Whether you're looking for a new salad or a summer-friendly light meal, Ensalada hervida (Dominican chayote salad) is a salad in which the ingredients are boiled prior, and it may be what just you need. This is a dish that even veggie-haters will surely enjoy, so make it today.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Aug 23, 2004
Why we ❤️ it
Not every dish has to be a multi-hour affair, nor every recipe a culinary version of War and Peace. Sometimes simple is just as good, and this dish is the epitome of simple yet worth making.
I love not just as a salad, I also have it sometimes as a very light meal in itself. It is perfect for those looking for light alternatives, and for vegetarians.
What's ensalada hervida?
Ensalada hervida means "boiled salad", because -unlike most salads- this contains no raw ingredients, they're all boiled in the same pot. The ingredients in this salad are tayota (chayote), carrot, potato, and egg.
It is dressed with a simple vinagraite.
Ensalada hervida (boiled salad) and vinaigrette.
How to serve it
An Ensalada Hervida (Boiled Salad) is a simple side dish (is it technically a salad if everything is cooked beforehand?) that is commonly served with our traditional lunch meals.
Along with ensalada verde (also popular at lunch) and ensalada rusa, they are the classic trilogy of Dominican salads.
Top tips
- Cooking time: The ingredients cook at different speeds, so they should be removed from the boiling water as they are ready. The eggs will be first, then typically potatoes, followed by tayota and carrot. It will also depend on their size.
- Decoration: I use a few lettuce leaves as decoration, and to add a bit of fresh flavor, you can do so too, but this is not the traditional way.
About our recipe
Each home will have its own favorite combinations of ingredients, these are mine, or rather, mami's, which are now also mine. Double the ingredients and serve as a light meal, perhaps with some cold cuts on the side, if you so wish. I know it's one of my go-to quick summer dishes.
This is a disaster-proof recipe. What could be easier than boiling things? Right?
Video
Recipe
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Ensalada Hervida [Video+Recipe] Boiled Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large chayote, (tayota)
- 1 large carrots
- 2 potatoes
- 3 egg, (medium)
- 2 tablespoons fruit vinegar, pineapple or apple
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon pepper , (freshly-cracked, or ground) (or more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon salt, (or more to taste)
Instructions
1. Chop vegetables
Chop the vegetables in large pieces, you may leave the potato and carrot whole if they're not too big.
2. Boil
- Place the tayotas, carrots, potatoes, and eggs in a pot with enough water to cover them plus 1 inch [5 cm] more. Boil for 15 minutes over medium heat.After 10 minutes, remove eggs from the water, and set them aside. Continue boiling the vegetablesPoke the vegetables with a fork to confirm that they are cooked through (but firm), remove them as they're cooked through.
3. Prepare salad
- Let everything cool to room temperature.Peel eggs and cut them into slices or wedges (as in the photos). Cut vegetables into thin slices.Arrange on serving platter.
4. Prepare vinaigrette
- Mix vinegar, oil and salt and pepper to taste and pour over the salad.
5. Serve
This salad can be served immediately, or refrigerated to serve later. If refrigerating, cover and store salad and vinaigrette separately. Add the vinaigrette when serving.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More tayota recipes
Chayote, or tayota for Dominicans, is a popular and common ingredient, and in our blog you can find probably all our tayota recipes. On the savory side, don't miss Chayota con longaniza, and Tayota con huevos. Or try the unique Dulce de tayota, a dessert.
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