How to Create the Ultimate Summer Tapas Buffet

When the summer sun is high in the sky, many are inspired to invite friends and family over for some tasty snacks and drinks. Impress your guests with these simple recipes for treats that will entice even the most discerning visitor! With tapas, it's easy to mix and match according to preferences and needs.

Tapas - a food tradition from Spain

The tradition of gathering close friends and family around a table with various dishes can be found all over the world, but tapas is a tradition rooted in Spain. The name tapas is actually a collective term for small dishes originating from the Mediterranean region, meaning a small dish served with a drink. Today, tapas can consist of all kinds of small dishes, but the classic ones are dishes with cooked vegetables, cheese, ham, fish, and seafood.

5 Recipes for Delicious Tapas Appetizers

Here we share five flavorful recipes that blend traditional Spanish cuisine with Swedish delicacies.

1. Crostini with cream cheese and tomato

This fresh crostini brings to mind the Southern European cuisine with sun-ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, and garlic cream cheese. A simple and popular favorite that can be paired with a variety of dishes!

Ingredients (12 pcs):

• ½ baguette

• 1 tbsp oil

• salt, pepper

• 100 g drained sun-dried tomatoes

• 12 small tomatoes, or 3 large ones

• 1 pot fresh basil

• 150 g Boursin or Philadelphia cream cheese with garlic and herbs

How to do:

1. Slice the baguette into slices about 3-4 mm thick. Then place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper.

2. Toast the baguettes in a warm oven at 180° for about 8-10 minutes.

3. Drain off almost all the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes and place them in a bowl with some of the oil they were in. 

4. Cut the fresh tomatoes into smaller pieces, strip the basil leaves, chop the stems, and mix together with the rest in the bowl. Feel free to season with freshly ground black pepper. Be careful not to use too much salt, as both the sun-dried tomatoes and the cream cheese already have a good base saltiness.

5. Spread the cream cheese on your warm crostinis and then top with the tomato salad.

2. Puff Pastry Tartlets with Asparagus and Cheese

These crispy puff pastry tarts with asparagus and two types of cheese are best served alongside a charcuterie board, a salad, or as a standalone dish on the menu. Easy to prepare and ready in no time!

Ingredients (4 pcs):

• 1 puff pastry roll, 250 g

• 100 g cream cheese

• 100 g grated aged cheese, 31%

• 10 green asparagus

• salt and pepper

How to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 225°.

2. Roll out the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the cream cheese and sprinkle the cheese on top.

3. Break off the bottom woody part of the asparagus, cut into smaller pieces, and place on top of the cheese.

4. Cook in the middle of the oven for 10–12 minutes.

5. Feel free to serve as part of a simple finger food buffet with charcuterie, olives, pickled and marinated items, and perhaps a good Parmesan cheese.

3. Padrón Peppers 

These pimientos de padrón are perfect to serve as a little snack alongside other dishes and cheeses. Easy to make and taste fantastic when freshly fried!

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 200 g padrones
• 3 tbsp oolive oil
  

• Flake salt

How to do:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan.

2. Fry padrones over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until they get color.

3. Place on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

4. Serve pimientos de padron freshly fried.

4. Hot shrimp with garlic & chili

These garlic sautéed shrimp with heat from chili and a fresh taste of parsley and lime are an excellent dish for tapas. Best served with some delicious garlic bread.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 750 g shrimp with shell, approx. 175 g peeled

• ¾ fresh red chili fruit

• 1½ garlic cloves

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3/4 dl chopped parsley

• ¾ lime, pressed juice

Do this:

1. Peel the shrimp.

2. Share, deseed, and finely chop the chili. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Sauté the chili and garlic without browning in a frying pan with oil.

3. Add the shrimp and sauté for one minute until they are warm, but no longer than that as they will become tough.

4. Remove the frying pan from the heat and stir in parsley and lime juice. Serve them immediately with bread.

5. Skewers with ham, mozzarella cheese, and melon

If you want to save both time and dishes, these small skewers with mozzarella, melon, and ham are a perfect choice. Let the sweet meet the salty in these tasty and fresh skewers!

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 6 slices of Parma ham

• ½ galia melon

• 12 small mozzarella balls

• 2 tbsp pesto

Do this: 

1. Share each slice of ham in half. Cut the melon into pieces.

2. Thread melon, ham, and mozzarella onto small sticks, and drizzle with a little pesto.

3. Serve!

Sangria in a pitcher - recipe

When most people think of tapas, they also think of sangria, a spicy and refreshing drink that is often served with Spanish small dishes. Sangria can be made with red wine, white wine, rosé wine, or completely alcohol-free – the choice is yours!

Sangria with white wine, citrus & nectarines

Ingredients 8 glasses:

• ½ dl granulated sugar

• ½ dl water

• 2 oranges, the juice

• 1½ dl squeezed lemon juice (approx. 4 lemons)

• 1 lime

• 1 lemon

• 1 orange

• 2 nectarines

• 1 bottle sparkling wine, 750 ml

• ice cubes

Do this:

1. Boil sugar and water over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let the syrup cool.

2. Mix the syrup with freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice.

3. Slice the lime, lemon, and orange thinly. Cut the nectarines into wedges.

4. Add lime, lemon, and orange slices as well as nectarine wedges to the sugar syrup.

5. Pour in the wine and add ice cubes.

Sangria with red wine and pomegranate

Ingredients:

• 150 cl red wine

• 8 sprigs of fresh mint

• 4 dl pomegranate juice, ready to drink

• 2 pomegranates, the seeds

• 4 oranges

• 4 tbsp cointreau

Do this:

1. Crush mint and mix with pomegranate juice, pomegranate seeds, one squeezed orange, and an orange cut into wedges.

2. Pour over the red wine and optionally Cointreau.

3. Add ice cubes before serving.

More tips & inspiration from Dorre

Are you looking for more recipes for delicious sides and drinks? On our inspiration page find more articles with tips for this summer's social events.

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