TheGreenTurnip Score: 10

The ULTIMATE recipe. The first salad to earn a perfect 10!

This salad is pretty salty but nicely balanced with lots of fresh basil. The fresh mozzarella cheese, olive oil, and basil make it kind of look like an Italian caprese salad. But the addition of octopus is distinctly Japanese (and so delicious)!

Let me ask you – Are you the kind of person who eats your favorite thing first or do you save it for the end?

I usually leave my favorite foods but I try to be subtle about it. I don’t want to be rude by being too obvious about what I like and don’t like. I eat around my plate, a little of this a little of that, but careful to leave just a bite of my favorite at the end.

For this “caprese” salad with a Japanese twist, I threw away any notion of politeness. The last thing in my lunchbox everyday was my entire serving of this salad. SO GOOD!

The perfect bite – basil, cheese, and octopus – all dripping in olive oil.

If you cannot find octopus, a cured meat like prosciutto or ham could be substituted (just reduce the salt). The chunks of boiled potato might sound odd, but they are part of the magic that made this salad earn a perfect 10. The texture matches the softness of the cheese and provides contrast to the slightly chewy, dense octopus.

EDIT: WHERE TO FIND OCTOPUS. I have gotten a few questions about where to find the octopus for this recipe, so I wanted to include a note. You can find preboiled octopus at Asian markets and some specialty seafood shops. At Japanese markets, you will probably find the preboiled octopus in the “sashimi” section. “Sashimi” is usually associated with raw fish but in the case of octopus, it means that you can use the octopus as is without further cooking. If in doubt, just ask! For more info, here is an ingredient spotlight on ocotopus from TheKitchn.

This recipe makes enough for a week’s worth of small portions for 1 person (about 10 small portions).

Ingredients

Boiled octopus, 7 ounces (about ¾ cup)
Fresh mozzarella cheese, 7 ounces
Potato, 1
Basil, a small handful of leaves
Olive oil, 2 tablespoons
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Pepper, 1 teaspoon

1. Cut the octopus into small-ish cubes (about ¼ inch). (Don’t eat the  skinny tip of the octopus!) Cut the mozzarella cheese into the same sized cubes. Tear the basil leaves into easy to eat pieces.

2. Cut the potato into similar sized cubes. Boil until tender. Drain well.

3. Mix the octopus, cheese, basil, potato, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover and store.

Adapted from “たことじゃがいものモッツァレラサラダ” from “作り置きサラダ”.

Want to learn more about simple, Japanese-inspired weekly meal prep? Read “What is Make Now & Eat Later“…

Come back on Monday! New recipes posted here every week.