Easy Calamari (Squid) Salad

Squid is an ingredient that I vilified for a large portion of my life—probably until I was in my early teens. My mom’s insistence that I try all foods at least once, as well as a friend whose parents owned a restaurant, turned me on to calamari. There’s also been some recent news chatter about a certain substitute that some restaurants have allegedly been using as a cost savings measure (tldr; some claim pig rectum is being used, but current evidence points to hearsay and urban legend).

When our local supermarket had organically sourced squid, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a dish that didn’t include frying this delicious cephalopod. This salad is light and refreshing, and would easily work as an appetizer or first course, but can also work as a full meal itself. If you’re looking to put together a more exotic meal without a lot of effort, this is certainly a great way to go. Just note that cleaning and preparing squid can be a little time intensive, so if there is an option to buy them pre-cleaned (and you’re in a hurry), take advantage of it.

Ingredients
salad
2 C squid, cleaned and sliced
1 C red onion, thinly sliced
1 C carrot, shredded
1 C bell pepper, mixed red, green, yellow
1/2 C grape tomatoes, halved

dressing
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C white balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Method

Clean squid (video how-to) and slice into 1/2″ pieces.

Add to boiling water, and cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

While cooking, prepare carrot, bell pepper, onion, and tomatoes, and mix ingredients for dressing.

Remove squid from water and drain and let cool.

Toss cooled squid with vegetables. Add in mixed dressing and allow to rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Serve, and enjoy! Also feel free to keep in touch with us on instagram, twitter, Facebook, and subscribe up in the menu!