Last updated on February 3rd, 2020 at 02:09 pm

This olive salad is a mixture of garlic, maybe an olive or two, and vinegar with some peppers thrown in there too. Use it to top a cracker, hang out with your boring chicken, or make an authentic New Orleans Muffuletta sandwich!

Use this olive salad to make this Cheesy Olive Bread, this Muffuletta Cheese Ball and these Mardi Gras Deviled Eggs!

I went all the way to New Orleans and I only brought one thing back!

Central Grocery Treasure

Have you ever been to New Orleans?  I have had the pleasure of going three times and each time I ate way too much.  

When you are traveling somewhere new, what is the first thing you plan?  For us, it’s food.  What cool restaurants are there, are there any that have been on the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives show, any authentic, local hangouts that are a must for all tourists?  

I would stay in a tent on the sidewalk if it meant that I would be able to visit all the food joints that I wanted to try.

My first Low- Country experience.

Right before Brooks and I got married we traveled to New Orleans to visit one of his college friends.  We experienced Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street (from a balcony where I got to throw beads and see some things I didn’t want to see!!), watch the parades, eat beignets at Cafe du Monde, and even manage to steal a manhole cover from the Garden District.

Keep that on the down low!

I no longer have the souvenir in my possession morality police so calm down.  It stayed in NOLA just not in its original location as it wouldn’t fit in my suitcase.  Despite all our shenanigans, my favorite memory of the whole trip was eating a classic Muffuletta sandwich.

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If you’d rather skip my (very helpful, I think) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this delicious easy Olive Salad recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.

Is the Muffuletta just a sandwich?

I beg to differ!  As a frequent eater of Italian sub sandwiches, I was happy to see that the Muffuletta contained the traditional Italian meats, Capicola, salami, and mortadella. But there was something else to it that made it special, aside from the sheer size of the sandwich.  It’s the olive salad!

Speaking of size, I made the mistake of ordering a whole Muffuletta sandwich at the restaurant even after Brooks told me that I only need a quarter size.  He knew I could pack away some food so I was naturally curious as to why I only needed a 1/4 of a sandwich.  

I had been walking all day taking in the sights and I was HUNGRY!  He calmly told me that if I was still hungry he would get me another one so I was satisfied with that answer.

Brooks ordered a Po-boy, which I was also curious about. If he was going to deny me adequate food and leave me hungry, I would just steal some of his.

This post may contain affiliate links.  I earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.  Your purchase helps support this blog at no additional cost to you and allows me to continue bringing you delicious recipes and funny stories.  For my entire disclosure policy click here.

The Muffuletta is more than a mouthful!

The 1/4 Muffuletta showed up.

It was bigger than my head.

I couldn’t finish it.

I was defeated by a sandwich and it wasn’t even a cool eating competition with people cheering you on!

But I gratefully lost to the Muffuletta because of the one special condiment that adorned it: the olive salad.  A mixture a few olive types, some pickled vegetables, a hint of garlic, some vinegar, and peppers for good measure.  

Tangy, briny, and filled with so many different flavors, I wanted to buy a jar of it!  I wanted to rub it on my face!  I would have rubbed it on Brooks’ face and kissed him but I didn’t want to waste any!

We sat there for quite a while and dissected out all the pieces of the olive salad so I could try and recreate it later.  While not an exact replica due to all the local variations, this recipe is the product of our detective work.  I like to think this is pretty darn close. So close in fact that I used it in my Muffuletta Deviled Eggs and to coat my Muffuletta Cheese Ball!

While we did shop for souvenirs, I wanted the one thing I brought back from NOLA to be a recipe.  This olive salad recipe!

Why doesn’t it contain cauliflower?

I wanted to highlight mostly olives and peppers. I have included cauliflower in my Giardiniera but you can also add cauliflower to this, just cook it or let it sit longer.

How long does olive salad last?

If you just make it fresh it will last up to a week in the fridge. If you want to keep it longer I recommend processing it with traditional canning techniques.

What if I am missing or can’t find one specific ingredient?

Don’t fret, just leave it out and add more of on of the others:)

Do I have to use this on a muffuletta?

Nope, feel free to use this on just about anything!

If you are looking for something to make with this Olive Salad, check out my Cheesy Olive Salad Bread for a quick appetizer.

Looking for a quick appetizer you can make ahead of time for a get-together that you are hosting and are already stressed to the max?  Check out all my cheese ball recipes, both sweet and savory, to fit your special occasion!

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Easy New Orleans Olive Salad Recipe

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