octopus salad

Octopus salad with potatoes and herbs, ready in 40 minutes. Tender octopus, crisp veggies. Tastes fresh, stays great in the fridge for two days.

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Total Time 41

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 260

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

salad

1 kg octopus
2 medium potatoes
0.5 unit red onion
10 unit cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
0.5 unit lemon
2 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
0.25 teaspoon black pepper
1 leaf bay leaf
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Method

Fill a pot with water, add the bay leaf and a pinch of salt, and bring it to a boil. Gently add the octopus (whole or cut in half if your pot is small). Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 35–40 minutes — a fork should slide into the thickest part with barely any resistance.
While the octopus cooks, peel and cut potatoes into thick slices. Drop them into the pot with the octopus for the last 15 minutes. This saves dishes — they pick up extra flavor from the water.
Once cooked, lift out the octopus and potatoes. Let cool just until comfortable to handle. Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces (I go for about the size of a fat cherry tomato).
In a big bowl, combine octopus, potato, cherry tomatoes (halved), sliced red onion, and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil, squeeze in fresh lemon juice, and add the vinegar.
Mix gently. Taste before serving — I always add half the salt at first, taste, then sprinkle on more if it needs it. Let sit 10 minutes if you can; the flavors settle in.

Notes

Growing up, octopus salad showed up at every family summer lunch. It’s less fussy than it sounds and actually one of the few dishes that tastes even better after a couple of hours in the fridge.

Real-world octopus cooking tips

First time cooking octopus? Don’t be scared by the chewiness myth. If you simmer gently and don’t rush, it comes out tender — no corks or weird tricks. I check it with a fork at around 35 minutes, not by the clock but by the give.

If you want super flavorful potatoes, cook them in the same water. I drop the sliced potatoes in with the octopus for the last 15 minutes. They soak up that ocean taste, and you skip dirtying another pot.

Red onion can be strong. If mine has a bite, I’ll slice it first and let it sit in the vinegar while I prep everything else. This mellows it out and adds a subtle tang.

Ingredient swaps and meal prep

If you can’t find fresh octopus, frozen octopus actually cooks up more tender. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Squid doesn’t sub well here — it goes rubbery way faster.

You can swap cherry tomatoes for diced cucumber if tomatoes are out of season. But skipping the potatoes? The salad won’t keep you full as long. If you want extra protein, toss in some cooked chickpeas.

Leftovers and storage

This salad holds up for two days in the fridge. The flavors get stronger, not soggy. I pack leftovers for next-day lunch straight from the fridge — no reheating needed.