This warm squid salad is a great meal any time of the year but especially in the summer when you do not want to spend lot if time in front of a hot stovetop! This is a classic Venetian recipe where everything is cooked in one pot allowing the ingredient to blend together in a well balanced combination of flavors.
I have to confess that this recipe is inspired by the one of my favorite cookbook – Polpo – a collection of classic Venetian recipe from the author and chef Russell Norman.
Why you will love this recipe
– This easy recipe will be ready in 30 minutes or less.
– It has a combination of sea and land ingredients, making it a healthy meal rich in protein, plant based protein and fresh vegetables such as the kale and the tomatoes.
– You can serve this warm squid salad as a main or as an appetizer. Keep on reading for more!
Ingredients
To make this warm squid salad you need a few main ingredients:
Squid: I recommend to use fresh squid. Venetian cuisine is based on the use of fresh ingredients. Your fishmonger can clean it for you. I bought a pound of full cleaned squid and I cut it in the circles and I used the tentacles as well.
Kale: Select cavolo nero, or Tuscan kale. Not everyone likes kale as it is a bit hard and stalky, but you can use the leaves only. If you prefer to save the stalks, you can use them in your minestrone or morning green juice. Sub it with curly kale and follow the same procedure.
Tomatoes: You can use cherry tomatoes or 2 medium beef tomatoes chopped in pieces. Make sure they are ripe. Tomatoes are rich in licopene and they add a fresh taste to this recipe.
Chickpeas: they are your source of plant based proteins, which make this recipe a full complete meal. You can sub them with cannellini beans eventually.
Garlic: whole cloves of garlic add some depth without making it to strong. You can chopped it if you want.
Chili: add some chili flakes for extra spice and flavor. I used a whole dried peperoncino and I crumbled it in pieces. You can use the classic chili flakes.
Olive Oil: use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for you base as you start cooking and drizzle a bit at the endm when you serve thee dish.
White wine: essential ingredients for cooking this recipe to add acidity. You can sub it with vegetable broth if you do not drink wine.
How to make warm squid salad with kale and chickpeas
Start by preparing the kale. Remove the leaves by holding them with one hand and using your other hand pinch the stalk with your index and thumb to remove the stalks by pulling in opposite direction. The leaves will separate easily. Blanch the leaves in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, remove them with a spatula and place them in ice cold water. After a few minutes, remove them drain them and chop them. Cut the squid into 2 inches rings and keep the tentacles whole.
Pour 1 and half tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, when it shimmers add the squid, the garlic, chili. Add the tomatoes, the kale and the chickpeas. Mix it it in and then add white wine. When the wine has evaporated switch it off and serve it.
You can add more olive oil and more chili flakes on top before serving.
More Venetian Recipes for you
What to serve with warm squid salad with kale and chickpeas
This warm squid salad is great as small appetizer followed by a main: good paring could be oven baked orata or linguine with clams .
If instead you prefer to serve it as a main you can have as appetizer a some Cannellini Beans Crostini, some classic tomato bruschetta or maybe you can have some sarde in Saor, to stay in the Venetian recipe theme. A classic tiramisu will be the perfect end.
This salad makes also a good lunch option accompanied by focaccia.
Storing Suggestions
I recommend to eat this as soon as it ready. At maximum you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 days.
Wine Pairing for warm squid salad with kale and chickpeas
This salad is definitely calling for a crisp, refreshing Italian wine such as Verdicchio. This wine is a medium body wine with high acidity that will complement well with the hearty flavors of chickpeas and kale, the umami flavor of squid and the sweetness provided by the tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound squid
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1/3 cup white wine
Instructions
- Start by preparing the kale. Remove the leaves by holding them with one hand and using your other hand pinch the stalk with your index and thumb to remove the stalks by pulling in opposite direction. The leaves will separate easily.
- Blanch the leaves in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, remove them with a spatula and place them in ice cold water. After a few minutes, remove them drain them and chop them.
- Cut the squid into 2 inches rings and keep the tentacles whole.
- Pour 1 and half tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, when it shimmers add the squid, the garlic, chili.
- Add the tomatoes, the kale and the chickpeas. Mix it it in and then add white wine. When the wine has evaporated switch it off and serve it.
- You can add more olive oil and more chili flakes on top before serving.
Nutrition
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Molto invitante, a mio avviso soprattutto d’estate.Ingredienti molto buoni e nutrienti.