A quick, easy, and authentic ensalada mixta, this Spanish mixed salad comes together in minutes for a tasty side dish or starter, and is also vegan!
This salad is the same mixed Salad you’ll find at any restaurant in Spain. Sometimes egg or tuna is added, but not that often. The only difference I’ve made is using red onion instead of regular onion, and increasing the corn, tomato, carrot, and onion ratio to greens, as I prefer a chunkier salad.
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⭐Why you’ll love it
- Like most Spanish recipes, this salad uses simple, high-quality ingredients.
- The ingredients are easy to find.
- It’s quick to make.
- It’s delicious.
- It’s satisfying enough to eat by itself.
- It makes for a perfect meal when accompanied by some protein and carbs.
And if you like this recipe, then you might want to try some of my other salad recipes, like this creamy cheesy garlic salad or this Mediterranean bean salad.
🛒Ingredients and substitutions
Onion: I’ve used red onion here, but regular onion is used more commonly, so use whatever you prefer.
Tomatoes: Use any nice firm ripe or slightly underripe salad tomato.
Carrots: One large carrot is enough (but carrots are tiny here in Spain, so I used two).
Olive oil: Use high-quality extra-virgin or virgin olive oil.
Corn: Canned sweetcorn is fine and is what is usually used; you can defrost some frozen or use fresh if you prefer.
Vinegar: I used red wine vinegar. You can also use white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar, but if using sherry vinegar, reduce the amount by half a tablespoon and then add to taste, as it’s quite acidic.
Olives: Any canned or jarred stoned green olives will do. High-quality olives with stones in them are reserved for tapas and snacks here. Do not substitute black olives.
Salt: Fine table salt is the best to use as it is easier to disperse throughout the salad.
Lettuce: Traditionally, iceberg lettuce is used, but I hate it, so I’ve used Batavia here. Romaine or any other green, crispy, mild lettuce can also be used.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact quantities.
👩🍳How to make it
- First, rinse your lettuce and dry it. Then roughly chop and add to a large bowl.
- Halve the onion and set half aside for other uses. Peel and julienne the carrot. Peel and thinly slice the onion, slice the tomato into wedges, drain the olives and sweetcorn, and add to the lettuce.
- Mix the salad well. Ignore me in the photo, about to add the dressing! Do as I say, not as I do, and all that. If you start adding the dressing before mixing the salad, the carrot will clump.
- Dressings are not usually emulsified in Spain. Add the olive oil, mix, add the vinegar, mix, and add the salt and mix. Taste and adjust vinegar and salt if needed. Serve immediately.
💡Expert tips or top tip
- As I said, mix the salad well before adding any dressing ingredients, or the julienned carrots will clump and be difficult to separate.
- If you don’t like a sharp bite to your raw onion, soak the sliced onion first in cold water for up to ten minutes, drain well, and use.
🍽️Serving suggestions
Spanish mixed salad is usually eaten as either a starter or a side dish. When it’s a side dish, it usually accompanies a protein or stew, with some bread (usually a baguette). In our household, we like to have it with Spanish lentejas and some vegan soda bread.
❄️Storage
This salad doesn’t keep well, so I don’t recommend storing it, as it will get quite mushy. If you want to make it ahead of time, you can prep all the veg and add to a large bowl, with the lettuce on top (so it doesn’t get crushed), and then add the dressing and mix when ready to serve.
❓Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, usually. You can see many recipes for it online, which add hard-boiled eggs or tuna, but this is not common in Spanish restaurants, especially old-fashioned ones. Especially when it is served with tuna, this is usually called “Ensalada mixta con ventresca” on the menu.
Yes, very! It’s also very similar to the Portuguese salada mista.
💃More Spanish recipes
Did you make this dish? Let me know how much you loved it with a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐and a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Spanish Mixed Salad (Ensalada Mixta)
Ingredients
- 1 head Lettuce Iceberg, Batavia, or Romaine
- 2 Tomatoes Ripe firm Salad tomatoes
- 1 large Carrot Or two small
- ½ Onion Red or brown
- ½ cup Corn
- ⅓ cup Stoned green olives Roughly 1 large handful
- 4 Tablespoons Olive oil Extra virgen or virgen
- 2 Tablespoons Red wine vinegar See notes for substitutions
- ½ teaspoon Fine salt
Instructions
- Wash, dry and roughly chop your lettuce
- Slice the tomatoes into wedges, 8-10 per tomato. Peel and julienne the carrot. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Add to the lettuce along with the olives and corn.
- Toss to mix well. Add the olive oil and toss again.
- Add the vinegar and toss again.
- Add the salt and toss again. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute white wine vinegar for red wine vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar in a pinch, although it’s not ideal. Sherry vinegar can also be used, but reduce the vinegar to 1.5 tablespoons and then add to taste.
- Do not emulsify the dressing ingredients; simple dressings in Spain are usually oil and vinegar and never emulsified.
- If you don’t like a sharp bite to your raw onion, soak the sliced onion first in cold water for up to ten minutes, drain well, and use.
- This salad wilts quickly, so if making ahead of time, prepare and add all the vegetables to a large bowl with the lettuce on top (so it doesn’t get crushed). Then add the dressing just before serving. The undressed salad veggies will keep up to three days in the fridge. Having said that, I don’t recommend leaving them in the fridge for more than one day, as the tomatoes will become mealy.
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