Chilean Salad (Ensalada chilena)

A popular salad in Chile, Ensalada Chilena (Chilean Salad) uses ripe, summer fresh tomatoes mixed with white onions and topped with fresh herbs.

Chilean Salad (Ensalada chilena)

In Chile, this is a traditional salad featuring light ingredients made with ripe tomatoes, white onions and fresh herbs. It’s common to have it served with spicy chiles/peppers, however we’ve kept the heat out of this dish in this recipe since not everyone likes spicy food as much as I do. Use whatever tomatoes you have access to at your market, grocery store or garden.

I’ve had a similar salad in Germany called tomatensalat with the same ingredients and method although served with fresh basil.

Traditional Chilean Salad is typically made with a more neutral vegetable oil, however we prefer to use a good quality olive oil in our salads.

What to serve with Chilean Salad

Serve this tasty salad with anything grilled (vegetables, steak, pork, chicken, fish, burgers) for a simple dinner. It’s delicious served on baked potatoes, grain or rice bowls or served with eggs. Here’s a few recipes we recommend making and serving with this salad.

• Beef Keftas, are Middle Eastern Meatballs shaped onto skewers and grilled.
• Grilled Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin is marinated to seal in flavour and grilled.
• Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Chile is a nice light vegetarian meal.
• Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken is delicious served alongside this salad.
• Grilled Sausage Skewers and a side salad are the perfect meal.

International Students

We’ve been fortunate enough to have had a handful of International students live with us throughout the school year. Some have been bad egg typically due to coming from money, while others have fit in so well with our family we consider them part of the family.

One year while hosting an International student from Spain, we got to know a lovely young lady from Chile who was in Calgary at the same time on a student abroad trip. She and our student hung out regularly allowing us to learn about both Spanish and Chilean cuisine and culture.

This is one of the many recipes I learned about from her during our conversations.

PRO TIPS

• Slice onions thin.
• Store tomatoes on counter, never in refrigerator.
• Instead of parsley use cilantro or basil.
• You could whisk the olive oil with a little vinegar for a bit of tang if desired.
• Serve in a bowl or on a platter.

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram, hashtag #bakersbeans and please leave a comment below!