Spanish Tapas Bar Salad

December 26, 2025By American Vinegar Works

Top-down view of Spanish tapas salad with jamón, quail eggs, Manchego, chips, & wooden spoons at rim

Spanish Tapas Bar Salad

Name: Spanish Tapas Bar Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4–6 People
Cuisine: Spanish Tapas
Ingredients: 6 eggs; 1 a head of bibb lettuce or baby romaine (pre-washed or wash and spin it ); ¼ cup pitted green olives; 1 pint cherry tomatoes; 4 ounces aged Manchego cheese; ½ cup Marcona almonds; 2 ounces thinly sliced Jamon or coppa; Kosher salt and pepper to taste; 2 cups thin plain potato chips; 1 shallot; 2 tablespoons American Barrel Sherry; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon sugar; ⅓ cup AVW California Olive Oil

Love iconic Spanish bar foods? Toss Marcona almonds, potato chips, Manchego, and jamón and call it one big, satisfying and festive salad. Don't forget your favorite wine and some crusty bread. Naturally, it features our California Organic EVOO, opens in a new tab and American Barrel Sherry Wine Vinegar, opens in a new tab.

This recipe and photograph have been generously shared with us by our friend Catherine Smart from her food blog, Not From Concentrate. Check it out for more of Catherine's recipes.

Which vinegar to use, and why

Anything from a Spanish bar takes sherry vinegar. Nutty and rounded, and it goes with olives, almonds and cured fish. We use American Barrel California Sherry Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.

Make it ahead and keep it

Dress it just before serving. Once the leaves are coated they soften quickly, so make the dressing ahead and combine at the table.

What to cook next

Try Classic Gazpacho, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.

Spanish Tapas Bar Salad

American Vinegar Works

Servings

4–6 People

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Calories

797

Cuisine

Spanish Tapas

Ingredients

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6 eggs
1 a head of bibb lettuce or baby romaine (pre-washed or wash and spin it )
¼ cup pitted green olives
1 pint cherry tomatoes
4 ounces aged Manchego cheese
½ cup Marcona almonds
2 ounces thinly sliced Jamon or coppa
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 cups thin plain potato chips

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1 shallot
2 tablespoons American Barrel Sherry
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon sugar
⅓ cup AVW California Olive Oil

Directions

Fill a small saucepan with water and turn heat to medium high. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Once the water is boiling, carefully drop in 6 eggs and cook for 7 minutes. Drain and add to the ice water to stop the eggs from cooking.
Meanwhile, start your dressing: Finely chop 1 shallot and place in a small bowl. pour in 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon sugar. Let that mellow while you prep your salad.
Pull apart the head of bibb lettuce and wash and spin in a salad spinner if not pre-washed. Roughly chop ¼ cup pitted olives and ½ cup Marcona almonds, and halve a pint of cherry tomatoes. Make ribbons of 4 ounce chunk of Manchego with a vegetable peeler. Tear 2 ounces coppa into small bite sized pieces.
Drain the eggs and put in the ice bath. Peel the eggs and halve them.
Lay the lettuce down on the platter. Arrange olives, almonds, tomatoes, cheese, and coppa on the platter. Top with the halved eggs.
Finish the dressing by whisking in ⅓ cup olive oil. Drizzle over the salad on the platter
Crush 2 cups potato chips with your hands and sprinkle over the salad. Finish with some grinds of fresh black pepper.