Easy Marinated Olives

Easy Marinated Olives is a delicious, healthy, and super simple to make tapas recipe. They're mixed with almonds and simmered in olive oil flavored with garlic and lemon. This appetizer will be a hit!

Hello, World Tapas Day! AKA: the best food holiday of the year. To celebrate, I've made a delicious tapas recipe! ?

This easy to make appetizer recipe starts with my favorite olives: Gordal Olives from Spain. They are those green beauties you see in the picture. They're big, meaty, buttery, and have a delicious mild flavor. Have you tried them before?

They are simmered in olive oil with salty almonds and a little garlic, lemon, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. I wasn't kidding when I said easy. Bring on the tapas parties!

Why you need to make this recipe

• Warm Gordal olives from Spain are next level delicious. They somehow become even butterier when they're warmed.
• Crunchy, salty Marcona almonds. AKA: the best almonds in the world.
• Buttery and crunchy all in one appetizer = amazing
• There is no need to worry about your guests' dietary preferences with this one. It's vegan, gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, low carb, keto and all those other ways that we choose to eat.

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This is a super easy tapas recipe. It's one of those recipes you'll want to keep in your back pocket for when guests stop by or you're asked to bring an appy last minute to a party.

1. Gently simmer the ingredients for 10 minutes. Be amazed at how delicious your house smells.

2. Strain the oil but don't throw it away. It's like gold. Save it to cook with later or better yet put it in a bowl and dip some bread in it. Yes, do this.

See how easy that was? You've got this!

Why choose Olives from Spain

In this recipe, I use Gordal olives from Spain. They're the ideal choice as they're big, plump, and meaty. They're perfect for snacking on.

They're also a healthy option to add to your tapas platter. They are low in carbs, have heart-healthy fats and are high in antioxidants.

Hojiblanca and Manzanilla are two other varieties of Olives from Spain that are delicious to include on a tapas platter. Both are also delicious as marinated olives.

Fun fact: one out of every two olives eaten in Canada is Spanish. Isn't that amazing? Spain produces a wide variety of olives, including the Gordal olives I've used in this recipe. ?

How to arrange a tapas platter

Tapas, appetizers, starters, party food, picky bits … call them what you want, they're always fun to eat. The idea is to put out a bunch of snacking options in little bowls, plates, and platter. You really can't go wrong with your choices.

Olives from Spain – The obvious choice! Opt for these marinated olives but also add a few different varieties. Served them on skewers for extra fun.

Roasted red peppers – You could get fancy and roast them yourself, but every grocery store sells them in jars. I like to cut them into strips for easier eating.

Cheese – Manchego is a must for a tapas platter. It's a firm, light-tasting, and easy-eating Spanish cheese.

Meats – Spain has some delicious cured meat. Spanish chorizo (which is mild-flavored and very different from other types of chorizo) is a great choice. I opted for Jamón Ibérico which is one of my favorites.

Seafood – White anchovies are delicious on a tapas platter. They can also be tough to find. Marinated sardines are a tasty alternative. If you get fancy and make some garlic butter prawns, your guests will be even happier.

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Healthy tapas recipes

• Roasted Garlic Artichoke Olive Dip
• Bacon Scallop Lollipops
• Crispy Eggplant Fries with Spicy Aioli
• Lemon Whipped Ricotta with Cranberry Honey
• Chorizo Stuffed Mushroom Caps
• Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Peaches
• Red Wine Chorizo Bites

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Easy Marinated Olives Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

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Easy Marinated Olives from Spain is a delicious, healthy, and super simple to make tapas recipe. Gently flavored with garlic and lemon, this appetizer will be a hit!

8 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups Gordal Olives from Spain
• ▢ 1 cup Marcona almonds (see notes)
• ▢ ¾ cup olive oil
• ▢ Zest from 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 head garlic
• ▢ 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions 

• Add all the ingredients to a small pot over medium heat. When the oil starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low. Continue to simmer the olives for 10 minutes, stirring the pot occasionally.
  2 cups Gordal Olives from Spain, 1 cup Marcona almonds, ¾ cup olive oil, Zest from 1 lemon, 1 head garlic, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, 1 pinch sea salt
• Strain the olives and almonds through a fine mesh sieve. Reserve the oil to cook with or to serve as a dipping oil for some bread.

Notes

Marcona almonds are not widely available and can be pricey. Blanched almonds make a good substitute in this recipe.

Olives from Spain are available in pots, under vacuum or in bulk in grocery stores, as well as in most independent grocery stores. Check the provenance to make sure of the origin of the product!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ⅛ of the recipe, Calories: 173kcal (9%), Carbohydrates: 6g (2%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 16g (25%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 531mg (23%), Potassium: 156mg (4%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 137IU (3%), Vitamin C: 2mg (2%), Calcium: 72mg (7%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.