Easy Salt Cod Salad (Ensalada de Bacalao)

Here is a cold and refreshing salt cod salad with fresh tomatoes, a handful of fresh herbs, pickled apple capers and lots of good quality olive oil… I think that this must be the perfect summer fish salad ever. So let’s dig in and enjoy!

My upstairs neighbours are coming over for dinner later tonight.

And I have decided to make a small tapas dinner because a few small dishes are much easier to share. I like it when there are several plates on the dinner table and everyone can choose for themselves what they want to eat.

Tapas Dinner

Much easier than to prepare a starter, main course and dessert.

And I get to sit at the table during dinner without popping into the kitchen from time to time.

So I am thinking of making lush garlic prawns, crunchy artichokes in wine and homemade olive focaccia. With that comes an array of local cold cuts and goat’s cheeses.

But I am also looking for a cold and refreshing dish. I opened my fridge and freezer and came up with the idea of this salt cod salad or ensalada de bacalao.

Here is me hoping that my neighbours will love it.

Easy Salt Cod Salad (Ensalada de Bacalao)

And what a great salad this one turned out to be!

If you love salt cod, you will also adore this salad.

Because the fish is salty and quite powerful on its own already, I decided to keep the other flavors very simple. A couple of fresh tomatoes, good quality olive oil, a handful of fresh herbs and pickled apple capers.

I didn’t even add any garlic or garlic powder.

The flavors were strong enough.

Let the salad chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving it because the salt cod tastes best when you serve it cold.

Enjoy!

Easy Spanish Salt Cod Salad Recipe

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Salt Cod Salad

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

A cold and refreshing salt cod salad with fresh tomatoes, herbs, capers and lots of olive oil... The perfect summer fish salad!

Course: Lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Spanish

Servings: 4 people

Calories per serving: 231 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb frozen salt cod (450 g), thawed
• 1 large very ripe fresh tomato
• half a handful fresh cilantro
• good quality olive oil
• half a handful fresh mint
• half a handful fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 6 large caper berries or 1 tbsp capers in brine
• pepper
• salt

Instructions

1. Rinse the fish under cold running tap water and remove any skin or fish bones that are visible if necessary.
   

2. Steam the salt cod for 6 to 8 minutes. I used my KitchenAid Cook Processor for that. Don’t have a steamer? Use a pasta pan. Place the fish in the pasta basket. Pour some water in the bottom of the pan. Cover and place the pan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

   
3. The salt cod should be flakey and cooked through in the end. Remove it from the steamer (or pasta basket) and then tear it into bite-size bits. Transfer the to a large mixing bowl.
   
4. Chop the tomato into 4 bits and deseed it under cold running tap water. Let the tomato drain a bit on a clean kitchen towel and then chop it up finely. Then add the diced tomato to the salt cod in the bowl.
   
5. Stir the fish and tomatoes carefully. Chop the fresh herbs finely and add them as well. Season the salad with a pinch of pepper and salt as well.
   
6. Add the caper berries (or capers) and the lemon juice.
   
7. Drizzle the salad with a good glug of the olive oil.
   
8. Stir the salad gently. Then check the seasoning and add extra pepper, salt or lemon juice to taste if necessary. Place the cod salad in the fridge for another 30 minutes. Serve cold.