, and serve.
Spanish Salad Recipes
Russian Salad Ensaladilla Rusa
You’ll be hard pushed to find a tapas bar in Spain that doesn’t serve this dish. Yes I know it originated in Russia… but the Spanish have adopted it and made it their own. Enjoy! Russian Salad, or in Spanish Ensaladilla Rusa. Find the recipe HERE
Red Onion and Orange Salad
Ingredients
4 ripe medium oranges, peeled
1 small red onion, sliced fine
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons raisins, covered for 20 minutes in hot water, then drained
20 black olives, pitted
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons almonds, blanched and chopped fine
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Springs of fresh mint, to garnish
You can also add grated carrot, canned white asparagus, diced cucumber, strips of green pepper, canned corn, pickled beets, sliced avocado.
Method
Remove the pith from the oranges and cut the fruit crosswise into 1/4 inch slices.
Arrange on a serving platter and scatter over the sliced red onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Spoon this dressing over the onion and oranges.
Sprinkle with the raisins, olives, sunflower seeds, and almonds.
Garnish with mint springs and serve chilled.
Spanish Salad Recipes
Spanish Seafood Salad - Salpicón de Mariscos Spanish Seafood Salad, this easy salpicón de mariscos (seafood salad) is made with a combination of fresh seafood, bell peppers, cucumber, slivers of onion and a lovely lime vinaigrette,
Spanish-Style Grilled Pepper Potato Salad
Grilled sweet bell peppers and lots of fresh garlic make this otherwise typical potato salad extraordinary. Find the Recipe HERE
White Asparagus Salad - Perfect with a Creamy Tomato Dressing, this dish is often served as part of a traditional Christmas eve feast. Find the Recipe HERE
Spanish Goats Cheese Salad - Goat cheese is very popular here in Spain and in this salad its served warm. This is also lovely served with a honey salad dressing, See Below
Ingredients - Serves 4
Selection of Lettuce Leaves
Rocket Leaves
3 Ripe Salad Tomatoes
1 Packet of Round Goats Cheese. Thickly sliced
1 Small Red Onion
A Handful of Walnuts
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Pine nuts for decoration
Method
Slice the Cheese into thick slices.
Using 4 small plates, share the salad leaves equally between them.
Slice the tomatoes and red onion, and place onto the lettuce leaves.
Break the walnuts into smaller pieces and sprinkle over the salad.
Distribute a few rocket leaves onto each plate.
Grill the goats cheese until it is golden or you can lightly fry in olive oil, use a cooking blow torch or cook for about 20 seconds in the microwave.
Lay the goats cheese on each salad plate.
Drizzle with virgin olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Finally sprinkle the pine nuts over.
Ensaladilla Cangrejo, also known as Crab Salad, is a popular Spanish dish made with crabmeat, vegetables, and a creamy dressing. Here's a simple recipe to make this refreshing easy crab salad the perfect appetizer, tapa or light meal!
Ensalada Pipirrana
Another very popular salad especially in the South of Spain
Ingredients
1 long sweet green pepper
1/2 sweet red bell pepper
1 cucumber
2 medium cloves garlic
2 ripe salad tomatoes
1/2 white onion
4 tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or Use Fresh Lemon - Some households in Spain prefer a fresher taste and use juice from a lemon instead of vinegar.
6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
12 pitted black olives, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Rinse peppers and remove stems, seeds and veins. Cut peppers into small square pieces. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel the cucumber and cut into small squares. Cut tomatoes and onion into small cubes.
Mix all ingredients together in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add vinegar and oil mix well. Adjust salt to taste. Place in refrigerator and allow salad to marinate and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
In some areas the tomatoes are peeled and soaked in olive oil and the salad is mashed becoming almost like a soup and used spooned onto fresh crusty bread.
Spanish Salad Recipes
Ensalada de Bacalao - Salt Cod Salad
1 lb frozen salt cod (450 g), thawed
1 large very ripe fresh tomato
half a handful fresh cilantro (Corriandor)
good quality olive oil
half a handful fresh mint and fresh parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 large caper berries or 1 tbsp capers in brine
Salt and pepper
Method
Rinse the fish under cold running water, remove any skin or fish bones that are visible.
Steam the salt cod for 6 to 8 minutes. If you don´t have a steamer, fill a medium sized pan with 1/2 inch of water, place three golf ball–sized balls of tin foil on the bottom, rest a heat-proof plate on top of the foil balls, cover the pan, and bring the water to a boil. The salt cod should be flakey and cooked through. Remove it from the steamer (or saucepan) and tear it into bite-size pieces, place in a large mixing bowl.
Chop the tomato into 4 pieces and deseed it under cold running tap water. Let the tomato drain a bit on a clean kitchen towel and then chop it up finely. Then add the diced tomato to the salt cod in the bowl.
Stir the fish and tomatoes carefully. Chop the fresh herbs finely and add them. Season the salad with a pinch of pepper and salt.
Add the caper berries (or capers) and the lemon juice.
Drizzle the salad with the olive oil, stir gently, check the seasoning and add extra pepper, salt or lemon juice to taste if necessary.
Place the cod salad in the fridge for another 30 minutes. Serve cold.
Salad Dressings
Lemon Thyme
1/2 shallot (peeled), 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil.
Finely chop the shallot and garlic. Combine in a small bowl with the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, thyme and salt. Slowly pour in the oil, whisking constantly, Taste and add salt if necessary. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Yogurt Vinaigrette
¼ cup no-fat plain yogurt, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ½ tablespoon wine or Sherry vinegar, minced garlic (optional), chopped herbs (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Makes enough for a large salad or two smaller ones. Dressing keeps, covered and refrigerated, up to 2 days.
Sherry Dressing
200ml dark dry sherry, such as oloroso, 2 tbsp clear honey, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Put the sherry in a small pan with the honey and simmer until reduced by two thirds. Stir through the mustard, then drizzle in the rest of the oil, whisking with a fork until emulsified (thickened). Taste, season
Honey Salad Dressing
Place 6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into a medium bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of honey. Add 2 and a half tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix
FIND LOTS MORE SPANISH RECIPES HERE We offer a terrific selection of Spanish Recipes to help bring a little bit of your holiday in Benidorm home to your dining room. Follow the link to find more favourites
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