Grilled Squid Salad with Fresh Herbs and Ginger Dressing
This quick and easy Grilled Squid Salad features squid cooked quickly over high heat to give it a little char and aroma. It is then tossed with plenty of refreshing herbs, roasted nuts and dressing for more flavors and textures.
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 419kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb cleaned and gutted squid
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 oz mint leaves, roughly chopped (about 1 cup loosely packed)
- 0.75 oz other fresh herbs, roughly chopped (I use perilla leaves, see Notes for other options)
- 1 small or medium green apple or 1 stalk of celery, diced (about 1/2 cup diced apple or 1/3 cup diced celery)
- 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, lightly crushed (see Notes for substitutions)
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoons neutral-flavored vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (or replace with salt to taste)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated or finely minced ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat your grill pan (or your outdoor grill) over medium to medium-high heat until it is very hot.
- Pat the squid dry. Lay the squid body flat on a cutting board with the inside surface facing you. Use a sharp knife to score diagonal cuts in a crisscross pattern, about ½-¾ inch apart, on the inside surface. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
- Toss the squid with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
- Once the grill is very hot, oil the grates well. Increase the heat to medium-high or high, then add squid. Grill each side for 45-60 seconds or until just cooked through and lightly charred. Try not to overcook. Transfer to a clean cutting board.
- Once the squid has cooled down slightly (enough to handle), slice into thin strips lengthwise, about ¼ inch thick.
- In a large mixing bowl, add chopped herbs, sliced squid and diced green apple (or celery). Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing until well-combined, then drizzle over the salad. Toss gently.
- Transfer the salad to serving plates. Sprinkle roasted nuts on top and serve right away.
Notes
If you need guidance on how to clean whole squid, check out the video in my steamed squid recipe.
If you don't have a grill or grill pan, you can try searing the squid in a heavy-bottomed skillet such as a cast iron.
Substitutions:
- I use mint and Vietnamese perilla leaves. You can use mint with a different combination of fresh herbs, such as basil, cilantro, parsley, lemon balm and marjoram.
- Instead of roasted peanuts, you can try roasted almonds or pine nuts.
- If you don't have rice vinegar, you can experiment with white wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, but make sure to adjust the quantity as needed.
- If you don't like fish sauce, omit it and add more salt to taste.
- Use a sharp knife to chop the herbs to avoid bruising them.
- Place diced green apple in a bowl of lightly salted water until you are ready to use them to prevent them from turning brown.
Nutrition
Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 264mg | Sodium: 777mg | Potassium: 614mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1586IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 3mg