Easy to pull together and with minimal prep time, ‘no-recipe’ style recipes are less about precision and more about creating room for inspiration in the kitchen. We especially love these kinds of recipes for tapas and appetizers because with a small handful of key ingredients, you can quickly pull together an array of delicious small bites with little to no equipment, or mess in the kitchen.
Even better, the concept of ‘no-recipes’ ensures that you can create endless variations of your favorite flavors, easily customized to the items stocked in your fridge and pantry – all without having to run to the store for a specific ingredient. While the main premise here is that you don’t need elaborate instructions, by following a few simple guidelines you will be able to create amazing tapas and appetizers with ease.
Stock Your Fridge and Pantry
The essential key to quickly spinning up a ‘no-recipe’ tapas menu is to have a well-stocked fridge and pantry. For the fridge, firm cheeses such as mozzarella, feta and halloumi are great to have on hand. They hold up well when marinated or tossed with other ingredients, and citrus and green herbs will give vibrance to their rich flavor. In the pantry, high-quality canned and jarred ingredients such as tuna, olives, pickles, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes provide intense flavor with little work. Your pantry should also have a variety of grains, beans and pasta to add heartiness, as well as a well-stocked selection of spices and spice blends.
Shop: Olive Branch Collection Mini Cocotte Get the Recipe: Trio of Mediterranean Small Plates
Choose a Focus Ingredient
When planning a no-recipe dish, choose one main ingredient to focus on per small plate, then build flavor onto the base. Hearty olives, cheeses, beans and nuts are all great places to start. These ingredients anchor the dish, making them a satisfying starter or a filling accompaniment that pair especially well with drinks. Since these ingredients are the star of the show, it’s worth it to purchase the highest quality you can find and afford. No-recipe recipes require few ingredients and very little, if any, cooking, so the caliber of the components is crucial.
Shop: Rectangular Dish with Platter Lid Get the Recipe: Roasted Tomatoes and Almonds with Hummus
Add Supporting Players
Once you decide on your focus and genre, start layering flavor with supporting players. Combine the focus ingredient with a variety of fresh, roasted or pickled veggies as well as cooked grains and leafy greens. Fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and even diced fruit can add texture, crunch and moisture to the dish. Add bold flavor with pickled onions, tangy relishes or marinated artichokes. And to transform tapas into heartier small plates, round out the dish with sliced baguette, toasted pita or crispy tortilla chips.
Shop: Mini Round Cocotte Get the Recipe: Cowboy Caviar
Get Creative with Seasonings
Varying herbs, spices, citrus, vinegars and oils can all quickly transform a dish and result in completely different flavor profiles. For example, by changing up the dried spices on roasted nuts, you can transform the flavor of almonds with anything from Herbes de Provence to spicy curry powder. It’s a great way to adapt one ingredient to different menu themes. Vibrant fresh herbs can also change the flavor profile quickly as well - think basil for an Italian dish versus cilantro for Southwestern inspired. And vinegars and citrus both add acidity to the dish which brighten the flavor and add contrast to the richer elements.
Shop: Set of 3 Tapas Dishes Get the Recipe: Trio of Tapas Recipes
Serve with Other Complementary Small Plates
For a fun and impressive tapas spread, pull together several like-minded dishes to create a well-rounded menu. Stick to dishes that are complementary when served together so the flavors do not clash when on the same plate, and be sure to offer a variety of textures, colors and flavors. Serve them all in colorful Mini Cocottes, Ramekins or other small dishes so that they can be set out, either hot or cold, and guests can easily serve themselves throughout the gathering.
Shop: Ramekins and Individual Servings Get the Recipe: Party Dip TrioPantry Staples
Although the sky is the limit on the ways you could stock your kitchen, we’ve put together a list of ideas to get you started. Make sure your pantry is well-stocked with these market ingredients and you can improvise a tapas menu quickly and easily.
- Olives – Kalamata, Castelvetrano and stuffed manzanilla
- Jarred Vegetables – Artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, pickled okra, Giardiniera, pickled onions, roasted red peppers and Sweety Drop peppers
- Beans – Gigantes, chickpeas, blackeyed peas, black beans and cannellini beans
- Raw Nuts – Pine nuts, Marcona almonds, cashews and pecans
- Cheeses – Feta, halloumi, small mozzarella balls, goat cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano
- Pantry Staples – Extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar and dried spices
- Fresh Ingredients – Lemons, limes, oranges, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, green onion, basil, parsley, cilantro, arugula and spinach
- Grains – Quinoa, farro, barley, wild rice and assorted pasta shapes
