The Spaniards prepare food quite simply. It is somewhat reminiscent of Provence or Italy; garlic, olive oil, tomatoes and herbs are also appreciated there. However, oriental and Arab motives are felt here much more strongly.

The north of Spain is known for its fish dishes. This is not surprising, because the Atlantic has always provided huge catches of cod and other fish species. Even in these lands there are majestic apple orchards, famous for their cider.

The Mediterranean coast belongs to Catalonia for the most part, whose cuisine is based on cereals, grapes and olives. In addition, rice, fruits, vegetables and meat play a significant role.

The central regions of Spain have a rather hot climate and the terrain is quite mountainous. These places can hardly be called an agricultural paradise. Only drought-resistant crops like beans and lentils survive here. That is why lentil and bean salads are popular, including in Madrid.

Andalusia, located in the south of Spain, is famous for its sweet food. Cold gazpacho soup was made here from time immemorial.

Salads occupy a special place among all Spanish dishes. As a rule, they are bright, juicy, rich. They are prepared from fresh vegetables, herbs, meat or fish. Everything must be seasoned with olive oil or a special sauce. Today we will tell you how to properly prepare Spanish salads.

Avocado salad

Required ingredients for making avocado salad:

• avocado - 1 pc.
• salad tomatoes - 1 pc.
• canned tuna in oil - 1 can
• arugula - 1 bunch
• olive oil - 1 tsp
• sea \u200b\u200bsalt - a pinch
• lemon juice - 1 tsp
• garlic - 1 slice

The avocado needs to be washed and cut in half, then remove the pit and mash the pulp with a fork until puree. Season the prepared avocado puree with salt, pepper, sprinkle with lemon juice, pour 1 tsp. olive oil and crush a clove of garlic there. To mix everything.

Remove the peel from the tomato. To do this, you need to make an incision and lower it into boiling water, after a few seconds remove it and easily clean it. After that, remove the seeds and excess juice, and cut the pulp into small cubes.

Open the can of tuna, drain the juice and mash the fish with a fork. Place a layer of avocado on a plate, followed by tomatoes and tuna. Decorate the finished dish with arugula.

Radish salad

Required ingredients for making radish salad:

• salad tomatoes - 300 g
• radish - 1 pc.
• fresh cucumbers - 1 pc.
• bulb onion - 1 pc.
• fresh parsley - 50 g
• dill - 50 g
• table vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• sunflower oil - 3 tablespoons
• salt, ground black pepper - a pinch

Tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes must first be thoroughly washed and cut into small small pieces.

Peel and chop the onion into cubes. Wash dill and parsley, dry and chop finely. Mix everything in one bowl, season with salt, pepper, sprinkle with vinegar and pour over with sunflower oil.

Salad with tuna

Required ingredients for making tuna salad:

• lettuce - 4 bunches
• canned tuna in olive oil - 2 cans
• tomatoes - 4 pcs.
• pitted black olives - 25 pcs.
• romesco sauce - 1 glass

First, put the lettuce on the dish. After that, open the tuna, mash the fish with a fork and put on lettuce leaves. Wash the tomatoes, cut into small pieces and put on the fish. Then you need to cut the olives into two parts and put them on the top layer. Drizzle with romesco sauce and you can use the prepared salad.

Ham salad

Required ingredients for making ham salad:

• ham - 350 g
• bulgarian pepper - 2 pcs.
• onion - 1 pc.
• pickled corn - 1 can
• pickled green peas - 100 g
• iceberg salad - 50 g
• table vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• salt - a pinch
• sunflower oil - 70 g
• parsley

Bell peppers are best taken canned. Throw it in a colander, and then cut into cubes. Open the jar with pickled peas and corn, drain the marinade, and put the contents, and the required amount, into a salad bowl.

Peel the small onion and cut into four parts. Cut the ham into small cubes and place in a bowl with the peas and corn. Wash the parsley, dry and chop finely.

Mix all the ingredients of the salad, season with salt, pepper and pour over the dressing. For refueling, you need to combine sunflower oil with vinegar. Decorating the finished salad is required with parsley sprigs and salad leaves.

Bacon salad

Required ingredients for making bacon salad:

• tomatoes - 12 pcs.
• bacon - 300 g
• goat cheese - 200 g
• olive oil - 5 tablespoons
• garlic - 1 slice
• pine nuts - 50 g
• lettuce leaves - 250 g
• dijon mustard - 2 tablespoons
• balsamic vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• salt - a pinch
• ground black pepper - 0.5 tsp

Tomatoes must be baked in the oven or grilled, but always with garlic. Then cut each into small wedges.

