Creamy Spanish Tapenade with Manchego Cheese and Olives

Kitchen Team @ Spooning and Forking

This creamy Spanish tapenade combines manchego cheese with black olives, garlic, and olive oil for a nutty, indulgent spread. Perfect for tapas boards, cheese platters, or winter feasts, it’s luxurious yet easy to prepare.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Course Appetizer, Dip

Cuisine European, Mediterranean, Spanish

Servings Servings

Calories 165 kcal

Ingredients

150 g Black olives pitted
100 g Manchego finely grated
2 cloves Garlic
2 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
1 tsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Sherry vinegar
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste, freshly ground

Instructions

Place the olives, garlic, manchego, lemon juice, and vinegar into a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while pulsing until the mixture forms a creamy, coarse paste. Season lightly with salt and pepper, tasting as manchego already brings saltiness.
For a chunkier version, mash the cheese and garlic together first, then stir through hand-chopped olives. This keeps the olives more distinct while still giving a creamy base.

Notes

Choose a semi-curado manchego (aged 3–6 months). It’s firm enough to grate but still creamy, with nutty sweetness. Curado or viejo (longer-aged manchego) can be used for a sharper, more robust flavour, but they’ll make the spread slightly less creamy.

Grating the cheese finely ensures it blends smoothly into the olives. If chopped too coarsely, it won’t integrate as well, leaving lumps instead of a unified spread.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 420mgPotassium: 70mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 200IUCalcium: 180mgIron: 1mg

Keyword creamy tapenade, indulgent dip, manchego spread, Nutty flavour, spanish cheese

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