Starters & Snacks

Salada de polvo

Octopus cooked and served cold with onion, olive oil, vinegar and herbs.

OccasionPortuguese coast
DifficultyMedium
Total time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings4 servings
Photo of Salada de polvo — traditional Portuguese recipe
Photo of the traditional Portuguese recipe.

Editorial content from Empório Portugal. Traditional recipes may vary by region, family and cook.

About the recipe

Salada de polvo is an elegant starter, very common on seafood tables.

Getting the octopus tender is the heart of the recipe: soft, cut into generous pieces and dressed with olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium octopus, cleaned
  • 1 chopped red onion
  • 1 small bell pepper, optional
  • Parsley or cilantro
  • 80 ml olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Cook the octopus with the bay leaf until tender.
  2. Let it cool, then cut it into pieces.
  3. Mix the onion, herbs, olive oil and vinegar.
  4. Add the octopus and mix well.
  5. Adjust the salt and pepper.
  6. Chill before serving.

Tips from Empório Portugal

  • Octopus must cool in its own broth for a few minutes.
  • Cut the onion very finely.
  • The salad gains flavour after resting.

Possible substitutions in Brazil

  • Use frozen octopus, which tends to soften more easily.
  • Parsley can replace cilantro.

Pairing

A white Vinho Verde or sparkling water. Content intended for people over 18 years of age. Drink in moderation.

Editorial note from Empório Portugal

This recipe is part of the editorial curation of Empório Portugal, developed from Portuguese culinary tradition. Like every traditional recipe, it may vary by region, family and cook.

Do you have a Portuguese family recipe?

Send it to the Empório Portugal community. Submitted recipes are reviewed before any publication.

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Quick facts

Prep
25 min
Cooking
55 min
Total time
1 hour 20 minutes
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Occasion
Starter, summer snack

Pairing

A white Vinho Verde or sparkling water. Content intended for people over 18 years of age. Drink in moderation.

Empório tip

Octopus must cool in its own broth for a few minutes.

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