Go Back
octopus salad — Mediterranean Diet Hub

octopus salad

Octopus salad gets tossed with olive oil, potatoes, and briny olives. Ready in under 40 minutes for a filling, no-lettuce lunch that's never rubbery.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 41 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

salad
  • 700 g octopus cleaned
  • 2 unit potatoes medium, waxy, peeled and diced
  • 0.25 unit red onion thinly sliced
  • 0.5 cup green olives pitted, roughly chopped
  • 1 unit celery stalk thinly sliced
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
dressing
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole octopus (if it fits, otherwise cut it into large pieces). Cook for 35 minutes, skimming foam if needed. You’ll know it’s ready when a knife goes through the thickest part with almost no resistance — like a well-cooked potato.
  2. As soon as the octopus is done, let it cool in the water for 10 minutes before cutting — this step keeps it tender, not rubbery.
  3. While the octopus cooks, boil the potatoes in a separate pot until just fork-tender but not falling apart, 10–12 minutes. Drain and let them steam out for 2 minutes so they don't get mushy in the salad.
  4. Chop the cooked octopus into bite-size chunks. Don't skip trimming off the beak and cutting away any hard bits from the tentacle tips — those can be tough to chew.
  5. Mix chopped octopus, potatoes, onion, olives, celery, and parsley in a large bowl while everything is still a tad warm. Warm ingredients soak up dressing better.
  6. In a jar or small bowl, shake or whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper until creamy and cloudy.
  7. Pour dressing over salad, toss gently, and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. I usually taste after 10 minutes and adjust salt or lemon as needed — potatoes especially seem to soak everything up, so don't be shy with that acid.

Notes

I make this octopus salad on the first hot day that feels like summer. It hits that spot between light and filling, and—if you nail the octopus—nobody pecks around nervously at chewy bits.

Pro tips from my kitchen

Start with frozen octopus if you can. It's easier to find and actually comes out more tender because the freezing breaks down some of the tougher fibers. No need to defrost before boiling; just give it a good rinse.
Don’t rush the cooling off in the water. It sounds boring, but it keeps the octopus extra juicy. Slice it while warm: warm octopus drinks up dressing better.
Potato texture makes or breaks this. I always use waxy potatoes (like Yukon Golds). Floury types fall apart fast. And I drain them, then let them steam off uncovered for a few minutes—otherwise water leaks all over your salad later.
Red onion getting too strong? I soak the slices in cold water while the potatoes cook. It cuts that bite by half and makes leftovers taste fresher the next day.

Variations that do the job

If I can’t find octopus, cooked squid (calamari rings) also works well—just cut the boiling time to 1–2 minutes, otherwise they toughen quickly. Not a fan of olives? Capers fill the same briny role.
Don’t use seafood mixes here—the texture isn’t right and the flavors end up muddy.

Meal prep and storage

I pack this for lunch the next day; the vinegar in the dressing keeps things bright. It holds up in the fridge for 2 days. Just know: cold octopus gets firmer, so I let it sit out 15 minutes before eating for best texture.