Ensalada Chilena

I’ve always been a huge fan of the different cuisines found throughout South America.  Dishes like pollo a la brasa from Peru, milanesa from Argentina, and feijoada from Brasil are regularly enjoyed in our household.   That being said there is one South American country that I always tend to forget, Chile.  

Sorry, Chileans it’s not you, it’s me.  

And honestly, it’s a shame because Chile has a vibrant culinary pedigree.  It features a number of delicious and hearty soups, tasty grilled meats, and a number of sweet treats.  But today I’d like you to join me in taking our first dive into Chilean cuisine with one of the country’s most popular dishes, ensalada chilena.

What is Ensalada Chilena?

Ensalada Chilena or “Chilean salad” is quite possibly one of the simplest and easy to make salads to ever exist.  In its most basic form it is essentially just sliced tomatoes and onions tossed in olive oil and salt.  Luckily there are some versions that add things like fresh herbs, and acidic components like vinegar and citrus juice.  So obviously we are going to go with a more flavorful version.

But no matter what version you choose you will end up with a light and refreshing salad that is perfect for summer.  So without further to do let’s get to making our ensalada chilena.

Tips, Tricks & Suggestions

• As I have said most traditional ensalada chilena use only olive oil for dressing.  That being said you can add acidic components to give the salad more flavor.  Today in our salad we will be using lemon juice, but you can easily swap that out with either lime juice, or red wine vinegar.  Just use whatever you have on hand.
• Not only can this salad be made ahead of time I think it tastes better if you give it an hour or two for the flavors to really meld together.
• Traditionally ensalada Chilena is served alongside grilled meats.  Our favorite pairing was with our recipe for marinated beef tenderloin.

Ensalada Chilena Recipe

Total time: 15 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 Large tomatoes,  sliced thin

½ Large white onion, sliced thin

1 Tablespoon of cilantro, parsley, or basil, minced

¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prep the onions (optional): Get out a medium-sized bowl and add the sliced onion to it.  Then pour some warm water over the onions and let them soak for 10 minutes.  This will help to make the onions softer and less pungent, so if you don’t care about that then skip this step.  After the 10 minutes drain the onions in a colander.

2. Assemble the salad:  Place the onions along with the tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, and lemon juice into a bowl. Toss until everything is mixed and coated in the dressing.

3. Add salt & pepper to taste and toss the salad again.

4. Place the ensalada Chilena in your fridge for a couple of hours os that it stays cool, or serve immediately, enjoy!

Print Recipe

Ensalada Chilena Recipe

Total Time15 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 Large tomatoes sliced thin
• ½ Large white onion sliced thin
• 1 Tablespoon of cilantro parsley, or basil, minced
• ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Prep the onions (optional): Get out a medium-sized bowl and add the sliced onion to it. Then pour some warm water over the onions and let them soak for 10 minutes. This will help to make the onions softer and less pungent, so if you don’t care about that then skip this step. After the 10 minutes drain the onions in a colander.
• Assemble the salad: Place the onions along with the tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, and lemon juice into a bowl. Toss until everything is mixed and coated in the dressing.
• Add salt & pepper to taste and toss the salad again.
• Place the ensalada Chilena in your fridge for a couple of hours os that it stays cool, or serve immediately, enjoy!