This grilled octopus salad is the perfect starter for any fancy meal. It’s a colourful and flavourful recipe that you can easily make yourself. For this dish, I created a homemade vinaigrette with grilled lemon, and I believe that the charred lemon vinaigrette ties all the ingredients very well together. Serve this as an appetizer or side dish to your loved ones. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Grilled Octopus Salad
Octopus Salad with Capers, Tomatoes, Mini Mozzarella and a Grilled Lemon Vinaigrette
Servings: 2
Adjust servings here:
Equipment
- grill or grill pan
- cooking pot
- food brush
- Mixing bowl big
- Mixing bowl small
Ingredients
- 1 tentacle octopus
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
- olive oil
- 3 tbsp capers
- 1/2 cucumber
- 75 grams mini mozzarella
- 10 green olives
- 6 cherry tomatoes
VINAIGRETTE
- 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 lemon
- salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
OCTOPUS
- Add around 1 liter of water to a pot. Bring to a boil. Add the bay leaves and red wine vinegar.
- Massage the tentacle of the octopus, softly pressing them between your fingers. This helps making the octopus tender.
- Add the octopus tentacle to the boiling water. Cover with a lid and boil for around 45-60 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a sharp knife into the tentacle.
- Remove the tentacle from the water.
- Place it on a plate and brush with olive oil.
- Grill the octopus over medium-high heat, grill each side for 2-3 minutes. Additionally, cut a lemon in half and grill it with the flesh side down for a few minutes until slightly charred.
- Remove everything to a cutting board to cool down.
- Slice the octopus tentacle into small, bite-sized pieces.
VINAIGRETTE
- Add the juice of the charred lemon to a small bowl. Add olive oil, honey, thyme, salt and pepper to the bowl. Mix until all ingredients are combined.
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- Wash and cut the tomatoes in half.
- Drain the liquid from the mini mozzarella and cut them in half.
- Slice the cucumber lengthwise and then cut into thin slices.
- Slice the green olives into thin slices.
COMBINE
- Use a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced octopus, cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella and capers. Pour the vinaigrette on top.
- Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
Notes
The cooking time can vary depending on the size of the tentacles and your personal preference. Insert a knife into the tentacle to check if they are tender enough.
Enjoy!
