Quick Ensalada de Bacalao Recipe [Spanish Cod Salad]

Something that we love about the Spanish summer salads is how easy they are to make, and how delicious the finished result is.

One of our favorites is the ensalada de bacalao: it mixes Andalusian flavors of all sorts, and you can have it done in a couple of minutes.

Keep scrolling down this article to learn how to make this Spanish salad at home, with some helpful tips for storing, serving, and more.

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Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish fish recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Buñuelos de Bacalao
• Spanish Fish Soup
• Spanish Garlic Shrimp

Background of the Dish

There isn’t an exact date for the creation of the ensalada de bacalao, but some historians agree that it was in a similar period as the ensalada de cangrejo.

Both of those recipes have in common that they are a way of taking advantage of the large amount of seafood that you can find in Southern Spain.

The main difference is that the cod is the main star in this one, but it still has all the great Andalusian and Mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, tomatoes, olives, and onion.

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Things You’ll Need for Ensalada de Bacalao

To make the ensalada de bacalao you need cod, lettuce leaves, red and green bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, and some good Andalusian olive oil.

Ingredients

• 300 grams of shredded canned cod
• 1 tomato
• 1 onion
• 12 pitted green olives
• 12 romaine lettuce leaves (or half an iceberg lettuce head, or any lettuce of your choice)
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste

How to Make Ensalada de Bacalao – Step by Step Guide

1. To start with the bacalao salad recipe you have to remove the inedible parts of the bell peppers (the white parts on the inside and the seeds). Then, cut them into squares or julienne style.

2. After that, peel the onion and cut it into very fine cubes. If you want to feel the texture of the onion on the cod salad, you can shop for bigger cubes.

3. Now, heat a frying pan with a drizzle of oil, and add the onion so that it is golden a little.

4. Then, add the pepper pieces after a couple of minutes, without adding more oil. Leave the vegetables cooking for about 5 or 6 minutes, over medium heat, stirring from time to time.

5. For the next step in the cod fish salad recipe, turn off the stove and remove the onions and peppers, and set aside.

6. Now you have to clean the lettuce leaves. Pass them under a stream of cold water, and then you can submerge them in a bowl with water mixed with a splash of vinegar, for a few minutes so all of the dirt goes away.

7. After that, wash and cut the tomato into pieces in the shape of your choice (bite size or smaller).

8. Then, grab a bowl and mix the onion and peppers, and season with salt and pepper. Also, add the shredded cod and stir everything well.

9. Next, put the lettuce leaves in a bowl, then add the previous mixture and the tomato pieces. Season with a little vinegar and olive oil, mixing so that everything is covered.

10. To finish this cod salad recipe, add the olives on top as decoration. You can place them on top of your Spanish bacalao salad cut in half or remove them if you don’t like them.

Substitution of Ingredients

There are a few changes that you can make to the ensalada de bacalao to adapt it to your preferences.

For example, you can use any type of lettuce leaves that you want: the point of the lettuce is to add more freshness and a different texture to the bacalao salad recipes.

As well as other cod salad recipes, it calls for canned bacalao so that the process is easier (as a salad should be), but you can use fresh cod and cook it.

Besides that, you can switch the amount of peppers that you use, add other types of onions, or any change that you want with those ingredients.

Other Spanish salad recipes are fantastic and don’t call for seafood in case you don’t like it, like the Spanish tomato salad and the ensalada de pepino.

If you love fish salads, you should try our delicious ensalada de salmon with avocado and fresh vegetables or ensalada campera with tuna.

Tips on Serving Ensalada de Bacalao

You can serve the Spanish summer salad for lunch or dinner, and it works as a main dish or as a side dish.

The ensalada de bacalao stands out from other Spanish salad tapas because you can easily turn it into a main dish.

Just serve a large portion, and you can serve it with slices of your favorite bread, or a slice of bread toasted with olive oil and some garlic.

If you have a party or a special meal planned then you can serve the ensalada de bacalao with Spanish tuna salad or Spanish octopus salad to make a salad bar.

Ensalada de espinacas, a tasty spinach salad with strawberries and walnuts is a must-try salad for the summer.

And when it comes to other Spanish recipes with cod, make sure you try the Bacalao al Pil-Pil and bunuelos de bacalao.

How to Store Ensalada de Bacalao

To store the ensalada de bacalao, you can only do it in the fridge since it cannot be frozen.

You can store the traditional Spanish salads in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.

Don’t keep it for longer because if you leave it, then it will take on a soggy texture and an ugly taste (the flavor of the cod is negatively intensified and that of the vegetables becomes bitter).

Remember that to store the bacalao salad you have to do it without dressing it, once you pour the Spanish salad dressing you have about 30 minutes to 2 hours to eat it.

Recipe Card: Ensalada de Bacalao

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