Bacon needs to be cut into small cubes and fried in a dry frying pan. Pine nuts should also be fried in a pan, only separately. Crumble goat cheese by hand or finely chop.

To prepare the dressing for this salad, you need to whisk the olive oil, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth.

All prepared salad ingredients must be mixed and poured over with the finished dressing. The salad can be consumed immediately after preparation.

Cabbage salad

Required ingredients for making a salad with cabbage:

• chicken meat - 200 g
• chinese cabbage - 100 g
• tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• mayonnaise - 200 g
• soy sauce - 3 tablespoons
• curry - a pinch
• white bread - 200 g
• olive oil - 30 g

The chicken fillet must be cut into small pieces and then pickled. For the marinade, you need to mix mayonnaise, soy sauce and curry. Put the marinated meat in a frying pan and fry until golden brown.

Wash the tomatoes and cut into small wedges. Chop the Chinese cabbage finely. Make more sauce (mayonnaise, curry and soy sauce) with the remaining ingredients. The bread must be cut into cubes and dried in the oven.

Combine all the ingredients of the salad in layers, sprinkle with croutons and pour over the dressing. Ready salad must be immediately put on the table, until the croutons are softened. If you serve later, it is better to add the croutons just before serving.

Mushroom salad

Required ingredients for making a salad with champignons:

• green olives stuffed with lemon - 1 can
• green lettuce leaves - 150 g
• fresh champignons - 8 pcs.
• feta cheese - 100 g
• olive oil - 2 tablespoons

Cut the mushrooms into wedges and place in a bowl. Open the jar of olives and pour the marinade into the mushrooms. Leave in this state for a while.

Cut the olives into slices. Mash the feta cheese with a fork or chop finely. Thoroughly wash and dry the lettuce leaves, and then tear them into small pieces with your hands.

Strain the mushrooms and mix with the rest of the salad ingredients. Season the prepared salad with olive oil and stir evenly. Can be consumed immediately after preparation.

Banana salad

Required ingredients for making banana salad:

• lettuce leaves - 100 g
• avocado - 2 pcs.
• bananas - 3 pcs.
• olive oil - 3 tablespoons
• pickled corn - 4 tablespoons
• apple cider vinegar - a little
• sea \u200b\u200bsalt - a pinch

Lettuce leaves need to be washed and dried, and then cut into thin strips and put on the bottom of a plate.

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. You can stab it with a knife so that the bone can easily come off the pulp. Cut the pulp into cubes. Peel the bananas and cut them into cubes. Place the bananas and avocados on the lettuce leaves. Top with apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Open the jar of corn, strain and put the required amount of product on top of the salad. This salad is best served freshly prepared.

Lifestyle? A light salad can serve as an addition to meat or a main course, and in both cases, learning the recipes for delicious Spanish salads will never be superfluous.

Ensalada malagueña (Malaga salad)

A salad typical of Andalusia and the province of Malaga. Previously, it was called "salmorejo" (not to be confused with the eponymous rabbit marinade and puree soup). This is a summer salad, the main ingredients of which are boiled potatoes, orange, green onions, olives and cod. Boiled eggs and parsley can be added if desired. The salad is prepared at home, served in bars as tapas or in restaurants.

To prepare this salad, you must:

• 3 potatoes
• 100 gr salted cod
• 3 oranges
• 100 ml olive oil
• Several green onion feathers
• 10 olives
• Salt to taste

Boil potatoes, chill, cut into small pieces. For a richer flavor, you can boil it in the peel.

Cut the orange into slices without draining the juice. Chop the green onion finely. Mix potatoes, oranges and onions with orange juice. Garnish with chopped cod and olives. Salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and refrigerate for half an hour before serving.

Ensalada murciana (Murcia salad)

Ensalada murciana (also called moje or mojete) is a typical dish for the La Mancha region and the Murcia region. There are two ways to prepare a salad: by adding a chopped fresh tomato or a peeled canned tomato. Also, instead of tuna, the Spaniards can use salted cod or olives instead of olives.

This is a modest and simple, but surprisingly tasty dish, perfect complement to which will be crispy fresh bread that can be dipped into the dish.

To bring the recipe to life, you need the following ingredients:

• 1 large can of canned tomatoes (600-800g)
• 1 medium onion
• 2-3 eggs
• 150 gr canned tuna
• 10-12 olives
• Olive oil
• Salt

Boil the eggs and leave to cool. Cut the onion into half rings and leave for a few minutes in a deep plate with water and salt. This will give it softness.

