Mediterranean Tuna Stuffed Olives – a quick and super easy Italian-inspired recipe that can be served as appetizer or a savory snack. These green olives are stuffed with canned tuna (or anchovy), cream cheese, chives and parsley. Topped with some lemon zest, these lovely stuffed green olives in an olive oil-herb marinate are perfect for a party or family/office gatherings.
Today I’d like to share a fun and quick appetizer recipe with giant green olives and tuna. The beauty of this appetizer is that it can be quickly assembled within approx. half an hour and served even 24 hours afterwards (meal prep for a party).
FOR MORE TUNA RECIPES CHECK OUT this epic Italian tuna, beans and farro salad recipe.
FUN FACTS: Green olives have been central to Mediterranean agriculture (think Italy, Greece, Spain) cuisine, and trade for thousands of years. According to some legends, the birthplace of the first olive tree was in Athens, Greece. Many believed it was planted by the Greek Goddess Athena as a gift to the people. It’s believed that olive cultivation in Greece dates back to at least 3,000 BCE, with evidence from Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece. It’s also believed that olive cultivation spread across the Mediterranean through trade and Greek colonists. Once Once the Romans realized the value of olives and olive oil, they quickly expanded the olive groves across their territories.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Green olives, pitted – the largest green olives you can find
- Tuna fish, whole from can – choose fish in brine that is whole and not shredded in advance for best results. Anchovy can be used instead, however it’s usually very salty so the ratio: cream cheese-fish should be different to balance the taste
- Cream cheese – can be replaced with sour cream or creamy Feta cheese as well
- Chives, minced
- Parsley, minced
- Lemon zest, organic and freshly grated
- Marinate: olive oil, oregano, sweet paprika/chili flakes/paprika flakes
How to prepare Tuna Stuffed Olives?
1st: Drain olives from water, set aside. Combine all ingredients for the olive stuffing and blend until smooth. Place in a piping bag and carefully stuff each olive.
2nd: In the same jar add olive oil, oregano and pepper flakes. Add in the stuffed olives and cover with marinate on all sides. Serve immediately or preserve in the fridge up to 24 hours.
What to serve with Stuffed olives?
Tuna stuffed olives are a wonderful (no cook) appetizer that I prefer to serve alongside a light salad with lettuce, spring onion, radishes, salt, olive oil and vinegar. Or alternatively a quick and light summer salad like this one: Authentic Shopska Salad (Bulgarian).
Mediterranean Tuna Stuffed Olives
Ingredients
- 40 large green olives, pitted
- 60 g tuna fish, whole from can
- 1-2 tbsp. cream cheese
- 1 tbsp. chives, minced
- 1 tbsp. parsley, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest, organic
Marinate
- 6 tbsp. olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 tsp. oregano, dried
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika/chili flakes/paprika flakes
Instructions
- In a food processor combine tuna fish (drained from brine), finely chopped chives, parsley, feta cheese and lemon zest.
- Blend well to homogenize – the filling should be as a thick paste. Then, transfer filling to piping bag.
- Gently start filling the inside of the olives until full. Then, transfer to a glass container and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano and paprika/flakes.
- Roll around to cover olives with the marinate on all sides. Refrigerate for future use (up to 24h) or serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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These look so yummy!
Phenomenal! With a martini