The Mediterranean diet is all about incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into your daily life. With such an abundance of fresh produce, it is easy to see why the Spanish cuisine has adopted various ways to include these products into their kitchens. A way to do this is through salads. The Spanish salad is versatile. It can be simple or extravagant depending on the occasion. Here we want to share a couple of ways to introduce different Spanish salads into your diet.
Enjoy Spanish salads for every taste
Yes, the salad in Spain can be the traditional form of salad with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. But it can also be so much more!
We can’t deny that we love a good ensalada mixta also known as a mixed salad. This classic can be found in pretty much every restaurant in Spain. The recipe for this Spanish salad is the following: lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, hard boiled eggs, white asparagus, corn, onion, tuna, and olives.
But don’t forget the most delicious part—the traditional Spanish salad dressing. It is a combination of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, red wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt. It is that simple! No need for fancy salad dressings that drown the natural flavors of the vegetables. This salad dressing compliments and even enhances the flavors.
We combine spring mix salad with whatever nuts we have in our cupboards (almonds, pistachios, toasted pine nuts), with cheese (see our delicious cheese guide here), and then a touch of something sweet like honey, figs, dates, or quince paste. We encourage you to play around with your salads and use local and seasonal products in order to enjoy the unique taste of every salad.
Let’s taste a salad with potato
The Spanish potato salad or ensaladilla rusa is a perfect example of how a salad does not always have to contain lettuce. Basically, all you need are potatoes, carrots, hard boiled eggs, olives, peas, tuna, and mayonnaise. It is great as a tapa as it is a crowd pleasure, but it is also perfect for those hot summer days. Plus, the ingredients are very simple and most people already have them in their kitchen. Here is the recipe:
- 2-3 potatoes
- 4 carrots
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of cooked peas
- 1 can of tuna
- ½ a can of green olives
- 1 ½ cup mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley
First, you must wash the potatoes. Then place in a pot to boil. Wash and peel the carrots. Place in the same pot with the potatoes and let cook for 25 minutes. Once that time is done, place the two eggs in the water and let boil for 10 minutes.
Once the time is done, remove from the stove. Remove the shell from the eggs and peel the potatoes. You want to dice the potatoes, carrots, olives, and eggs. Place in a big mixing bowl. Add the cooked peas. Drain the can of tuna and add to the vegetable bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mix well.
Lastly, add the fresh parsley for taste. Then place the potato salad in the fridge to cool before serving.
Spanish salad recipes: choose yours
We encourage you to find other Spanish salad recipes that you may enjoy.
The Spanish bean and red pepper salad
Another refreshing salad that is easy to make is the Spanish bean and red pepper salad. All you need is cannellini beans (white beans), roasted red peppers, onions, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It’s great for those spring days when you don’t want to cook but want to enjoy something savory.
Enjoy the Spanish macaroni salad.
It is a very simple recipe but makes for a great lunch for picnics. The ingredients can vary depending on what you have in the kitchen. We love using tri-color pasta with cucumbers, tomatoes, arugula, black olives, Manchego cheese, and some roasted red peppers. Plus, don’t forget to top it all off with olive oil and red wine vinegar!
Finally, the Spanish fruit salad
The last salad we would like to share with you is the Spanish fruit salad. This is a staple dessert in many homes during the summer time. This is because there is an abundance of delicious fresh fruits. The ingredients are going to vary as we strongly recommend that you use fruits that are in season for you. We love to include the fresh citrus fruits that are available to us in the summertime. So, our fruit salad has oranges, nectarines, watermelon, bananas, apples, and kiwi.Hopefully, you now know that salads can be delicious and bursting with flavors. It does not always have to be the same! The most important thing is to use fresh produce and to combine it with other ingredients to optimize the flavors and textures.
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