I ♥️ ( heart) Brazilian Food. The freshness of the ingredients. The sweetness of the fruits. The Brazilian cuisine is one of my favorites. And since I love salads, with all of my heart, and I love fresh veggies in any form and amount, I have decided to bring you today some great salads straight from Brazil. Extremally easy to make, with fresh ingredients, most important, all delicious. And if you will even try one or two of them, it is a win win already. So, let us get cooking!
Vinagrete/Brazilian Vinaigrette Salsa
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 onion (large, diced)
- 4 tomatoes (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (or green, diced, optional)
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt
- pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.
TIP*
1) The vinaigrette tastes even better if you let it rest at room temperature (or in the fridge) for about 30 minutes to one hour!
2) Brazilians usually make vinaigrette salsa with yellow onions, but you can substitute to your favorite kind of onion here.
Salada Simples de Tomate com Cebola/Brazilian Tomato Salad
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 tomatoes (super ripe, roma are my favorites)
- 1/4 red onion (See notes)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 pinch ground fennel
- salt
- pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
If you keep your tomatoes in the fridge remove them a good hour before you make this. You will want them to be at room temperature.
Cut the end of the tomatoes and then cut them in half-length ways. Slice them into thick moon shapes and arrange on a serving plate. Finely chop the red onion and scatter over the tomatoes. In a small jar, mix together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, ground fennel and a generous amount of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and let it sit for 5 minutes so the flavors meld together.
Salpicão /Brazilian Chicken Salad
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast (diced or shredded)
- 1 carrot (large, shredded)
- 1/2 cup peas (cooked)
- 1/2 cup corn (cooked)
- 1 green apple (medium, cored and diced small)
- 1 box raisins (one ounce, or a small handful)
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt, optional)
- potato sticks (shoestring potato chips, for garnish, about ¼ cup per serving)
- salt
- pepper
- lettuce leaves (large, washed, for serving)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Season generously. Add potato sticks. Stir in the mayonnaise and spur cream/yogurt, starting with the smaller amount and adding more if needed. (Alternately you can replace all of the mayonnaise, with sour cream and yogurt)
To serve, arrange a few lettuce leaves on a plate, top with about a cup of Salpicão and garnish with the potato sticks.
Salada de arroz com atum /Brazilian Rice Salad with Tuna
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 oz of carrot
- 2 oz of green or red pepper
- 4 oz frozen peas
- 6.5 oz of zucchini
- 10 oz of rice ( any type you like will do)
- 1 large can of tuna ( 10 -14 oz)
- 4 oz of corn
- Cilantro or parsley
- 4 oz of pitted sliced black olives
- 15 cherry tomatoes ( cut in half)
- 2 boiled eggs (optional)
- olive oil
- Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION:
Cut the carrots and peppers and zucchini into small cubes. Put the rice in the steamer basket.
Cook for required amount of time, to make sure all is cooked properly.
*Tip: I use Instant Pot for all the steaming, but you can use any other steam pot, to make it.
Put the rice in a bowl. Add the cooked (and cooled) vegetables, drained tuna, corn, chopped coriander (or parsley), pitted olives, olive oil and cherry tomatoes. Finally, decorate the salad with the boiled eggs (optional).
Salsa De Palmito/ Hearts of Palm Salad
INGREDIENTS:
- 28 ounces hearts of palm (sliced, drained)
- 1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
- 1/2 yellow onion (or of a small white, very thinly sliced)
- 2 spring onions (finely chopped)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a medium bowl combine the hearts of palm, tomato, onions, and spring onions.
In a small bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Pour it over the vegetables. Stir gently to coat with the dressing. Serve.
Maionese/Brazilian potato salad
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 1/4 pounds Idaho potatoes (well washed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 pinch salt (plus enough to taste)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic (minced and mashed into a paste)
- 1/4 white onion (large, finely grated)
- 1/2 cup olives black or green (good quality chopped; leave 3 whole olives to garnish salad)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (or parsley if desired)
- 3 tablespoons green onions (chopped, plus more to garnish salad)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 hardboiled eggs (large, chopped, optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cut the potato into cubes and cook in salty water. Drain it , but not rinse. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and drizzle with vinegar. Set aside and let cool down completely.
In a separate large bowl, combine mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, grated onion, chopped olives (green or black, or both, fully up to you), mint, cilantro (or parsley), green onions, salt, and pepper to taste. Only if preferred, combine the chopped hard-boiled eggs (for this stir in an additional 1/4 cup of mayo into the mixture). Add cool potatoes to the mayo mixture, stirring gently to combine. Chill for 1 to 2 hours or more before serving. Garnish top of the Brazilian potato salad with whole olives and chopped green onions. Enjoy!
Salada De Cebola (Onion salad)/molho curtido de cebola e tomate
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 small purple onions
- Juice of 3 limes or lemons
- 1 tablespoon of light olive oil or avocado oil
- 3 tomatoes
PREPARATION:
Cut the onion in half and then into very thin slices, and place in a bowl. Sprinkle it with a tablespoon of salt and let stand for about ten minutes. In the meantime, cover the onions with warm water and let it sit for another ten minutes. Wash and drain the onions. Mix lime juice and olive oil or oil and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Add to the mixture of sliced onions and tomatoes with olive oil or cilantro. Taste and add salt if necessary.
*Tip: Variations of the salad can also include other vegetables in very thin slices, like carrots, peppers, peppers, cucumbers, radishes etc. To turn it into a large salad, serve over lettuce in strips or green leaves, along with slices of avocado
Vinagrete De Três Pimentões/Vinegary Pepper Salad
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 small red pepper
- 1 small yellow pepper
- 1 small green pepper
- 1 large red onion
- Olive Oil
- ½ – 1 cup of White Wine Vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
PREPARATION:
Chop all ingredients into cubes and set aside.
Combine the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper with a fork or whisk until you get a uniform sauce. Then start adding the oil into the vinegar. Add the chopped vegetables to this sauce. Keep it cold in fridge. Goes well with red meats or barbecue.
Salada De Pepino Com Manga/Simple Mango and Cucumber Salad
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1/2 large avocado
- 1 large mango
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or cilantro)
- Himalayan or sea salt
- green leaves to your liking
PREPARATION:
Cut the mango, cucumber, and avocado into cubes. Finely chop the parsley or cilantro. Set up a salad aside in bowl. Add as much fresh lemon, as you like. Sprinkle with salt and add olive oil. Mix gently. Check the seasoning and if needed , adjust to your taste. There is no wrong here.
Serve with green leaves, such as lettuce or arugula. If you want to make this salad a main dish, add chopped nuts, almonds, or chestnuts. It is also delicious with seeds like sunflower and pumpkin. Prepare the amount to be consumed, do not keep leftovers in the refrigerator because it will not be good the other day. Serve chilled and always fresh.
Very nice post
thank you