Chef Isabel
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Ensalada Valenciana
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Ensalada Valenciana is the Levante's plain summer table salad: lettuce, ripe tomato, tuna, hard-boiled egg, olives, oil and vinegar, with the tomato leading and nothing dressed too early.
Salads
Spanish
Quick Meal
Weeknight
Outdoor Dining
20 min
Active Time
10 min cook•30 min total
Yield4 servings
Ensalada Valenciana belongs to Valencia and the Levante table: crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, tuna in oil, hard-boiled egg, olives, and a sharp little dressing of olive oil, vinegar, and salt. It is not a composed showpiece and it is not a neighbour's roasted-pepper salad. Valencia lets the raw tomato do the talking, especially beside rice, grilled fish, or a quick weekday meal.
The method that decides it is not cooking at all. Dry the lettuce well, keep the tomatoes at room temperature, and dress the salad only when everyone is ready to eat. Salt wakes the tomato and vinegar brightens it, but both will collapse the leaves if you let the bowl sit. A salad can be ruined by waiting on the table while someone looks for the bread. There, I said it.
If you're far from Valencia, no hace falta haber pisado España. Use the ripest field or vine tomatoes you can find, good jarred tuna packed in olive oil, and firm green olives. If your tomatoes are poor, choose cherry tomatoes instead; they carry more sweetness out of season, though the salad will be smaller and sharper than it is in July. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Ensalada Valenciana comes from the market cooking of the Valencian coast and huerta, the irrigated garden lands that made lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and other raw vegetables everyday summer food. It is often served as a plain companion to arroz dishes, including paella Valenciana, because its vinegar and raw tomato cut through the oil and rice without competing with them. The tuna, egg, and olives reflect the preserved pantry of the Levante home kitchen, where a quick salad could still be a proper meal.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
large eggs
Quantity
2
romaine or little gem lettuce
Quantity
200g
washed and dried well
ripe tomatoes
Quantity
500g
cut into wedges
sweet onion or spring onion
Quantity
80g
thinly sliced
tuna in olive oil
Quantity
160g
drained lightly
green olives, preferably manzanilla
Quantity
80g
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
45ml
wine vinegar or vinagre de Jerez
Quantity
15ml
fine sea salt
Quantity
4g, plus more to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large eggs | 2 |
| romaine or little gem lettucewashed and dried well | 200g |
| ripe tomatoescut into wedges | 500g |
| sweet onion or spring onionthinly sliced | 80g |
| tuna in olive oildrained lightly | 160g |
| green olives, preferably manzanilla | 80g |
| extra virgin olive oil | 45ml |
| wine vinegar or vinagre de Jerez | 15ml |
| fine sea salt | 4g, plus more to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Small saucepan for eggs
- •Salad spinner or clean kitchen towel
- •Wide shallow salad bowl or platter
Instructions
- 1
Boil the eggs
Put the eggs in a small pan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then cool them under cold running water until you can handle them. Peel and cut each egg into quarters. The yolk should be set and yellow, not grey at the edge.
- 2
Prepare the vegetables
Dry the lettuce very well and tear it into broad pieces. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and slice the onion thin. Keep the tomatoes at room temperature; cold kills their smell and sweetness. If the onion is strong, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and dry it.
Pésalo, no lo adivines. Too much onion takes over this salad quickly, so keep it to about 80g for four people. - 3
Build the salad
Lay the lettuce in a wide shallow bowl or platter. Add the tomato wedges and onion, then break the tuna into large flakes over the top. Tuck in the egg quarters and scatter the olives. Do not mash the tuna small; you want clean bites of fish, tomato, egg, and olive.
- 4
Dress and serve
Just before serving, sprinkle with the salt, drizzle over the vinegar, then the olive oil. Toss lightly with clean hands or two spoons, only enough to gloss the leaves and season the tomatoes. Serve at once, while the lettuce still stands crisp and the tomato juice has only just begun to mix with the oil.
Chef Tips
- •Make this when tomatoes smell like tomatoes. If they are pale and hard, use sweet cherry tomatoes instead, cut in half, and know the salad will be sharper and less juicy.
- •Use tuna packed in olive oil, not dry tuna in water. Drain it lightly, but leave a little oil clinging to the flakes; that taste belongs in the bowl.
- •Dress at the last minute. Lettuce, salt, and vinegar are not patient friends. Once they meet, the salad is for eating, not waiting.
- •A simple young white from Valencia or a very cold beer is enough here. Don't make the drink more complicated than the salad.
Advance Preparation
- •Boil and peel the eggs up to 1 day ahead; keep them covered in the refrigerator and quarter them just before serving.
- •Wash and dry the lettuce up to 6 hours ahead; wrap it in a clean towel and refrigerate so it stays crisp.
- •Cut the tomatoes and dress the salad only at the end. Once salted, the tomatoes give their juice and the lettuce softens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 295g)
Calories
275 calories
Total Fat
19 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
16 g
Cholesterol
105 mg
Sodium
890 mg
Total Carbohydrates
9 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
5 g
Protein
17 g
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