If you're looking for a rustic and refreshing summer dish from Sicily, try Vastasa Salad! This traditional recipe from Palermo combines boiled potatoes and green beans with fresh tomatoes, red onions, and extra virgin olive oil.
Its name, vastasa - which in Sicilian slang means “rude” or “rough” - reflects the bold and rustic character of this peasant-style salad.
Together with orange and fennel salad, which is more wintery, Vastasa salad is one of the most popular and typical salads in Sicily.
Perfect as a side dish or a light vegetarian meal, it’s a wonderful way to enjoy the simple flavors of southern Italy.
Everyone will love the fresh, flavorful, and colorful summer recipe that is Vastasa Salad!
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Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 Min | Cook Time: 40 Min | Resting Time: 30 Min | Servings: 4
NOTE: These quantities are only indicative. They mainly serve to show the proportions between the ingredients.
- 450 g (1 pound) potatoes
- 300 g (10 oz) green beans
- 200 g (7 oz) cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium red onion. I used Tropea red onion, but regular red onion works just as well.
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 40 g (1.4 oz) green olives
- 40 g (1.4 oz) black olives
- Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Step 1) - Trim the green beans, removing the ends and any tough strings. Rinse them under running water, then boil them in plenty of salted water until tender. Drain, rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking, and let them cool completely before using.
Wash the potatoes and boil them whole, with the skin on, in a large pot of salted water.
To check if they’re cooked, pierce them with a fork - they should be tender all the way through.
Once done, drain them, rinse under cold water, peel them, and allow them to cool completely.
Step 2) - While the potatoes and green beans are cooling, peel the onion. Slice it into rings and soak it in cold water with a tablespoon of vinegar for about 20 minutes. This will help make the onion milder and easier to digest.
Dress the Vastasa Salad
Step 3) - In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked green beans, boiled potatoes, and onion rings.
Note: Be sure to squeeze the onion well before adding it to remove excess water.
Add the tomatoes and both green and black olives. Gently mix everything together.
Step 4) - Season with salt, pepper, dried oregano, white wine vinegar, and a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.
Give the traditional Sicilian Vastasa salad a final stir. Then place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
This Sicilian potato and green bean salad is best served cold, ideally with a nice piece of crusty bread for the perfect scarpetta at the end!
Storage
You can store Vastasa Salad in the refrigerator for up to two days. For best results, keep it covered with plastic wrap or sealed in an airtight container.
Tips
MAKE IT AHEAD: You can prepare this salad in the morning and enjoy it in the evenin - it will taste even better! Resting in the fridge allows the flavors to meld and the potatoes to absorb the oil, making the dish richer and more flavorful.
ADJUST TO YOUR TASTE: The ingredient quantities are just a guide. Feel free to adjust them as you like—some prefer more potatoes, others more onions or green beans. The same goes for vinegar and oregano. You really can't go wrong, so follow your own taste.
HOW TO ENRICH IT: To turn this into a more complete meal, try adding canned tuna, grilled chicken, or hard-boiled eggs.
BEST POTATOES TO USE: Yellow-flesh potatoes are ideal, as they hold their shape after boiling. Boil them whole and unpeeled in salted water until tender but firm. Let them cool slightly, peel, and cut into evenly sized cubes—not too small—to prevent them from breaking apart.
A VARIATION FROM PANTELLERIA: A delicious variation of this salad comes from Pantelleria, a small island off the coast of Sicily. Their version, called Insalata Pantesca, replaces green beans with capers—one of the island’s prized products. It often includes basil as well as oregano.
TWO SICILIAN CLASSICS: Both Vastasa Salad and Pantesca Salad are flavorful and versatile. Serve them as a side dish with meat or fish, or enjoy them as a satisfying main course. These Sicilian potato salads celebrate the bold, fragrant flavors of the Mediterranean—just make sure to use top-quality ingredients for the best result.
Origins and Meaning of the Name “Vastasa”
Vastasa Salad has its roots in Sicilian peasant tradition, where it was enjoyed as a fresh, nourishing lunch during long days of work in the fields.
In Sicilian dialect, the word vastasa is used to describe someone who is vulgar or rough in manner. Over time, the term has also come to suggest something abundant or excessive.
When it comes to food, vastasa likely refers to dishes that are rich in ingredients and flavor.
In the case of this salad, the name highlights both the variety of ingredients and the generous amount of olive oil used. It also reflects the hearty portions in which it was typically served - often as a complete, satisfying meal on its own.
More Italian Recipes with Vegetables
- Classic Italian sweet and sour red onions recipe\
- Traditional Italian Giardiniera recipe
- Cauliflower Salad
- Caponata Recipe
FAQs
Yes! This is the traditional version from Palermo, made with boiled potatoes, green beans, onions, tomatoes, and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. It's a rustic and flavorful dish that was often enjoyed as a complete meal in the countryside.
Absolutely. In fact, it tastes even better after resting in the fridge for a few hours, as the flavors have time to blend and the potatoes soak up the seasoning.
You can enrich the salad by adding tuna, grilled chicken, or hard-boiled eggs. These proteins turn it into a perfect summer meal on its own.
Recipe Card
Insalata Vastasa (Sicilian Salad with Potatoes and Green Beans)
Ingredients
- 450 g potatoes - 1 pound
- 300 g green beans - 10 oz
- 200 g cherry tomatoes - 7 oz
- 1 medium red onion - I used Tropea red onion, but regular red onion works just as well.
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 40 g green olives - 1.4 oz
- 40 g black olives - 1.4 oz
- salt - to taste
- black Pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Trim the green beans, removing the ends and any tough strings. Rinse them under running water, then boil them in plenty of salted water until tender. Drain, rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking, and let them cool completely before using.
- Wash the potatoes and boil them whole, with the skin on, in a large pot of salted water.To check if they’re cooked, pierce them with a fork - they should be tender all the way through. Once done, drain them, rinse under cold water, peel them, and allow them to cool completely.
- While the potatoes and green beans are cooling, peel the onion. Slice it into rings and soak it in cold water with a tablespoon of vinegar for about 20 minutes. This will help make the onion milder and easier to digest.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked green beans, boiled potatoes, and onion rings.
- Add the tomatoes and both green and black olives. Gently mix everything together.
- Season with salt, pepper, dried oregano, white wine vinegar, and a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.
- Give the traditional Sicilian Vastasa salad a final stir. Then place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- This Sicilian potato and green bean salad is best served cold, ideally with a nice piece of crusty bread for the perfect scarpetta at the end!
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