Refreshing Pipirrana Salad Recipe

Sometimes with the heat waves of June, the last thing that you want to do is to eat a heavy meal, which will make you want to do nothing for the rest of the day. 

However, you still need to eat and gain some nutrients, so thankfully the pipirrana recipe comes to the rescue. 

Pipirrana is one of the most refreshing Spanish salads, and it is one of the best ways to fight against the hot days. This recipe has a lot of variants, but here we will stick to the Andalusian version.

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Keep reading this article where you will learn more about this gem from the South of Spain. 

Here we’ll show how to make it step by step, plus some replacements that you can make to the ingredients and everything you need to know about it. 

Background of the Dish

In Andalusia, they seem to be experts in easy summer salads, and it doesn’t come as a surprise having in mind how hot their summers are.

The pipirrana has a lot of versions, it even differs among the different parts of Andalusia. 

For example, you can find the Murcia version, the one from Cadiz, another from Malaga, and even one from Jaén. 

With this in mind, the changes aren’t that big, they just switch a few ingredients but they all taste amazing.

Pipirrana became popular in the 20th century once fridges started to be in every house. This is because it needs to be refrigerated or it will turn bad. 

This salad has been a tool to fight the summer heat for decades, so you should definitely try it. 

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Things You’ll Need for Pipirrana

For this ensalada recipe, you just need some tomatoes, tuna, eggs, garlic, peppers, and olive oil. 

However, you can make dozens of replacements, so don’t worry if you don’t have or don’t like one of the ingredients. 

Ingredients

• 3 large (750 g) ripe tomatoes
• 1  green pepper
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 100 g tuna
• 5 tablespoons (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• Sea salt

How to Make Pipirrana – Step by Step Guide

1. To start making this Spanish salad recipe,  peel the garlic clove. Wash and cut the green pepper into small pieces.

2. In a mortar, place the garlic, a few pieces of pepper, and a little sea salt. Crush everything until the pepper falls apart and releases its juice.

3. On the other hand, part the previously cooked eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Break the egg whites into small pieces and reserve them.

4. After that, put the yolks in the mortar and crush them until you get a paste.

5. Then, add olive oil little by little so that the ingredients are integrated and you get a kind of thick sauce.

6. Peel the tomatoes, chop them and place them in a large container together with the pepper and the chopped egg white. Also, add the shredded tuna.

7. For the final step, dress the summer salad with the mixture of the mortar and check that the point of seasoning is to your liking. If you see it necessary, add a little more fine salt.

8. Store in the fridge for a few hours so that the flavors meld and the tomato releases all its juice. This last step is important since the pipirrana is eaten fresh.

Substitution of Ingredients

The best part about making salads is that you can make any substitution to the ingredients, and you will still get a delicious and refreshing salad. 

Here we will give you some summer salad ideas, to add more ingredients to your pipirrana.

For example, you can replace the tuna with lentils or chickpeas and remove the egg if you are vegan.

The Spanish chickpea salad is a must-try as well, a simple and healthy salad packed with protein and fiber.

If you aren’t vegan, then you should try making pipirrana with some mozzarella cheese cubes, it is the perfect combination.

If you liked this recipe then you should definitely try other Spanish salads, such as Spanish grilled octopus salad, the famous Spanish potato salad, the easy Ensalada Malagueña, and the comforting warm Spanish bean salad.

Tips on Serving Pipirrana

The pipirrana is truly one of the best summer salads because contrary to the others, it can be served as a main dish. 

If you make a large amount, then it has all the nutrients of a complete meal. 

As well as other summer salads, you can also serve it as a side dish with a seafood-related main dish like Espeto de Sardinas, or it can go really well with some Spanish tapas. 

It is the perfect lunch meal, but you can also have it for dinner or at any time of the day. 

Try the easy ensalada de mango with cucumber and jalapenos if you want to make a flavorful and unique salad idea.

The Spanish mixed green salad recipe and Spanish lentil salad are also must-try recipes, especially with the warm season around the corner.

Try the Murcia salad as well – a tasty and nutritious salad with tuna, tomatoes and potatoes.

How to Store Pipirrana

In the same way that it happens with other summer salad recipes, this pipirrana is meant to be eaten the same that you make it. 

For the same reason, you can store it in the fridge but only for a few hours (12 hours maximum).

This doesn’t mean that it will go bad the other day, but it won’t be as fresh and the flavor won’t be as good. If you want a longer-lasting salad then you can make the ensalada de pepino, a simple cucumber salad.

Recipe Card: Pipirrana

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