10 Minute Mediterranean Bread Dipping Oil

There aren’t many recipes quicker or easier than this gorgeous bread dipping oil. Just mix a bunch of Mediterranean-style ingredients with olive oil, then serve up with fresh bread. A PERFECT last-minute appetizer idea your guests will love.

Give me a bowl of this, a big chunk of fresh focaccia and maybe a pink gin spritz and I am one happy girl. It’s got a bit of everything. It’s deeply savoury, thanks to the parmesan, olives, sundried tomatoes and garlic, it’s sweet, salty, a little spicy and just unbelievably delicious. It’s hard to believe something so simple can be SO gorgeous. I guarantee your guests will crowd around the bowl, going in for more and more.

Plus, it’s such an easy recipe to play around with, based on what you have on hand. Don’t like olives? Use more sundried tomatoes. Want to keep it vegan? Switch out the parmesan. Want something for the holidays? Try making festive bread dipping oil.

It’s also great for anyone following a Keto or low-carb diet! Any leftovers are wonderful piled on top of grilled chicken or fish, spooned over dips (it’s fab with this sundried tomato and feta dip, or fluffy creamy hummus), or tossed through a salad.

Ingredients

• Olive oil. I like using a good quality extra virgin olive oil – the dip is all about the base of the oil, so you ideally want a good one if possible.
• Sundried tomatoes. I like using semi-dried tomatoes because they tend to be softer than sundried – but if you can’t find them, regular sundried tomatoes are great. Try to find a brand marinated in olive oil for superior flavour.
• Balsamic vinegar. This brings a little sweet, caramel element to the dip it needs because the rest of the ingredients are quite strong and salty.
• Olives. My favourite olives are Kalamata, which I’m using here. Use whatever olives you like best, or swap them out for more sundried tomatoes if you’re not an olive fan.
• Parmesan. Everything is better with a little parmesan in my opinion! Use a block and grate it yourself for the best texture. You could skip this if you want to make the dip vegan.
• Herbs. I’m using fresh rosemary and thyme leaves, but you could use basil, flat-leaf parsley, oregano, marjoram or coriander. You could also swap the fresh herbs for dried ones.
• Garlic. I’m using 3 cloves, but you can cut that down if you’re worried about it being too garlicky. Or, use confit garlic for a sweeter, milder flavour.
• Seasoning. Chilli flakes, flaky salt and lemon zest come together to lift the dip and cut through the richness. You can leave out the chilli flakes if you’re worried about it being spicy.

How to make it

It truly is as easy as chopping up your ingredients, and then mixing them with olive oil.

To make things EVEN easier, you can mix everything in the bowl – or lipped plate – you will serve the dip in.

I LOVE to serve this with fluffy, fresh focaccia bread or this lovely fragrant rosemary parmesan bread. But you can use whatever bread you like, or even soft flatbreads are great.

Watch how to make it

Got a question?

Can I make the dip ahead of time?

You can! It will keep well for 5 days, stored in the fridge.

I don’t like olives – what could I use instead?

Use more sundried tomatoes, or you could use jarred artichoke hearts, capers or red peppers. If you’re looking for even MORE ideas, I share eight in this recipe.

Like this recipe? You’ll love these easy dip ideas too

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @Zageer on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.

Not many recipes are easier than this gorgeous Mediterranean bread dipping oil. Just mix a bunch of Mediterranean-style ingredients with olive oil – think olives, sundried tomatoes, parmesan, garlic – then serve up with fresh, soft bread for swirling. A PERFECT last-minute appetizer your guests will love. Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Kalamata olives, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon sumac, zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon of flaky sea salt

Method

1. Mix the oil. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl, or a plate that has a lip. Mix well, then taste, and season with a little more salt if you like.
2. Serve. Either serve the dip in the bowl you mixed it in or transfer it to a serving bowl. Enjoy with lots of fresh bread (focaccia or rosemary parmesan bread is great).

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving
Calories: 176kcal
Carbohydrates: 2.1g
Protein: 2.1g
Fat: 18.1g
Saturated Fat: 3.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
Monounsaturated Fat: 12.5g
Cholesterol: 3mg
Sodium: 199mg
Potassium: 56mg
Fiber: 0.5g
Sugar: 0.8g
Vitamin A: 236IU
Vitamin C: 3.8mg
Calcium: 67mg
Iron: 0.3mg

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Play around with the quantities if you like, based on what you like. Swap olives for more sundried tomatoes, or use jarred artichoke hearts, red peppers or capers. It’s best to grate the parmesan yourself for the best texture, but you can use pre-grated cheese if you like. If you don’t have parmesan, another salty cheese like manchego, pecorino or even feta would work well. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The dip will keep well for five days, stored in the fridge. You might find that the olive oil firms up after being in there, but it’ll loosen up again as it sits at room temperature. LOOKING FOR MORE VERSIONS? Try this lovely Greek-inspired version or this festive dipping oil. You can find EIGHT different variations in this bread dipping oil recipe too.