Olive Salad

Prep 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings (about 2 cups total)

I love this Homemade Olive Salad as itโ€™s the perfect topping for everything from a classic muffuletta sandwich to pasta salads, crackers, or even pizza. Itโ€™s zesty, quick to prepare, and adds a burst of flavor to all my favorite dishes.

Olive salad in a small jar.

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Easy Olive Salad Recipe

I’ve prepared this classic muffuletta sandwich topping with giardiniera, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, marinated onions, and capers in oil and vinegar. Each bite is a true explosion of flavor!

And whatโ€™s even better is that this recipe is quick and easy to make, and there are numerous ways to use it. The original use is to top the New Orleans muffuletta sandwich, but since I always have leftovers, I’ve discovered so many other ways to use it. Olive salad is now a common topping on crackers, salads, mixed with cream cheese for a dip, and more in my house.

Olive Salad

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings (about 2 cups total)
Homemade Olive Salad is the perfect topping for everything from a classic muffuletta sandwich to salads, crackers, or even pizza. This zesty condiment is made in minutes and will give all your favorite foods an instant flavor boost!
See below the recipe card for step-by-step images.

Ingredients 

  • 16 ounce jar Giardiniera, , drained and diced, or store bought
  • ยผ cup kalamata olives, , drained and diced
  • ยผ cup pepperoncini peppers, , drained and diced
  • 5 marinated cocktail onions, , drained and diced
  • 1 tbsp capers, , drained
  • ยผ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ยผ cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp canola oil

Instructions 

  • Finely dice the Giardiniera, olives, pepperoncini, and onions so they're all approximately the same size. You want the pieces small like the capers.
  • In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix together and transfer to an airtight container. (If needed, pour in just a touch more oil to cover.)
  • Cover container and refrigerate overnight. Use as desired.

Notes

To make with a food processor: Pulse everything (separately) in a food processor. But don’t process the ingredients too much. Muffuletta olive salad should be a chunky olive spread, not a paste.
Serving size:ย This recipe makes about 2 cups. I typically use 1/4 cup per serving and that’s what the nutritional calculation is based on. You can certainly use more or less, as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1447mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

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How to Make Olive Salad Step by Step

Dice the ingredients: Finely dice a 16-ounce jar Giardiniera, ยผ cup of kalamata olives, ยผ cup pepperoncini peppers, and 5 marinated cocktail onions.

Overhead view of olive salad ingredients in a bowl.

Combine the ingredients: Combine the ingredients above with 1 tbsp capers, ยผ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, ยผ cup olive oil, and 2 tbsp canola oil. Mix and transfer to an airtight container.

Covering the container with the olive salad with a blue lid.

Chill: Cover and refrigerate overnight, so the flavors have time to meld.

Front view of a Muffuletta sandwich.

Serve: Serve with crackers, pizza, a muffuletta sandwich, or whatever else you’d like, and enjoy.

How to Store Leftovers

If kept in a tightly sealed jar (and all ingredients are covered with oil), muffuletta olive salad will last for several weeks in the fridge. NOTE: the oil in the chilled olive salad can solidify – this is normal. Simply scoop out however much you want to use and gently warm in the microwave for a few seconds to liquify it again.

Freeze the leftovers if you want to keep olive salad on hand for longer, but I find we usually use it up after several weeks in the fridge.

Olive oil being poured over olive salad ingredients.

Serving Suggestions

Olive salad was originally made as a topping for a muffuletta sandwich. But if you have leftovers or just aren’t feeling very sandwich-y, there are plenty of other ways to serve it:

  • In salads
  • Mixed into pasta
  • On paninis or other sandwiches
  • Bruschetta topping
  • As a pizza topping
  • In scrambled eggs
  • On cheese plates or charcuterie boards
  • On crostini or crackers
  • Combined with mayo for a tangy creamy spread
  • Mixed with cream cheese for a quick dip
Close up of a spoonful of olive salad

More Olive Recipes

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About Amy Flanigan

Well, hey there! Amy here, founder and COO at BellyFull. If youโ€™re looking for tried and true, fuss-free, budget-friendly, delicious, every day recipes, youโ€™ve come to the right place.

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