Grilled Octopus & Cucumber Salad

Serves: 6-8

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Bear Hands (author): Let me sell you on this: Smoky, supple octopus meets crisp cucumber and sweet onion in a study of balance and restraint. Lightly seasoned with shoyu and enriched by the quiet brininess of hijiki, this dish will particularly delight admirers of tako su—offering familiar harmony with a more indulgent, fire-kissed edge.

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Hubby Bear (eater): I’m actually not a big fan of octopus, but this dish is pretty good. I think the meaty chard-ness of the octopus mixed with the fresh, crunchy cucumber makes it something I can really enjoy.

What it is

Smoky, briny, cool, refreshing… if you like octopus, you will love this salad. Hubby Bear is actually not a big fan of octopus, but he will happily eat this dish!

This can be a main dish with a side of rice, but is a really fun side dish too.

🥒Cucumber Size

As you might know if you have read my Refreshing Cucumber Salad with Vinegar Dressing, we like thick slices of cucumber in our house—between 1/4” and 1/2” thick. It seems most people prefer thinner slices—if this is you, feel free to adjust to your taste. We love the taste of cucumbers and they make our tummies feel good. Hubby bear, who suffers from acid reflux, will eat a cucumber like a banana, just starting at one end and going until it’s gone. We love the freshness and the crunch. If you don’t relate to this, just slice them a little thinner and I’m sure you will be on board.

🔥Charring the octopus

The charred flavor is the star of this dish.

I buy pre cooked octopus legs from my local H-Mart. This would be my recommendation as you only have to give it a char! That’s right, we’re not cleaning, cooking or seasoning!

If you are starting with a raw octopus, you’ll want to boil it first. It’s not a difficult process, are there are many short videos on YouTube that will explain it to you in under a minute.

But as a busy cat dad, I’m going to simply buy the cooked octopus and put some flame to it until you get the chard-ness you like. Here are two options:

1. Grill - Whether it’s charcoal, propane or other, get that thing going, oil the grate (octopus meat like to cling to the grill), and just get some nice color on it until you get the doneness you like.

2. Propane torch - I know some people just shuddered, “I don’t want my food tasting like gas!”. If this is you, go with the grill method. But I personally don’t have this issue, and using a torch is fun! I don’t get to use this kitchen insturment a lot, and I like the methodic process of slowly running the flame back forth and watching the magic happen. Let me enjoy my cooking damnit! 😂

🧅Onion

These play a important, background part so slicing them as thin as possible is idea. I like to use my mandoline slicer.

Enjoy!

This salad will hold up all week. Especially if you followed my suggestion to keep the cucumbers THICK.

Detailed recipe:

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2-Grilled Octopus & Cucumber Salad

Yield: 4

Author: Bear Hands

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Ingredients

• 2½ pounds octopus legs
• 3 medium cucumbers, preferably English-style, sliced thick
• 1 medium Maui sweet or Vidalia onion, sliced paper-thin
• 2 tablespoons dried hijiki seaweed
• Pinch of salt
• Shoyu, to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the octopus

1. Char the whole octopus legs to the amount you wish. You can do this on a grill or with a propane torch.
2. Once grilled, allow the octopus to rest briefly, then cut into generous bite-sized slices. Cut the thicker parts nice and thin, but as you work your way down, leave the ends of the legs chopped longer--they will look nicer and still be bite sized. Set aside.

Prepare the hijiki

1. Rehydrate the dried hijiki in a cup or two of cool water. This will take around 20 min and the hijiki will expand up to 4x it's size. Drain thoroughly and set aside. It should be supple, not soggy — think seasoning, not garnish.

Slice the vegetables

1. Slice the cucumbers to your preference. I recommend 1/4-1/2" thick as I believe this salad benefits from crunch and structural integrity. You can do thinner slices, but the experience will be different.
2. Slice the onion as thinly as your patience allows. I use a mandoline slicer so this step is a breeze.

Assemble the salad

1. In a wide bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion, hijiki, and grilled octopus. Sprinkle with a small pinch of salt.
2. Add shoyu sparingly — just enough to enhance, not dominate — followed by freshly ground black pepper. This is a light-handed salad; restraint will reward you
3. Toss gently until everything is evenly distributed. Let the salad rest for 5–10 minutes before serving, allowing the flavors to settle and acquaint themselves.
4. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and bring to the table with lemon wedges if you wished, inviting diners to brighten their portion as they indulge in the outcome of your efforts.

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Easy-follow Recipe:

Step 1: 🌊 Rehydrate Hijiki

Ingredients:
2 tbsp dried hijiki seaweed – rehydrated, drained

Tasks:
- Place hijiki in cool water and soak for about 20 minutes (it will expand up to 4× its size).
- Drain thoroughly and then gently squeeze out excess water; texture should be supple, not soggy.
- Set aside.

Step 2: 🔥 Grill the Octopus

Ingredients:
2½ lbs octopus legs – cut into thick bite-sized pieces

Tasks:
- Char octopus on grill or with propane torch to your desired color.
- Rest briefly (at least 5 minutes) to allow juices to redistribute for maximum tenderness and juiciness.
- Slice into bite-sized pieces: thinner slices at thicker parts, thicker slices toward the ends. The tips of the legs will form aesthetically pleasing bite-sized chunks.
- Set aside.

Step 3: 🥒 Slice Vegetables

Ingredients:
3 medium cucumbers – thick slices
1 medium sweet onion – paper-thin slices

Tasks:
- Slice cucumbers thick (¼–½ inch) for crunch and structure.
- Slice onion as thinly as possible (mandoline recommended).

Step 4: 🥗 Assemble & Season Salad

Ingredients:
Grilled octopus (from Step 2)
Hijiki (from Step 1)
Cucumbers & onion (from Step 3)
Pinch of salt
Shoyu – to taste (about 1 tsp recommended)
Freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Optional: lemon wedges for serving

Tasks:
- Combine octopus, cucumbers, onion, and hijiki in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Add shoyu sparingly; enhance, don’t overpower.
- Add freshly ground black pepper.
- Toss gently until evenly distributed.
- Rest 5–10 minutes for flavors to meld.
- Serve with lemon wedges if desired.