Chilean salad is straightforward; it’s mostly onions and tomatoes but has its little secrets to make it tasty. Chilean salad is a summer salad, best made when tomatoes are fresh and have matured in the bushes. Many of the classic Chilean meals improve dramatically with the addition of the Chilean salad: fried fish with mashed potatoes, fresh tamales or humitas, BBQ beef with potato salad, spicy pork ribs only taste completed with this salad.
I made this salad with tomatoes from my garden, this year’s harvest was great, and I enjoyed it like never before.
You can do the salad with or without green chile and minced garlic, I do not recommend you skip salting the tomatoes before putting them together with the rest of the ingredients. The salt brings out the flavor of the tomatoes. Do not use olive oil; neutral vegetable oil is traditional.
Visit our collection of Chilean recipes here.
Print
Loading...
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Cuisine:
Print
PinDescription
The most traditional salad in Chile.
Ingredients
- 1 Spanish onion (yellow)
- 5 medium-sized tomatoes
- 1 clove of garlic (optional)
- 1 yellow Thai chili or sweet banana pepper (optional)
- salt, pepper, oil, wine vinegar
Instructions
- Boil water.
- Chop onion in half-moons as thin as possible. Place in a bowl, cover with boiling water, let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Dry with paper towels.
- Chop the garlic and seed the peppers, cut finely.
- Chop the tomatoes into wedges, place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, stir.
- Add onion, garlic, and finely chopped pepper if desired.
- Season with salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar.
- Stir and taste. Adjust the seasoning.
Keywords: chilean salad
I love the simplicity of the ingredients list — but I know the flavour is anything but simple. Great recipe, thanks for sharing.:)
Thanks Nancy!
Thanks for the recipe! Beautiful tomatoes.
I love neutralizing the onions with the boiling water.
I live in the south of Chile and enjoy it with cilantro.
Hi Lori, welcome. I also like it with cilantro.
Como se hace esta ensalada para que el tomate no suelte tanto jugo?
El tomate suelta jugo cuando le pones la sal, así que no la aliñes hasta 5 minutos antes de servirla.
Thank you! I have just come across your website and am so happy. My husband and his family are Chilean and I love the recipes that my mother in law makes. It has been so nice to find a group of recipes that are exact replicas of what they cook and what I have seen when in chile.
Again, thank you!
I’m glad. Let me know if you have any questions.
I don’t think it is true Chilean Salad if the tomatoes haven’t been peeled!
Things change, and each family has their own way.