Green Olive Salad Dressing

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 0 mins

Total: 5 mins

Servings: 2 to 3 servings

This thick, rich, green olive salad dressing is quick to put together and will give any type of salad a flavorful boost. This mixture of green olives, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice is great on slightly bitter greens such as radicchio and endive with a heavy dusting of finely grated Parmesan cheese. It would also be delicious on a Mediterranean chickpea salad, as well as a salad of grilled eggplant, zucchini, and peppers.

This green olive dressing can also double as a quick and delicious dairy-free dip for crudités, or as a spread on crackers or toasts; pair with goat cheese crostini for a delicious quick hors d’œuvres. Dress up simply grilled chicken or fish with a dollop of this green olive dressing, or add to a pasta salad for extra color and flavor.

Ingredients

• 18 medium green olives (pitted)

• 1 clove garlic

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar (white wine or sherry vinegar are good choices)

• Dash of fine sea salt (to taste)

• Dash of freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Steps to Make It

1. Using a knife, mortar and pestle, or blender, mince the pitted olives and garlic into a paste.

2. Place the olive-garlic mixture in a bowl or the blender.

3. Whisk in the oil and lemon juice or vinegar.

4. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

5. Use the dressing immediately or cover and chill up to a week.

Types of Green Olives

Whether at the olive bar in the gourmet shop or in jars on the supermarket shelves, you may come across a few different varieties of green olives to choose from. Spanish green olives are the most common, with Manzanilla and Gordal being two types often found in United States food stores. You might also find the Picholine, a French green olive, as well as the Italian Cerignola. Be sure to check if the olive is pitted and whether it is stuffed or not, as colossal green olives frequently are filled with pimentos, garlic, or a bit of cheese.

Recipe Variations

• Instead of green olives, you can use a variety of black olives. Just don't pick an uncured black olive (like the type that top pizza and nachos), often sold in cans, as the dressing will end up tasting bland. Kalamata, a Greek olive, and the Italian Lugano are good choices.
• Add fresh herbs to the dressing; parsley, oregano, and cilantro are all good choices.
• If you'd like to make this a creamy dressing, you can add a little bit of mayonnaise to the mixture and blend until combined.