Cool, colourful and 100% local – Malaga’s must-try summer dishes (with recipes)

AS the sun blazes and thermometers climb into the 40s, locals ditch the hot stews and roasts in favour of something lighter, colder – and deeply traditional.

Welcome to the world of Malaga’s summer cuisine, where humble roots meet bold Mediterranean flavours.

From cold soups born of necessity to vibrant seafood salads, these dishes have made their way from vineyard cottages and beach shacks to the tables of some of the region’s top restaurants.

Look out for them on restaurant menus, but if for some reason you fail to spot them, here are six authentic recipes for you to try at home.

They may have originated in times of hardship, they’re now central to Malaga’s culinary identity – packed with history, and perfect for beating the heat.

Malaga-style potato salad with orange and salt cod

This curious-sounding combo is one of Malaga’s most traditional – and surprisingly refreshing – dishes. Ensaladilla malagueña blends soft boiled potatoes with salted cod, sweet orange segments, and spring onion, all dressed in olive oil and salt, then topped with stoned olives. It’s a simple dish with deep roots: variations of it date back to Arab rule, and it was first published in 1931 by chef Jose Gomez Gonzalez.

Ingredients:

1kg waxy potatoes, boiled and cubed
300g salted cod, soaked and flaked
5 oranges, peeled and cut into chunks
1 spring onion, finely chopped
Handful of pitted olives
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Method:

Boil the potatoes and let them cool.
Mix with the desalted cod, orange chunks and chopped onion.
Dress with oil and salt, toss gently and chill before serving.

Ajoblanco – Cold almond & garlic soup

Before there was gazpacho, there was ajoblanco – a silky white soup made from blended almonds, stale bread, garlic, vinegar and olive oil. Served ice-cold with sweet grapes or melon, it’s one of the oldest cold soups in Spain, with versions found in Roman records. Traditionally served during the grape harvest in Axarquía, it still fuels long days under the Andalucian sun – and has even inspired modern twists, including versions with Malaga wine ice cream.

Ingredients:

150g day-old white bread
100g raw almonds (peeled)
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ litre cold water
100ml olive oil
Salt
Optional: grapes or melon cubes

Method:

Soak the bread in water.
Blend with almonds, garlic, vinegar, and cold water until smooth.
Slowly drizzle in olive oil to emulsify.
Season and chill. Garnish with fruit before serving.

Ensaladilla de Huevas – Roe salad

Once a way for fishermen to make use of undervalued catch, ensaladilla de huevas (roe salad) has found new fans thanks to its zesty freshness and punchy flavours. Soft boiled fish roe, laid over finely chopped tomatoes, peppers and onion, and dressed with olive oil and sea salt, it’s a crunchy, salty hit of the coast. It often gets a bonus handful of prawns or cooked pulpo too.

Ingredients:

500g tomatoes, diced
2 green peppers, chopped
½ red onion, finely sliced
200g fish roe, boiled and sliced
Optional: prawns or cooked octopus
Olive oil
Sea salt

Method:

Boil the roe in salted water, let cool, and slice.
Mix tomatoes, peppers and onion with olive oil and salt.
Top with roe and extras if using. Chill before serving.

Porra Antequerana – Thick tomato & bread soup

Think of porra as gazpacho’s heartier cousin – a cold, rich purée of tomatoes, peppers, garlic and day-old bread, all emulsified into a creamy pink base with generous glugs of olive oil. The name comes from the wooden pestle (porra) used to mash it by hand. Originally made without tomato, it evolved post-Columbus and is now topped with hard-boiled eggs and jamón serrano. Perfect for lunch with a chilled glass of fino.

Ingredients:

1kg ripe tomatoes
½ green pepper
¼ red pepper
2 garlic cloves
500g rustic white bread, soaked
250ml olive oil
Salt
Garnish: chopped boiled egg, jamón serrano

Method:

Blend tomatoes, peppers, garlic and bread into a thick paste.
Slowly pour in the oil to create a smooth emulsion.
Season and chill well. Garnish before serving.

Ensalada de Pimientos Asados – Roasted Pepper Salad

A barbecue staple turned local delicacy, ensalada de pimientos asados (roasted pepper salad) is as simple as it gets: charred red and green peppers, sometimes with roasted tomato, sliced and soaked in olive oil, vinegar and a touch of salt. A scattering of raw onion adds crunch. Traditionally cooked over grapevine cuttings in the hills around Malaga, it was once served alongside freshly-fried chanquetes (now a banned delicacy).

Ingredients:

2 red peppers
2 green peppers
1–2 ripe tomatoes (optional)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt

Method:

Roast peppers (and tomatoes, if using) until charred.
Place in a covered bowl to steam.
Peel, slice into strips, and combine with onion.
Dress with oil, vinegar and salt. Let sit before serving.

Pipirrana – the Andalucian chopped salad

Crunchy, colourful and endlessly adaptable, pipirrana is Malaga’s answer to the Mediterranean salad. Traditionally eaten by vineyard workers as a midday meal, it’s light, hydrating, and full of flavour.

Ingredients: