You’ll feel like you’re in a fancy Italian restaurant at home, with this delicious bread dipping oil loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, red chili flakes and garlic. If you don’t have any of the ingredients, it’s okay – just leave it out or add something else. The two things that are a MUST are the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
As a kid, I never understood the allure of bread and fancy oil. It seemed like such a basic thing, so I would usually just skip it if we ever went to a restaurant. But now, as a 22 year old, I get it. Give me some freshly toasted bread and some of that herby dipping oil & I am a very happy girl! There’s something about it that feels like luxury.
How to Make Dipping Oil
- Start by picking a good quality olive oil or extra virgin olive oil. Since it’s the base of this recipe, the quality of the olive oil really determines the quality of this dipping oil.
- Then, add in some balsamic vinegar to it. The combo of balsamic vinegar and olive oil is really key, in my opinion for replicating that flavor from restaurant dipping oils.
- Now, we get creative! I like to add in minced garlic, fresh & dry herbs, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, red chilli flakes and salt. You can get as creative as you would like here! To make something more seasonal, use ingredients that might be in season like dried cranberries or pecans!
How long will this last?
Pour it into an airtight container and store it in a cool place, away from the light for a week! If you plan to gift it or store it, use dried herbs and garlic instead of fresh.
DIY Gift Idea
I’m a big fan of homemade gifts, especially homemade food gifts! Bread Dipping Oil and Infused Oils are an amazing gift idea that doesn’t require much cooking expertise to make. It’s fancy, unique and almost everyone loves those restaurant dipping oils. I love to buy small airtight glass jars, pour it in and add a cute label!
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Restaurant Style Bread Dipping Oil
- Yield: 5–6 Generous Servings 1x
Description
You’ll feel like you’re in a fancy Italian restaurant at home, with this delicious bread dipping oil loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, red chili flakes and garlic. It’s perfect for serving at dinner parties and even gifting in a bottle!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- Small handful of parsley, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup green or kalamata olives, chopped finely
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1–2 tbsp red chili flakes
- Large pinch of salt
Instructions
If gifting, please use DRY/preserved ingredients only because fresh ingredients will go bad over time. Swap the garlic with garlic powder and the parsley with dried parsley. If you use canned olives and sun dried tomatoes you’ll be fine!
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well to combine. Serve with freshly sliced bread, pita bread, naan or your favourite bread!
- To gift it, pour into an airtight jar and add a label letting them know it’s “Homemade Bread Dipping Oil” and to use it within 2-3 weeks.
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me @eatsbyramya or DM me a picture & let me know how it went!
This infused oil has so much flavor! I can not get enough of it.
I highly recommend making this for yourself & it makes an excellent gift not only for the holidays but anytime of the year.
It is also great as a dressing for salad.
★★★★★