Our easy Muffuletta olive salad recipe is a great sandwich topping, garnish on appetizers like bruschetta or as a tangy side dish. Made with a briny mix of olives, pickled vegetables, capers, and fresh herbs you are going to go crazy over this!
Have you heard of a Muffuletta sandwich? It is delicious, because of this brined olive blend of goodness they serve inside of it. A spoonful on top of your slices of cured meats and cheese makes every bite a WOW. Now you can make this topping right at home.
Several of the items you need you likely have right at home. So all you do is chop them up, combine, marinate for a few days and you’re ready to serve. It will transition a regular lunch into something you can impress your family and friends with.
I will go over the basics of what you need below but there are tweaks you can make from there of course. Some like it spicy, which is easy to do, but typically you want the briney tang to shine.
Muffuletta Olive Salad Ingredients
You are going to want to start with the basics which are pitted and chopped green olives and black olives. These are already brined but you will add even more flavor as they sit in the liquid listed below.
Then you will need to get a jar of giardiniera, add them drained and chopped into small bits. What is this you may ask? It’s a mixture of tiny pieces of crunchy pickled vegetables like carrots, celery, cauliflower, and bell peppers. So good! I have a link to buy it below in recipe card or make your own giardiniera here.
It is best to finely chop up some jarred roasted red peppers, dump in some capers and minced garlic, or chop up fresh cloves yourself finely. Mix those in with everything else before adding brine liquids below.
And the olive oil and red wine vinegar will create the brining solution it will sit in and soak up those flavors as it sits.
Variations
If you want to make this a little spicy you can use a few things; red pepper flakes are an easy add, chili powder works, or chop up some roasted jalapenos. Beyond that, I love dry Sriracha. If I have it on hand this has a great flavor as well as heat to it, and gives it a bit of an Asian flare.
How to Make a Muffuletta Sandwich
You are going to want toasted Sicilian sesame seed bread with slices of Italian meats inside. Those typically include; mortadella, Genoa salami, and hot capicola – or ham. Add a slice or two of provolone cheese on top with a heaping tablespoon of this olive salad before you place the top piece of bread on top. Then serve!
Other Muffuletta Olive Salad Uses
This mixture can be used in far more ways than just the classic muffuletta sandwich. It is excellent spread onto bruschetta toast or larger pieces of crusty bread with deli meats and cheese, but it also works as a flavorful topping for grilled chicken, burgers, steaks, or baked fish.
Many people stir it into pasta or cucumber dill salad, spoon it over cream cheese for an easy appetizer dip, or use it as a topping for pizza and flatbreads. It can add a salty punch to scrambled eggs, omelets, grain bowls, or roasted vegetables, and it also pairs well with antipasto platters.
Some cooks even mix it into mayonnaise or vinaigrettes for sandwiches and salads. Because it is packed with briny, savory flavor, a little goes a long way in boosting simple dishes.
Muffuletta Olive Salad Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup giardiniera, drained and chopped
- 1/3 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
- 1-2 tbsp capers
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, for heat, can omit
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put into the fridge.
- Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours – 24 hours ideally for the best flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQ
Yes. To get that tangy briney flavor that you would expect to have with this Italian sandwich topping you will need to sit the olive mixture into the olive oil/red wine vinegar mixture for a while so everything can soak up those flavors properly.
Ideally it should sit covered in a bowl in your refrigerator overnight, for 24 hours. At least leave it for 12 hours but longer is better. The smaller you chop the pieces though the faster it will soak up.
