Description
A refreshing Mediterranean Octopus Salad combining tender cooked octopus, bite-sized peewee potatoes, briny olives, fresh herbs, and zesty lemon dressing. Perfect as a light appetizer or a satisfying main, this vibrant salad benefits from marinating to meld flavors beautifully.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 ½ cups peewee potatoes (or tiny potatoes)
- ½ cup shallot (thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 lemon (zest & juice)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced or grated)
Seafood
- 3 cups cooked octopus (chopped, approximately 1 ½ pounds)
Pantry
- ½ cup pitted Gaeta or Kalamata olives (chopped)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cook Potatoes: Add whole peewee potatoes to a pot of salted water and bring it to a boil. Simmer gently until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and let cool completely, then slice into halves or quarters to ensure bite-sized pieces.
- Prepare Marinade: In a large bowl, combine the chopped cooked octopus, chopped olives, thinly sliced shallots, chopped parsley, lemon zest and juice, finely minced garlic, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, coarse salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir well to mix all ingredients thoroughly.
- Combine and Marinate: Once the potatoes are cool and sliced, add them into the bowl with the octopus mixture. Toss gently to coat potatoes evenly with the dressing and mix all flavors together.
- Rest and Serve: Allow the salad to marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes to let the flavors meld. For best results, refrigerate and marinate for several hours or overnight before serving to enhance taste and texture.
Notes
- Use cooked octopus to save time; fresh octopus requires longer cooking.
- Peewee potatoes are ideal due to their small size, but any small potato variety works.
- Marinating the salad overnight intensifies flavors and improves texture.
- Adjust salt and pepper seasoning to taste before serving.
- This salad is best served chilled or at room temperature.
