We are the biggest fans of Spanish recipes that are not afraid to play with completely different flavor profiles and textures, resulting in innovative dishes, but there is nothing better than sharing them with you.
The Axarquia salad is a delicious dish that perfectly combines unique regional ingredients to create the best weapon to fight the hot summer days.
In this article, you will find a step-by-step explanation of how to make Spanish salad, with expert tips for storing, serving, and customizing the ingredients of this recipe.
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Background of the Dish
The Axarquía salad showcases classic ingredients from Malaga, blending unique and unexpected flavors for a delightful and refreshing twist.
With this recipe, you will get a meal filled with nutrients and a wide variety of components, from fruits to seafood, vegetables, and the classic olive oil that is present in different salad recipes from Spain.
Nowadays, you can find both modern salads like the tako salad recipe and classic ones like the Spanish potato salad with tuna, yet the Axarquía salad stands out with its unique blend of flavors.
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Things You’ll Need for Axarquia Salad
The main ingredients needed to make one of the best Spanish salad recipes are mango, avocado, tomatoes, canned tuna, shrimp, goat cheese, lettuce leaves, pitted black olives, olive oil, and vinegar.
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 can tuna (in olive oil or water)
- 200g frozen shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 2 tomatoes
- 10 pitted black olives
- 1 roll of goat cheese (rulo de queso de cabra)
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1/2 small mango
- A few lettuce leaves
For the Mango Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 small mango
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
How to Make Axarquia Salad – Step by Step Guide
- To start, the night before making the Malaga salad recipe, thaw shrimp in the fridge. Heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Let them cool.
- Now, cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the rest with a spoon. Place the avocado on a cutting board and cut into cubes. Wash the tomatoes and dice them. Set them aside.
- Then, drain the carpers and rinse them under cold water to remove the excess brine. Cut the pitted olives in half. Peel and dice the mango (save the other half for the vinaigrette). Set them aside.
- Grab a small bowl and combine the mango with olive oil, vinegar, fresh chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix it with a whisk until well combined, or pass it through a blender or food processor. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- After that, cut the goat cheese into slices or crumble it. Drain the liquid from the can of tuna and use a fork to break it into bite-sized pieces. Clean the lettuce leaves.
- Now grab a large bowl and combine the diced avocado, chopped shrimp, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, crumbled goat cheese, capers, tuna, and diced mango.
- To continue with this Spanish salad recipe, drizzle the mango vinaigrette over the fish tuna salad. Gently toss to combine everything. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- For a final step, put the lettuce leaves in the bottom of a bowl or serving plate and top them with the rest of the Axarquia salad. Serve it immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve to cool the Andalusian salad for a bit longer.
Substitution of Ingredients
The Axarquia salad highlights fresh regional ingredients, yet there are some substitutions that you can follow to make the recipe your own or to accommodate what you have on hand.
For example, if you don’t have fresh ripe mango, then it is better to replace it with a different kind of fruit like pineapple, peaches, or papaya for a similar sweetness and texture.
Besides that, you can make this traditional Spanish salad without the shrimp and add an extra can of tuna, or your favorite mix of seafood (like prawns, mussels, etc.).
Similar to the warm white bean salad, you could add your favorite mix of beans to the Axarquia salad recipe, especially if you are making it during winter and you don’t have all of the fresh ingredients available.
Other Spanish salads recipes that you can make this summer are the refreshing ensalada Malagueña and the classic Spanish octopus salad, both of which are perfect for enjoying the warm weather with delicious, light meals.
Give a go to our latest Ensalada De Naranjas, an easy-to-make and cooling salad with oranges and beets, or the nutritious hot bean salad.
Tips on Serving Axarquia Salad
The Axarquia salad is a refreshing dish, commonly served as a tapa or appetizer before a meal, as it has strong flavors that will prepare you for the courses to follow.
You can add more texture to this Spanish salad with tuna if you top it with bread croutons, chopped and toasted nuts (almonds or walnuts), or crispy bacon bits.
The Axarquia salad is different from the traditional Spanish salads because it calls for the unique mango vinaigrette, but you could use the classic Spanish salad dressing if you prefer.
Lastly, if you are hosting a family gathering or you have guests coming over, then you can prepare a salad tapas table with other Spanish salads to go before the main dish, such as the warm cannellini bean salad and the Spanish potato salad with beets.
How to Store Axarquia Salad
The Axarquía salad is meant to be served freshly made, so you can only store it for about 24 hours once you finish making it.
To make sure that the flavors and textures aren’t negatively affected, don’t add the mango vinaigrette until right before serving the salad, and adjust the seasoning if needed.
If you want to prepare some ingredients of the Axarquía salad ahead, you can cook the shrimp before and keep it in the fridge, and you can also make the mango vinaigrette in advance and store it in an airtight container for up to a week.
Luckily, there are other Andalusian seafood recipes that you can make and store in the fridge or freezer for a longer amount of time, such as the easy mackerel croquettes, the hearty Spanish tuna stew and the traditional Spanish fish stew.
Recipe Card: Axarquia Salad
Tasty Axarquia Salad Recipe
We are the biggest fans of Spanish recipes that are not afraid to play with completely different flavor profiles and textures, resulting in innovative dishes, but there is nothing better than sharing them with you.
The Axarquía salad is a delicious dish that perfectly combines unique regional ingredients to create the best weapon to fight the hot summer days.
In this article, you will find a step-by-step explanation of how to make Spanish salad, with expert tips for storing, serving, and customizing the ingredients of this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 can tuna (in olive oil or water)
- 200g frozen shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 2 tomatoes
- 10 pitted black olives
- 1 roll of goat cheese (rulo de queso de cabra)
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1/2 small mango
- A few lettuce leaves
For the Mango Vinaigrette
- 1/2 small mango
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Thaw the shrimp in the fridge the night before making the Spanish seafood salad recipe. Heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan and cook it for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Let them cool.
- Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the rest with a spoon. Place the avocado on a cutting board and cut into cubes. Wash the tomatoes and dice them. Set them aside.
- Drain the carpers and rinse them under cold water to remove the excess brine. Cut the pitted olives in half. Peel and dice the mango (save the other half for the vinaigrette).
- In a small bowl, combine the mango with the olive oil, vinegar, fresh chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix it with a whisk until well combined, or pass it through a blender or food processor. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Cut the goat cheese into slices or crumble it. Drain the liquid from the can of tuna and use a fork to break it into bite-sized pieces. Clean the lettuce leaves.
- In a large bowl, combine the diced avocado, chopped shrimp, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, crumbled goat cheese, capers, tuna, and diced mango.
- Drizzle the mango vinaigrette over the Spanish tuna salad. Gently toss to combine everything evenly.
- Put the lettuce leaves in the bottom of a bowl or serving plate and top them with the rest of the Axarquia salad. Serve it immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve to cool the Spanish salad for a bit longer.
Notes
You can spice things up in this Spanish style tuna salad by including paprika, chili flakes, or a dash of hot sauce to the vinaigrette.
To add some extra crunch to this Spanish tuna salad, you can incorporate bread croutons or chopped almonds or walnuts.
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 262Total Fat 17.3gSaturated Fat 3.4gCholesterol 69mgSodium 800mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 4gSugar 6gProtein 16g
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