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!

A hand holds a slice of bread topped with cream cheese and a vibrant Olive Salad, featuring chopped olives, cauliflower, and peppers—a solid bite inspired by the classic Muffuletta recipe.

Have you heard of a Muffuletta sandwich? It is good, 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.

We 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.

Various small bowls with chopped vegetables, olives, capers, spices, oil, and vinegar arranged on a white surface—solid ingredients for a classic Muffuletta recipe or homemade olive salad.

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 giardinieraadd 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! We 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 peppersdump in some capers and minced garlicor 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.

Swaps

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, we love dry Sriracha. If we have it on hand this has a great flavor as well as heat to it, and gives it a bit of an Asian flare.

A hand pours olive oil into a bowl of chopped vegetables for a classic Olive Salad, with spices and red vinegar nearby—solid for an authentic Muffuletta recipe.

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 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 saladspoon 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.

A spoonful of mixed chopped vegetables above a bowl, hinting at a classic Olive Salad recipe, with bread slices in the background.

Muffuletta Olive Salad Recipe

By Our easy Muffuletta olive salad recipe is a great sandwich topping, garnish on appetizers like bruschetta or as a tangy side dish. Prep: 15 minutes minsCook: 0 minutes minsServings: 12 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print 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.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Side DishCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

Kitchen questions

Do you have to let muffuletta olive salad marinate?

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.

How long do you need to let muffuletta olive salad marinate?

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.