Healthy Tapas Recipes and Menus

Featured Recipes

Spanish Tapas-Inspired Mussels

When you think “mussels” you may not instantly think “chickpeas,” but the two are joined in tasteful union in this delicious, bistro-style dish. You'll want some crusty bread to sop up the sauce.

» Spanish Tapas-Inspired Mussels

Spanish Tortilla

Don't confuse this with the flour or corn tortillas you use to make wraps. A Spanish tortilla is a potato-and-egg omelet found on numerous menus throughout Spain. Traditionally these are cooked in heaps of olive oil. Our version uses less oil, so it's lower in calories, and if you use precooked diced potatoes, it's faster too.

» Spanish Tortilla

Spicy Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

These succulent meatballs can be served on little plates with plenty of bread for sopping up the rich tomato sauce or simply with toothpicks (and a napkin!). They are best served warm.

» Spicy Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Lima Beans with Chorizo

A bit of chorizo sausage gives these beans a sassy hit of smoke and spice. Serve them as is (on small plates) or heaped onto slices of garlic-rubbed toast.

» Lima Beans with Chorizo

Spinach with Chickpeas

Enjoy this vegetable-rich nibble as they do in Spain, spooned onto small rounds of fresh or lightly toasted bread.

» Spinach with Chickpeas

Sherried Mushrooms

Tapas are not always fancy—usually they're just a few simple ingredients prepared well, like these tender, juicy mushrooms. Just place a dish of toothpicks next to the serving dish and let guests help themselves.

» Sherried Mushrooms

Serrano Ham with Crusty Tomato Bread

For this classic tapas morsel, sweet and garlicky tomato spread is the perfect companion for thin slices of salty, dry-cured Spanish ham. Plum tomatoes are called for because they contain less water and therefore have a more intense flavor when they are slow-roasted.

» Serrano Ham with Crusty Tomato Bread

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Spain's answer to the cocktail-hour appetizer. Tapas provide an easy, make-ahead party menu

In Spain, most locals enjoy tapas with sherry or wine, as a snack to tide them over until dinner (usually eaten around 10 or 11 at night). Almost always served at bars, tapas are thought to have originally consisted of a slice of cheese or ham placed over a drink to keep out flies. (The word tapa comes from the verb tapere, “to cover.”) Over time, these savory bites expanded to include regional specialties—oily slices of salt cod from the Basque or fried croquettes from the sherry region of Cadiz—that patrons would enjoy on toothpicks or rounds of bread. Nowadays, some tapas displays are so expansive, they could easily (and often do) comprise a full meal.

This is why tapas are so perfect for entertaining. These savory nibbles make terrific hors d’oeuvres as well as small-plate buffets. To round out the offerings below, simply add bowls of Spanish olives, some Spanish cheeses, including buttery Manchego, and fresh orange wedges and grapes.

And here’s the best part: tapas improve with age, which means you can (and should) make them one or two days in advance. They also taste wonderful at room temperature, which is how they’re served in Spain. So once you lay out all the goodies (along with plenty of bread, small plates, napkins and toothpicks), you’re done! Imagine—when your guests arrive, you can kick back, relax and actually enjoy your own party!