Easy Greek Octopus Salad – prepared just like in the local Tavern with cooked & grilled octopus, ladolemono salad dressing (lemon and olive oil sauce), lot’s of fresh parsley and some salt and pepper for finish. Simple, extra refreshing and very delicious, this Mediterranean octopus salad is the perfect zesty appetizer (or even dinner) on a hot summer day.
Ever wondered how to prepare that delicious Greek salad you ate at a local Greek tavern? Problem solved, because I’ve got just the Mediterranean recipe for you. Simple (yet if you have the octopus already cooked as I do to make life a bit easier), extra refreshing and so so delicious, this easy octopus salad will surely become a favorite.
What is Ladolemono?
Ladolemono is a traditional Greek sauce / dressing made mainly from olive oil and lemon juice. Its name comes from the Greek words ladi (“oil”) and lemoni (“lemon”). The sauce has roots in ancient Mediterranean cooking traditions, where olive oil, herbs, and acidic ingredients were commonly used to flavor fish, meats, and vegetables.
Today, ladolemono is widely used as a marinade, dressing, and finishing sauce for seafood, grilled meats, salads, and vegetables. Depending on what the sauce is served with, some add a grain of mustard or oregano to it too.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Octopus – pre-cooked octopus that is grilled (or baked) before assembling the salad
- Olive oil – for the Ladolemono dressing
- Lemon – fresh lemon for the Ladolemono dressing
- Parsley – fresh parsley leaves, finely minced
- Oregano – dried, optional
- Sea salt – to taste
- Black pepper – to taste
How to prepare Greek Octopus Salad?
Making Greek Octopus salad at home is pretty straightforward. You just need to have pre-cooked octopus (baby octopus works too), that you’ll grill (or bake) for extra flavor; ladolemono (the famous lemon olive oil Greek sauce) and some parsley.
1st: Preheat a grill pan and sprinkle with olive oil, then place pre-cooked octopus in and sear on both sides for 2-3 minutes. Then, slice the octopus and transfer to salad bowl.
2nd: Combine the grilled octopus with finely minced parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small jar with lid combine lemon juice and olive oil. Give it a good shake and sprinkle the salad before serving.
HOW TO MAKE LADOLEMONO: Ladolemono is prepared easily by combining equal amounts (1:1 ratio) fresh lemon juice and high quality olive oil. To help combine both ingredients you can vigorously shake them in a jar with well closed lid. Or use immersion blender or even a drink mixer(for milk or coffee).
HOW TO STORE LADOLEMONO: Ladolemono can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Make sure to let dressing sit on room temperature 10-30 minutes time before using. That way the olive oil will have enough time to ‘defrost’.
What to serve with Greek Octopus Salad?
Easy Greek Octopus Salad
Ingredients
- 300 g octopus, cooked
- 150 g parsley, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil, for octopus
- 100 g olive oil, extra virgin (approx. 100 ml)
- 100 g lemon juice, fresh (approx. 100 ml)
- 1 tbsp. oregano, dried
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, preheat grill pan on the stove top. Sprinkle with some olive oil (generously) and sear cooked octopus for a few minutes on each side.
- Then, cut the octopus and transfer into a salad bowl. Add in the finely chopped parsley leaves, oregano, sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
- Next, prepare the ladolemono dressing: in a small jar with lid combine the olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Shake the jar vigorously until olive oil and lemon juice blend well.
- Sprinkle the salad with the dressing (use less if you feel it's too much, I like my salad with plenty of tangy sauce) and stir well to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Brilliant!
Thank you 🙂