Recently I went to a farmers market and noticed fresh squids they were selling. Immediately thoughts about Green Salad with Grilled Squid appeared in my head. So fresh and so nutritious at the same time. The key is to take fresh vegetables and fresh squid (not frozen ones, leave it for the fried squid rings).
The recipe is easy as always, it will take about 20 mins.
Ingredients for Green Salad with Grilled Squid:
Romaine salad
Take some leaves of fresh Romaine and roughly cut them. They gonna be the base of our salad, the taste of Romaine is neutral, and it nicely crunches. If you don’t have Romaine, use iceberg lettuce, it is a worthy replacement.
Bunch of cilantro
This herb is perfect for this salad as it has a pungent, citrusy flavor. Ise only leaves, not the stalk. We need this herb just to add flavor to the salad, not to be the main taste that we feel. So, leaves of one bunch are enough.
Avocado
As for the avocado, I use the Hass avocado type. Its flavor is creamy and smooth. Actually, you can use any avocado; the main thing is that must be ripe and soft. By the way, avocados contain several nutrients including carotenoids, monounsaturated fats, potassium, and fiber that have been associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases, especially when included as part of a balanced nutritious diet.
Zucchini
This ingredient adds piquancy to the final dish. As we grill it just a bit, it will save its freshness, but it will be softer and nearer to baked vegetables. This ingredient will help create a “flavor bridge” between fresh herbs (romano, cilantro, and avocado) and hot grilled squid.
Squids
Why do we need to use exactly fresh squids for this salad? The thing is that the frozen and then unfrozen squid probably won’t have such a soft texture that the fresh one has. So I insist on using fresh ones in this recipe.
Dressing
For the dressing, mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of 1/2 lime, 2 garlic cloves chopped, and a pinch of salt & pepper. I call this a garlic oil dressing. It finished the salad by adding to it a bit of sourness and spiciness.
How to make Green Salad with Grilled Squid?
Firstly, let’s deal with the squids. I was lucky and had them peeled on the market (thanks to the salesman🤭). So if you’re as lucky as I am, just cut them into about 3-4cm pieces and make notchings that will make our squids beautiful after grilling. If not, then first peel the squids.
Cover the pieces with salt and olive oil and grill them on medium heat grill-pan for just 1min. So they were still soft but cooked. You’ll see that they’re cooked when they get pinky. Don’t overcook them; if so, the squid gonna have a rubber texture, and we don’t need it. Place the squids on the plate and set aside.
Zucchini. Peel and cut them into rounds, cover with some salt, black pepper, and olive oil, and grill them in the same pan the squids were till softened (about 2 mins on each side). Then cut them into smaller pieces and set them aside.
Let’s assemble the salad. Roughly cut Romano and Cilantro leaves, and place them on the serving plate. Then add cut avocado and zucchini.
Add squid pieces on top, and pour with the garlic dressing (mix 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of 1/2 lime, 2 garlic cloves chopped, and a pinch of salt & pepper).
Your green salad with grilled squid is ready. Enjoy!
If you like fresh salads with seafood, check out these recipes:
Green Salad with Grilled Squid
Ingredients
- 1 cup romaine salad
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- ½ avocado
- 1 zucchini
- 2 medium squids
Garlic Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- a pinch of salt & pepper.
Instructions
- Let's deal with the squids. Cut them into about 3-4cm pieces and make notchings that will make our squids beautiful after grilling.
- Cover the pieces with salt and olive oil and grill them on medium heat grill-pan for just 1min. Don't overcook them. Place the squids on the plate and set aside.
- Peel and cut zucchini into rounds, cover with some salt, black pepper, and olive oil, and grill them in the same pan the squids were till softened (about 2 mins on each side). Then cut them into smaller pieces and set them aside.
- Assemble the salad. Roughly cut Romano and cilantro leaves, and place them on the serving plate. Then add cut avocado and zucchini.
- Add squid pieces on top, and pour with the garlic dressing (mix 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of 1/2 lime, 2 garlic cloves chopped, and a pinch of salt & pepper). Enjoy!
Green Salad with Grilled Squid