Spanish Grilled Octopus Salad Recipe [Ensalada de Pulpo]

The Spanish grilled octopus salad is one of the favorite recipes for all Andalusians to make during the summer or spring.

The combination of octopus and fresh vegetables is a must and once you try it you will not be able to erase it from your head.

If you want to learn how to cook octopus, and know different tips about the recipe then keep reading about this seafood dish.

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Background of the Dish

The grilled octopus salad is one of those recipes whose origin is not very well known, mainly because it has been in Andalusian homes for decades.

In any case, it is known that this dish emerged as a summer alternative to the other Spanish octopus recipes, which are generally served warm or hot.

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Things You’ll Need for Spanish Grilled Octopus Salad

To make this octopus recipe you’ll only need basic kitchen tools and very easy-to-find ingredients.

As you’ll see later, you can do a lot of replacements for the ingredients of this octopus salad, so don’t worry if you can’t find one of them.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (907 g) fresh octopus 
• olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves 
• Juice from 1 lemon
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 avocado
• 1 onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• 8 olives

How to Make Spanish Grilled Octopus Salad – Step by Step Guide

1. For the first step on this grilled octopus recipe, you have to grab a large pot and place the octopus inside and cover it with enough water. Bring to a boil at medium to high heat and then continue boiling for 40 minutes.

2. Then remove the octopus from the pot, rinse and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add chopped garlic. Let it cool and rest at room temperature, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Up next preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat. In the meantime slice the octopus. Then grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. You can also “grill” it in a saucepan for the same amount of time.

4. Then drizzle some olive oil and add lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Set the octopus aside, you can leave it at room temperature or in the fridge.

5. Now grab the vegetables listed, clean, peel, and chop them. Pour all of them in a bowl and add the octopus, you can season it as you like.

6.  As an optional step, you can sprinkle oregano and parsley on top. You can also add more chopped olives on top if you like.

Substitution of Ingredients

As well as other salad recipes, this Spanish grilled octopus salad offers hundreds of possible replacements that you can make.

The first substitution that you can make is using other types of vegetables, such as cucumber, lettuce, carrot, and more.

I always recommend using seasonal vegetables so you know that the flavor will be good. Besides that, if you aren’t a fan of octopus you can make an easy Spanish seafood salad.

The seafood salad recipe is really simple to make and it’s a great option if you can’t find octopus but you still want to feel the Andalusian flavors.

If you liked this recipe I encourage you to try other seafood and octopus recipes, such as Deep Fried Octopus, Fried Baby Squid, and Spanish Seafood Soup.

The famous Spanish octopus recipe, pulpo gallego is also a must-try when it comes to Spanish seafood recipes.

And the easy Spanish octopus salad with fresh vegetables is a tasty octopus salad that doesn’t require a grill.

Tips on Serving Spanish Grilled Octopus Salad

The Ensalada de pulpo can be served both as a main course or as an entree. All you have to do is change the amount that you serve since this is a pretty filling salad.

Besides that, some people serve it warm, meaning they don’t take it to the fridge after cooking it.

You can let the Spanish salad be at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving it. 

With this Spanish grilled octopus recipe, you can serve it warm or cold, depending on your taste. But I recommend you to eat it cold since it is really fresh.

As well as other Spanish octopus recipes, you can have it at lunch or at dinner and it’ll taste delicious.

If you want to elevate this dish then you can add some shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Summertime calls for refreshing salads just like this Spanish grilled octopus salad and Pipirrana salad, the easy Ensalada Malagueña, and the Spanish mixed green salad which can are done in a jiffy.

And for when the cold season starts, make sure you try the warm Spanish bean salad recipe.

How to Store Spanish Grilled Octopus Salad

When it comes to storing this dish, there are some things that you have to keep in mind. At first, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days without any problem.

Now obviously if you’re thinking about freezing it, then you know that you can’t freeze the vegetables. But the good part is that you can freeze the octopus!

There is no problem with freezing the octopus after cooking. The meat does not harden or lose flavor.

So you can make this Spanish octopus recipe, freeze it in portions, and then unfreeze some for this Spanish salad recipe.

Recipe Card: Spanish Grilled Octopus Salad

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Short FAQ about Spanish grilled Octopus Salad