Italian Calamari Salad
Calamari rings and tentacles tossed together in a flavorful lemon vinaigrette with celery, olives, roasted red peppers, and fresh parsley.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Mix together in bowl
- 1 pound calamari cleaned, tubes cut into 1/2" circles and tentacles left whole
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- water enough to cover calamari in bowl
For the salad
- 1 cup celery or roughly 2 ribs - thinly sliced on a bias
- 1/2 cup red roasted peppers chopped
- 1/2 cup Sicilian green olives pitted and sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1/4 cup parsley minced
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more to taste
- salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Rinse and clean calamari then cut into rings and cut any large tentacles in half. Mix calamari with salt, baking soda, and enough water to cover and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Place celery, red roasted peppers, olives, onion, garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil into a large bowl and mix together.
- Set up a bowl of ice water and bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Drain calamari well then boil in water for two minutes or until cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, place cooked calamari in the ice water bath immediately.
- Once calamari is cold, drain and then add to the bowl of veggies and mix together. Taste test and season with salt to taste.
- Chill the calamari salad in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. Before serving, taste test and add more olive oil, lemon juice, or salt and pepper if required. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- It's recommended to use squid that are about 6 inches long. If using very large squid, it's best to cut thinner rings and to cut the tentacles in half or into quarters.
- Sodium levels reflect the addition of 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, but salt to taste.
- Make sure to taste test the calamari salad right before serving and add any extra olive oil, lemon juice, or salt and pepper as required.
- It's best to chill the salad for at least a couple of hours, but it's even better if left overnight so that the flavors come together.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.3g | Protein: 18.2g | Fat: 28.7g | Saturated Fat: 4.4g | Cholesterol: 264mg | Sodium: 839mg | Potassium: 379mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 1.7g | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg