Olive Oil and Herb Dip

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pompeian. As always, all opinions and experiences are 100% my own.

Do you love good bread? I know I do! My whole family does. You know what is even better than good bread? Good bread paired with a delicious Olive oil and herb dip. I’m telling you, it is so incredibly delicious. I think I could make it my whole meal…I don’t, but I think I could.

We’ve been eating this olive oil and herb dip for years. It goes really well with salads, meats, and pasta. It is a favorite around our house. 

I want to show you how to make the herb dip, but this time I also tried something new. I decided to make our bread sea salt crusted. Oh my goodness, it was that added extra touch that made this gourmet and yet it was super easy to make.

To start, you want to make sure you are using a high quality olive oil. I had no idea that there are different varieties of olive oil. Much like wine, there are different varieties and different bodies to the olive oil depending on what type of olives are used. I used this Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive oil made with Picholine Olives. It is listed as being a medium bodied olive oil and says that it is perfect with meats and sauces. In the Pompeian Varietals collection there are currently olive oils that range from mild-bodied to full-bodied.

To crust your bread with the sea salt, start by brushing the bread with the olive oil.

Fresh ground sea salt will have the most flavor, so grind your sea salt on top of your bread. Add sea salt to your taste. Place the bread in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes to warm.

Meanwhile, mix up your herbs for your olive oil and herb dip. I have a mortise and pestle, so I use that. If you don’t, you can just use a bowl and the back of wooden spoon (or everyday spoon).

Place one teaspoon of the herb mixture on your plate.

Add three tablespoons, or your preferred amount, of olive oil to the herb mixture. Dip your bread into the olive oil and herb mixture and enjoy!

I have to tell you, that as I mentioned earlier, I really had no idea that there were different varieties of olive oil(other than extra virgin, virgin, etc.). I also had no idea that it would make that much of a difference. We’ve been making this dip for years. This time, when I made it with the Pompeian Olive Oil, it was amazing. It was very smooth and the oil didn’t overpower the herbs. Sometimes when I make this, the olive oil can be a little bitter or overpowering. With the Pompeian olive oil, it seemed to enhance and bring out more of the flavors of the herbs not overpower. It just took this dish over the top. I won’t tell you how many times I’ve snacked on this late at night now, but let’s just say it could be a problem! 😉

You can adapt the recipe to fit the number of servings you need. The recipe lists 4 servings, but you will have plenty of extra herb dip to use again in the future.

To download your copy of this Olive oil and herb dip recipe, just click that link. You can see nutritional information at My Recipe Magic.

Did you know there were different varietals of olive oil? What is your favorite? What do you love to make with it? Do tell. I can’t wait to get more ideas! Leave a comment below.

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