This salad is the starter at practically every Murcian party. A good side dish and the perfect starter for the main meal. And, of course, a dish that is always enjoyed in summer in this region. This traditional Murcian salad recipe has been prepared in Murcian homes for many years, which is why we love it so much.
A simple dish, with just a few ingredients, but with a tasty flavour. It is also known as ‘moje’ in Murcia, although many simply call it ‘ensalada murciana’, murcian salad. This option is ideal for when fresh tomatoes are not in season, as it is made with a base of natural canned tomatoes. Of course, of good quality. A few more ingredients, with a good extra virgin olive oil as dressing, and our salad is ready.
Murcian salad | Shutterstock
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 700 g of canned tomatoes
- 1 large spring onion
- 2 medium eggs
- 150 g of canned tuna
- 1 jar of black olives
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
How to make the Murcian salad:
- The first step will be to cook the eggs in boiling water, for about 10 minutes. This is so that the yolk does not overcook. Remove from the water and set the eggs aside to cool. Prepare a large bowl with cold water and salt, and then soak the onion. Now cut the spring onion into julienne strips. Place the onion in the bowl and let it soak in the water for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the onion from the bowl and rinse it. This will give it a milder flavour. Next, open the can of tomatoes and pour out the water from the tin. Use a strainer if you need to, but be careful not to squash the tomatoes so they don’t lose their juice. Cut them into small and medium-sized pieces. It is traditional in this salad to keep the tomatoes in very small pieces, but with some whole ones.
- Once you have the tomatoes in a nice salad bowl, peel the eggs once they are cold, and cut them into thin slices or larger pieces, as you prefer. Open the can of tuna and drain the oil, so that the salad is not too oily. Using a fork, flake the tuna and pour it into the salad bowl, along with the tomato. Now, add the eggs and the spring onion that was soaked in the first step.
- Finally, add the olives, season to taste with extra virgin olive oil and salt, and mix the salad. You can add a few more olives on top, cut into slices, for decoration. Now you have your Murcian salad, ready to enjoy its best flavours.
