Italian Baccala Salad is a classic, simple dish many Italian Americans prepare on Christmas Eve (La Vigilia di Natale) for the Feast of the Seven Fishes and also on Fridays during Lent. Tender, flaked salt cod is combined with crisp celery, lupini beans, pickled peppers, garlic, a mix of olives and fresh parsley, then dressed lightly with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and lemon juice.
Each Christmas Eve I look forward to baccalà. Sometimes we make baccalà fritters or a hearty baccalà stew, but more often this bright, colorful Italian Baccala Salad appears on our table. It’s festive, fresh and always a crowd-pleaser.
This version of insalata di baccalà is inspired by a family recipe. It balances salty, savory and a touch of heat with varied textures and vivid color. It’s also a lighter option to include on a holiday fish buffet or as a meatless meal during Lent.
What is Baccala and What Does It Taste Like?
Baccalà is cod that has been preserved by salting and drying. It’s typically sold boneless and skinless and remains white in color. Baccalà differs from stoccafisso (stockfish), which is air-dried without salt. Salt cod has a long history as a preserved food and appears in cuisines across Italy, Spain and Portugal. Salting concentrates the fish’s savory flavor and gives it a firmer, denser texture than fresh cod.
Because it’s cured, baccalà must be rehydrated and desalted before cooking. That takes planning: allow about 48 hours of soaking in cold water with regular water changes to restore juicy fillets. Detailed soaking and cooking steps are provided in the recipe section below.
Italian Baccala Salad
After rehydrating and desalting, the cod is treated like fresh fish: gently simmered with bay leaves and lemon, drained and flaked. The flaky fish is then folded together with crunchy celery, protein-rich lupini beans, sweet and hot pickled peppers, a trio of olives, fresh parsley and a little garlic. The dressing is simply extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice.
This salad is flexible—adjust ingredient proportions to your taste. At minimum, include celery, parsley and olives with lemon and olive oil. You can also add boiled potatoes, artichoke hearts, fennel, capers or swap chickpeas for lupini beans. Serve with rustic bread to soak up the flavorful dressing.
This festive, Lenten-friendly salad is easy to make and deserves a place on your table.
Main Ingredient Notes
To make this salad you’ll need:
- Baccalà (salted cod): Buy boneless, skinless pieces and plan 2–3 days for soaking. Choose pieces that are clean, white and firm—avoid overly dry or yellowed pieces.
- Celery: Adds freshness and crunch; celery hearts work well.
- Lupini beans: Mediterranean, pickled legumes sold cooked in brine. Rinse before using. If you can’t find them or prefer not to use them, chickpeas are a good substitute.
- Pickled peppers: A mix of sweet and hot pickled peppers adds brine, texture and balance. Use cherry, banana, pepperoncini or similar peppers.
- Parsley: Chopped flat-leaf parsley brightens the salad.
- Olives: A mix of green and black olives—Castelvetrano, kalamata and oil-cured black olives are used here, but use what you like.
- Garlic: Use sparingly—raw garlic can be strong. Roasted garlic or garlic confit are milder alternatives.
- Extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice: Use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
How to Make Italian Baccala Salad
This salad is straightforward once the baccalà is soaked. Key steps:
- Rehydrate and desalt: Rinse the salt cod and soak it in cold water in the refrigerator for 2–3 days, changing the water at least twice daily. Prop the fish up so dissolved salt settles away from it if possible. Taste the soaking water or a small piece to check salt level; you can always add salt later but you can’t undo an overly salty fish.
- Cook: Place the drained, soaked cod in a pot of water with 2–3 bay leaves and juice of ½ lemon. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a light boil or heavy simmer and cook until the fish flakes easily, about 12–15 minutes depending on piece size. Drain and discard bay leaves.
- Flake: Transfer the cooked fish to a bowl and let it cool slightly. Gently flake into bite-sized pieces with forks; leave some larger pieces for texture.
- Mix: When mostly cooled, fold in celery, lupini beans, pickled peppers, olives, parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, pepper and crushed red pepper (if using). Do not add additional salt until you taste—amount needed varies with how well the baccalà was desalted.
- Rest and serve: Let the salad rest 30 minutes to an hour to meld flavors. Stir again and serve, ideally with crusty bread.
More Recipes for the Feast of the Seven Fishes
If you enjoy this salad, consider other classic Christmas Eve dishes such as whipped baccalà spread, scungilli salad, stuffed calamari, mussels marinara or linguine with clams to complement your feast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dried, salted cod is sold at many fish markets and specialty stores and is often available in supermarket seafood sections. Look for boneless, skinless pieces that are white and firm. Many specialty markets carry it year-round, and larger online retailers may list it as well.
After about two days of soaking, taste a little of the soaking water or pinch a bit of the fish to check for residual salt and softness. If it still tastes very salty, continue changing the water and soaking a bit longer.
Fresh cod, haddock, pollock or halibut can be used without soaking; simply poach lightly in lemon water and proceed with the recipe.
Top Tips for Italian Baccala Salad
- Buy boneless, skinless baccalà and allow time to soak and desalinate.
- Use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice; they make a big difference.
- The salad improves as it sits—make it up to a day ahead. Add parsley just before serving to keep it vibrant.
- Customize ingredients freely: potatoes, artichokes, fennel, capers or chickpeas all work well.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within three days for best freshness.
