Octopus Salad Recipe

This fresh and vibrant Octopus Salad Recipe combines smoky grilled octopus with crisp fennel, briny olives, and sweet Valencia orange segments, all tossed in a bright citrus vinaigrette with fresh orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, and a touch of red pepper flakes. A light, elegant appetizer or lunch that's easy to prepare and perfect for warm weather.

Prep Time14

Cook Time6

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Grilled Octopus, Olive and Fennel Salad

Servings:

Calories: 275kcal

Author: Sharon Farnell

Equipment

mandoline or sharp knife
grill or grill pan

Ingredients

Salad

1 lb cooked frozen octopus tentacles, thawed
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced (fronds reserved) use mandoline or sharp knife for paper thin slices
½ cup celery, with leaves thinly sliced
1 shallot thinly sliced
¾ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted
flakey sea salt for finishing
2 Valencia oranges, peeled and cut into segments (reserve juice for dressing)
Reserved fennel fronds, for garnish

Dressing/marinade

5 tablespoon fresh squeezed Valencia orange juice
3 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus more for serving
1 garlic clove minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

Segment the oranges. Using a sharp knife, slice off the top and bottom of the oranges. One at a time, stand them upright, then carefully cut away the peel and white pith, following the curve of the fruit. Holding the peeled orange over a bowl, cut between the membranes to release each segment. Squeeze the remaining membranes over the bowl to extract any extra juice for the dressing.
Thinly slice the fennel, shallot, and celery, and prep the olives. To prepare the fennel, trim off the stalks and fronds (reserve a few fronds for garnish if desired), sloice build in half lengthwise, remove the tough core, then slice the bulb as thinly as possible with a sharp knife or mandoline. If your olives have pits, remove them with an olive pitter or gently crush each olive with the side of a chef's knife and discard the pits.
Make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together fresh orange juice, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss. Add the fennel, shallot, and celery to a large bowl, and toss with the dressing. Set aside.
Grill. Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat, and grill octopus for 2-3 minutes a side, until lightly charred. Do not over-cook, as it can result in rubbery octopus.
Add fennel mixture to a large platter, and arrange orange segments over top.
Slice octopus into small pieces, and arrange over salad.
Top with flakey sea salt, fennel fronds and a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

This salad will keep for about 2 days in the refrigerator, so it can be made in advance for parties and holidays.

Nutrition