This olive salad is just what the doctor ordered chock full of healthy fats and powerful antioxidants. A quick and easy way for you to get your vitamins the delicious way.
If you love olives, then this is the salad for you, bitter green olives, tangy Kalamata olives, oh so sweet cherry tomatoes and sharp-tasting green capsicum (bell peppers) are all smothered in a delicious lemony garlic vinaigrette and make a sublime combination of flavours for your table.
You Will Need
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare the Olives
If your olives were in brine rinse them, shake to remove excess water then cut them in half lengthwise and then into quarters.
Step 2 – Prepare Your Veg
Wash your cherry tomatoes under cold running water and cut in half.
You can do this either by cutting them one by one or by placing a few under a plastic lid and running a serrated knife through them.
However, if your tomatoes are a bit soft it is easier to place your hand over a few and then run a serrated knife through them.
Wash your green capsicums, remove the seeds and core and chop into a medium dice.
Wash your parsley leaves, shake to remove excess then roughly chop.
Step 3 – Assemble the Salad
Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to a small glass jar and shake until emulsified. Add all your ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
Pour the dressing over salad, season with salt and pepper then toss gently until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning according to your taste.
Arrange your olive salad in a bowl, chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Some Variations to Try
- Make it carnivore by the addition of some grilled steak or chicken fillets.
- Make it pescatarian by adding a tin of tuna or salmon.
- Make it a main meal vegan salad by the addition of a tin of chickpeas or any other bean you fancy.
- Make it Greek by the addition of some feta and oregano.
- Make it Italian by the addition of some parmesan and basil.
- Make it Mexican by the addition of avocado and fresh coriander (cilantro).
Serving Suggestions 🍽
This olive salad partners really well with red meats. It is also good with chicken or any firm-fleshed fish.
I have served this salad with barbecued lamb cutlets, a red wine pot roast and also with grilled barramundi.
- Barbecued lamb cutlets
- Red wine pot roast
- Grilled barramundi
- Piri Piri Chicken
It also makes a flavourful topping for bruschetta or crostini. The combination of olives and tomatoes adds a delightful Mediterranean touch.
Tips and Questions
What’s the Difference Between Black and Green Olives
- So, what is the difference between the black and green olives, well, green olives are really just unripe black olives.
- Green olives are picked before the olives are fully ripe and the colour difference between green olives corresponds to how ripe they are when picked.
- As far as taste and texture goes, green olives are denser, firmer and more bitter than black olives
How Do I Prevent the Salad From Being Too Salty?
Rinse the olives before adding them to the salad to reduce excess saltiness. Taste the salad and adjust seasoning accordingly.
Can I Make It In Advance?
This is such a forgiving salad, you could make it in the morning, keep it chilled and serve it for dinner just add the dressing and parsley just before serving.
What to Do With the Leftover Salad
- Leftovers, not a problem, open up a tin of tuna or chickpeas and your lunch the next day is all sorted.
- Don’t fancy salad for lunch, then you can also easily blitz the leftovers in your food processor and freeze for a delicious addition to your next pasta sauce.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 400 grams cherry tomatoes (approximately 3 cups
- 1 large green capsicums (bell peppers) (approximately 300 grams)
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (coarsely chopped)
- ⅓ cup black kalamata olives (pitted)
- ⅓ cup green olives (pitted)
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3-4 tbsps lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
Instructions
- Rinse your olives and cut them into quarters, lengthwise.
- Wash your vegetables and trim, dice the capsicums, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and roughly chop the parsley.
- Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to a small glass jar and shake until emulsified.
- Pour the dressing over salad, season with salt and pepper then toss gently until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning according to your taste.
- Arrange in a salad bowl and chill until you are ready to serve.