Open the canned tomatoes and strain gently. Put them in a deep plate and chop with a knife or fork, leaving a few large pieces. Peel the eggs and cut each into about 8 pieces. Open the canned tuna, drain the liquid and gently knead it with a fork, transfer to a plate. Chop the onion and add it to the salad along with the olives. Season with salt and olive oil to taste. Mix everything well and leave in the refrigerator for a while before serving.

The secret of the popularity of Spanish tapas (appetizers) is well known. Olive oil, garlic, herbs slightly saturate and at the same time whet the appetite. And exotic southern ingredients and pungent Spanish sauces give the appetizers a unique charm. Pyrenean culinary traditions mixed in this blessed land with the Moorish ones, and with the discovery of the New World, products from the American continent began to be massively used in kitchens.

In addition, it should be remembered that Spain is a multinational country. In Andalusia, Catalonia, Galicia and other regions, there are different culinary traditions. Therefore, there is no single concept of "Spanish salad". However, all these snacks are united by ease of preparation, an abundance of greens and vegetables, and necessarily nourishing ingredients. Indeed, on a hot summer afternoon, lunch is often limited to tapas. Salad, patatas bravas - what else do you need? Maybe a glass of sangria.

Sombrero salad

Take canned bell peppers out of the brine and cut into strips. Add one hundred grams of canned corn and green peas each - also without liquid, of course. Peel the onion and chop it coarsely (you can simply divide it into eight parts). Chop three hundred and fifty grams of ham into cubes. From a bunch of parsley, select a few twigs for decoration, finely chop the rest.

Cover the dish with a leaf of Iceberg lettuce. Put our dish on it in a slide. It is customary to fill the Spanish salad "Sombrero" with "vinaigre" sauce. Combine olive oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper. Let's wait a little before serving. All ingredients in the dish should be soaked in the sauce.

Baked tomato and bacon salad

To begin with, take twelve tomatoes and two cloves of garlic. We will bake them in the oven or on the grill. Cut the tomatoes soaked in garlic spirit into slices. Chop two hundred and fifty grams of bacon into strips. Fry them in a dry frying pan. Let's roast fifty grams of pine nuts so that they crunch in the mouth.

Sprinkle the dish with a mixture of lettuce leaves. Put the baked tomatoes and bacon on this bed. Sprinkle with pine nuts. This Spanish salad recipe suggests dressing with a sauce made from olive oil (five tablespoons), balsamic vinegar (1 tablespoon) and Dijon mustard (2 tablespoons). And the final touch. Sprinkle the finished salad with goat cheese. It will take about two hundred grams. You can simply crush the cheese with your fingers.

Tongue salad

Rather, it is a winter dish. Pour boiling water over one tongue and cook over low heat for about two hours. Salt it fifteen minutes before cooking. Separately cook three or four potatoes and one large carrot in their uniforms. Peel the tongue and chop it into strips. Cut the potatoes and carrots into cubes. Put two hundred grams of asparagus beans in a frying pan with hot vegetable oil. Pour in a quarter of a glass of boiling water and simmer until the water evaporates. Add spices, fry for another two minutes. Let cool and add to the Spanish salad with tongue. Drain the liquid from a jar of pitted olives. We also add them to the salad, as well as three pickled finely chopped cucumbers. Introduce shredded head of Peking cabbage. Season the dish with mayonnaise and decorate with herbs.

Beef salad

First we make the marinade. Take half a glass of olive oil, pour in a few drops of Tabasco, a couple of tablespoons each of soy sauce and wine vinegar. Put about one hundred grams or a little more beef tenderloin in this mixture. Cook two or three potatoes in their uniforms. Peel and season with a spoonful of olive oil, chopped dill and a little chili.

We tear lettuce leaves with our hands. Free the sweet pepper from seeds, cut into strips. Pour the paprika and lettuce leaves with balsamic sauce. We take the beef out of the marinade, cut into cubes. Fry in a dry frying pan. We begin to fold the Spanish beef salad. First, put the potatoes in a transparent dish. Flatten the layer. Place the beef on the potatoes. Place the bell pepper salad on top. Decorate the dish with halves of cherry tomatoes.

Ensalada de Mar

Place a handful of croutons on two lettuce leaves. Place on top: chopped one cucumber and several cherry tomatoes. Fry shrimps (50 grams) in vegetable oil with garlic, salt and pepper. After cooling, put on vegetables. Sprinkle the Spanish salad with shrimps with onion and arugula with shredded half rings, season with olive oil.

In hot weather, we prefer light and refreshing dishes, so we eat more vegetables and herbs when summer comes. In this article, we'll take a look at the most popular Spanish recipes for refreshing summer salads.
There are endless combinations that can be used to prepare salads: greens, beans, vegetables, fish, meat ... As a dressing, the Spaniards most often use olive oil, vinegar or mustard.