Octopus Salad from Scratch
It's impossible to resist this phenomenal Octopus Salad, especially when using high-quality, local ingredients. This is one of our favorite summer salads, and this is the reason why:
- fresh, light, flavorful, and inspired by our Slovenian cuisine
- the octopus is perfectly cooked and sliced into small pieces
- drizzled with high-quality olive oil with a subtle zing from the lemon juice
- perfect as a cold appetizer, light lunch, or dinner
- make it for picnics, celebrations, or take it with you to work/school
- it's gluten-free, dairy-free, and appropriate for those on a low-carb or keto diet
Gastronomski zakladi Istre in morja - Maristra
For this recipe, we went on an extraordinary quest. A quest to rediscover Slovenian Istria. A culinary rich and delicious area located in the southwest of Slovenia. The local municipalities Ankaran, Izola, Koper, and Piran, together with the European Union, created a fantastic project called Maristra - Gastronomski zakladi Istre in morja (Maristra - Gastronomic treasures of Istria and sea) to connect tourism and gastronomy in this affluent area.
The goal of the program is to connect fishers, winemakers with the local gastronomy treasures. This way, we can quickly discover everything Slovenian Istria has to offer too.
This post is sponsored by the municipality of Ankaran, so we, too, had a fantastic time discovering and relearning Slovenian recipes that are local, delicious, seasonal, and easy to make. The first recipe in our collaboration is this simple Octopus Salad celebrating all the good Slovenian treasures: octopus from the Slovenian sea, high-quality olive oil and olives, and local vegetables like onion and garlic.
To make this whole Slovenian experience even further, we recommend serving this dish with one of these wonderful Istrian wines:
- Malvazija
- Malvazija Pristna
Try these amazing fish stew - Brodet recipe too. It’s made with delicious Slovenian ingredients that are easily available around the world too.
How to cook Octopus (cooking formula)
Before you plan on cooking the octopus, make sure to freeze it or buy a frozen one. However, if you buy fresh octopus, freeze it. Why? Because when cooking a frozen octopus, you get the most tender, juicy, soft meat—pure perfection.
Follow this simple cooking formula when cooking the octopus:
For each kg or every 2 pounds of the octopus, cook it for 30 minutes. Our octopus had 1.5kg or 3.3 pounds, so we cooked it for 30 minutes + 15 minutes, so 45 minutes total. As simple as that.
How to make Easy Octopus Salad from Scratch
Making Octopus Salad from Scratch is actually quite simple, but it takes a few hours, so we like to prepare it a day ahead. This is how we make it:
- First, freeze the octopus, or buy a frozen one.
- Dip the octopus in the water a couple of times, then add the spices and cook the octopus as instructed in the recipe below.
- Leave the octopus to cool completely, then peel it.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad and dressing.
- Stir everything together
- Serve cold.
How to store the octopus salad
Store the octopus salad sealed in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 2 days. Serve cold.
Try these amazing fish and seafood recipes too
- Shrimp Stew with Potatoes and Chickpeas
- Simple Oven Baked Salmon
- Easy Grilled Sardines
- Best Cod Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Mango Sauce
- Mediterranean Sea Bream with Fennel and Tomatoes
- Sandwich with Fried Mussels and Sour Veggies
- Mussels with Vodka, Garlic, and White Wine
METHOD
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Cooking the octopus
Fill a large pot with water until half full. Place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Using metal thongs, dip the octopus into the boiling water for 5 seconds, then lift it and repeat the process 3 times. Then, dip the octopus into the boiling water, add the bay leaves, peppercorns, onion, and lemon wedges. Cover with a lid and simmer for 45 - 60 minutes, depending on the size of the octopus. The octopus is cooked when you can effortlessly push the forks into the meat.
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cooling
When the octopus is cooked, let it cool completely by leaving it in a pot filled with cooking water for at least 2 hours or overnight. Then, using metal thongs, transfer the octopus to a large bowl. Peel the octopus and cut it into smaller slices, and place in a large bowl.
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Octopus Salad
Cut the olives in half. Finely dice the onion, garlic, and chili. Chop the parsley, and add all the ingredients to the octopus in a bowl. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the octopus, stir to combine, and serve.
