Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip Recipe

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 When it comes to appetizers, sometimes simple is best. This Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip Recipe is an easy appetizer that you can make a few minutes before your dinner party. The best thing is that you don’t sacrifice any flavour for speediness. All the ingredients work together and you can taste them on your dipped bread. It’s a lot better than a simple olive oil dip with a drizzle of balsamic!

Viral Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip Recipe

To be honest, I’ve never had an Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip like this one in a restaurant. I’ve seen many people call it “restaurant-style” but I’ve never had it in an Italian restaurant. The first time I heard about it was on social media. I started seeing all these versions pop up and it looked so good every single time! I just had to try it. It’s a great way to enjoy your favourite bread and it pairs lovely with a glass of white wine or red wine. I just need to have an olive oil bread dip at every gathering now!

Ingredients for the Bread Dip

The list of ingredients for this Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip Recipe is quite long. It’s a lot longer than the two-sentence instructions! However, don’t be intimidated by the list because these are all ingredients you can easily get at the smallest grocery stores. Because these ingredients are simple, you want to make sure that you’re using good-quality ingredients. The more simple a recipe is, the more the ingredients will shine through. Here’s what you will need:

• Good Olive oil: Olive oil is 80% of this recipe. A good quality extra virgin olive oil will make a big difference and take a simple bread dip to the next level. 
• Chili flakes: Chili flakes or red pepper flakes add a bit of spiciness to the mix. This Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip Recipe is not very spicy at all. It just adds a slight tingle to every bite.
• Salt: Fine salt will add the flavour that we need to round all the other flavours up. You can use sea salt, kosher salt, pink salt, any type will do.
• Black pepper: You will definitely taste the difference if you use fresh ground black pepper versus pre-ground pepper. You get that beautiful fragrance that we all love and introduce it to the oil that makes it bloom even more.
• Herbs: For this recipe, I use a mix of dried herbs and basil. You can also go for the all-fresh herbs route as well if you prefer. I use dried oregano and thyme and then go for fresh basil leaves. If you do go for the all-fresh route, make sure that you also chop your fresh oregano and thyme. That’s so that the flavour isn’t too present in a bite.
• Parmesan cheese: Try to not use generic parmesan cheese. Rather, go for a nice quality Italian Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano. Since it’s finely grated, I think that Grana Padano is a nice enough quality to get the best flavor.
• Balsamic vinegar: High-quality balsamic vinegar is, of course, central to this balsamic vinegar dip. Don’t substitute it for other kinds of vinegar. Balsamic has a very particular taste and slight sweetness that’s just amazing. If you like your balsamic on the sweeter side you could also use aged balsamic or even use balsamic glaze. 
• Olives: Even though it’s not classical to this recipe, I added chopped green olives to it and I love the zing they bring. If you’re not a fan of olives though, you can skip them altogether. Be aware that olvies are very salty and adjust the level of salt you add accordingly. Remember to always taste as you go.
• Garlic: I did not add fresh garlic cloves to this dip, but you can add it if you like. I wouldn’t go for more than 1 small garlic clove to prevent the garlic from drowning the other more subtle flavours in the recipe.

Instructions to make this Bread Dip

The good thing about this Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip Recipe is that you get a ton of flavor from just mixing everything. To make it you will place all the ingredients in a small bowl. Then, use a whisk to bring them together. The balsamic vinegar will emulsify a bit with the parmesan. This helps so you don’t get a floating lake of vinegar but rather a nice distribution of it across the dipping oil. Once ready, transfer it to a shallow bowl that will help you get that perfect dip of your bread.

What bread to go for

Once your Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip is ready, you need bread to dip in it. There are many options available but in general, you want it to be fresh bread. Soft bread is perfect for dipping. You certainly also want to have warm bread. When heated, it releases all those aromas that make us love delicious bread. You can use one type of warm crusty bread or rather go for a bread basket. I’m sure that you will very quickly notice which one was your party’s favorite bread for next time. There’s not a “best bread” for this recipe, it will depend on your preferences. Here are a few options:

• Italian bread: Since this is an Italian-ingredient recipe, the pairing with Italian bread is apparent. You can use fresh focaccia for an extra decadent option or go for ciabatta bread for a more soft and crusty balance. 
• French baguette: French baguette is the ultimate crusty bread! It would definitely work with this incredible Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip Recipe.
• Sourdough bread: If you’re crazy about sourdough like me, your mind will go to this option immediately. You can go for a loaf of crusty bread or even to the other options with a sourdough kick: focaccia, ciabatta, or baguette. 

Storing this Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip

There’s a chance you might end up with leftovers from your Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip. Or maybe you want to make it ahead of time. For those scenarios, here’s how to store it. Place it in an airtight container for the best results and refrigerate it. You can keep it like this for up to 2 days for optimum flavour. Beyond that, it will keep for 5 days in total, although it will start to lose flavour. It’s always best to let it come to room temperature before serving. You might open the container and notice that the olive oil has thickened. It could also have lumps in it. It’s normal, it’s from the cold. The good news is that as it comes back to room temperature those will disappear. 

Are you in your dip era?

Oh my God, so am I! I love a good dip and they’re always really fun to put together and to eat. Here’s some extra dipping inspo for your next dinner other than my Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip Recipe: