Chef Margarida
Cenouras à Algarvia
The marinated carrots of the Algarve, where garlic, paprika, and good azeite transform a humble root into something you'll make every week. Proof that the south knows how to treat vegetables.
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Salada de Alface com Cebola
Created by
The salad that appears on every Portuguese table, dressed at the last moment with good azeite and vinegar. Four ingredients. No recipe needed. This is how we've always eaten.
Salads
Portuguese
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
Quick Meal
10 min
Active Time
0 min cook•10 min total
Yield4 servings
This isn't really a recipe. It's a habit. A reflex. The salad that appears beside every meal in Portugal, from the humblest tasca to the Sunday table.
Avó Leonor made this salad every single day. Lunch and dinner, without fail. Lettuce from the garden when she had it, from the market when she didn't. Onion sliced so thin you could read through it. Azeite from the cooperative in Moura. Red wine vinegar from the barrel in the cellar. Salt. Nothing else.
I've watched tourists in Lisbon look confused when this arrives at their table. Where's the dressing? Where are the toppings? They don't understand that this is the dressing. This is the salad. The simplicity is the point. When your olive oil is good and your lettuce is fresh, you don't need anything else.
At my Mesa da Avó dinners, I always serve this alongside the main course. People ask for the recipe and I have to explain: there is no recipe. There's just technique. Dry your lettuce. Slice your onion thin. Dress it at the table. Eat it immediately. A cozinha é memória, and this salad is the memory of every Portuguese meal I've ever eaten.
This simple preparation represents the oldest form of salad dressing in the Mediterranean, unchanged since Roman times when olive oil and vinegar were the only condiments available. In Portugal, salada de alface appears on virtually every table as a palate cleanser and digestive aid. The tradition of dressing at the table rather than in the kitchen ensures the leaves stay crisp until the moment of eating.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
butter lettuce or alface frisada
Quantity
1 large head
leaves separated and washed
white onion
Quantity
1 small
sliced into paper-thin rings
extra virgin olive oil (azeite)
Quantity
1/4 cup
red wine vinegar
Quantity
2 tablespoons
flaky sea salt
Quantity
to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| butter lettuce or alface frisadaleaves separated and washed | 1 large head |
| white onionsliced into paper-thin rings | 1 small |
| extra virgin olive oil (azeite) | 1/4 cup |
| red wine vinegar | 2 tablespoons |
| flaky sea salt | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Salad spinner or clean kitchen towels
- •Wide shallow serving bowl
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the lettuce
Wash the lettuce leaves in cold water and dry them thoroughly. This matters. Wet lettuce dilutes the dressing and turns soggy within minutes. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces by hand. Never cut lettuce with a knife. The bruised edges brown and taste of metal.
- 2
Slice the onion
Cut the onion in half through the root, then slice into the thinnest rings you can manage. Thin as paper. Thin enough to see through. Thick onion overwhelms. You want just enough bite to remind you it's there.
If the onion is too sharp for your taste, soak the rings in ice water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry. This softens the bite without losing the flavor. - 3
Assemble the salad
Place the lettuce in a wide shallow bowl. Scatter the onion rings over the top. Don't toss yet. The dressing happens at the table.
- 4
Dress at the table
Bring the salad to the table with the olive oil, vinegar, and salt alongside. Drizzle the azeite generously over the leaves, then the vinegar. Sprinkle with salt. Toss gently with your hands or two spoons. Serve immediately. This salad waits for no one.
Isto é como a avó fazia. The dressing is never mixed in advance. Oil first, then vinegar, then salt. Always in that order. The oil coats the leaves and protects them from wilting too quickly in the acid.
Chef Tips
- •Use the best olive oil you have. You'll taste it directly here, raw and uncooked. A good Alentejano azeite makes this salad. A bad one ruins it.
- •The Portuguese don't typically use black pepper in this salad. Salt only. If you want pepper, no one will stop you, but it's not traditional.
- •Some families use white wine vinegar instead of red. Both are correct. Use what your grandmother used, or what you have.
- •The lettuce must be completely dry before dressing. A salad spinner works, or wrap the leaves in a clean kitchen towel and shake gently. Wet leaves mean watery dressing.
Advance Preparation
- •The lettuce can be washed, dried, and refrigerated wrapped in towels for up to 4 hours.
- •The onion can be sliced and held in ice water for up to 2 hours. Drain and pat completely dry before using.
- •Never dress this salad in advance. It must be dressed at the table, moments before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 90g)
Calories
135 calories
Total Fat
14 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
11 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
150 mg
Total Carbohydrates
3 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
1 g
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