Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip

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Less than 20 minutes to make (and most of that time is just heating olive oil and garlic!). In this easy appetizer, olive oil and balsamic vinegar pair with herbs and garlic for the easiest and most delicious bread dipping oil combo you’ve ever had! Best enjoyed with crusty French bread and a big glass of red wine!

What makes this balsamic bread dip so tasty?

• This dip is all about subtle flavors.
• The ingredient list is short, so you want to make sure you’re using quality ingredients.
• The classic combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar is elevated by infusing the oil with garlic and adding dried spices and shredded Parmesan.
• A crusty French bread rounds out the list of classic flavors and is the perfect vehicle to soak up all of that delicious oil and vinegar!

How do I make olive oil & balsamic bread dip?

If you don’t like to cook, you’re going to love this recipe! Even if you do like to cook it’s nice to get a little break once in a while and just enjoy a quality snack that takes only minutes to prepare!

You’ll start by heating olive oil and garlic in a small sauce pan over medium low heat. This is going to infuse the oil with the most delicious garlic flavor.

Then you’ll add dried spices and stir to combine.

Then you’ll pour the herbaceous olive oil into a serving dish and add balsamic vinegar.

Finish this dish with freshly shredded Parmesan and serve with sliced French baguette.

What kind of olive oil should I use?

• I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but for an appetizer like this where the olive oil is the star, make sure you use a good olive oil.
• But you don’t need to spend $50 on a bottle. I like to look for olive oil that is cold pressed and organic. This will narrow down the selection giving you the most pure and flavorful olive oil.  
• It might take a few tries to find your favorite flavor of olive oil. There is a surprisingly wide range of flavors that olive oil can have depending on where the olives were grown including: peppery, floral, nutty or even spicy! This is my personal fave!

Why you’re going to love this easy olive oil bread dip appetizer:

• It’s simple and easy to throw together. If you need a last minute appetizer that you can make in just minutes – this is it! If you’re like me you’ll probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already which means you have this made in no time!
• Your friends are going to devour it! If you’re having a ladies night and you want to serve something along side those bottles of merlot, this easy appetizer needs to be on the table! Chances are good your friends will have had something similar to this at a restaurant, but they will be completely blown away by the fresh flavors of THIS dip! It puts all restaurant olive oil bread dips to shame 🙂
• It looks super fancy (but it’s not). Fake it ’til you make it, right?! This dip LOOKS like you probably spent a lot of time in the kitchen but in reality you heated a bit of minced garlic with olive oil and then poured it into a serving dish with dried herbs and balsamic vinegar. Accept the compliments graciously when your friends rave about this appetizer – you “worked hard” 😉 and you deserve it!

Tips for making the best olive oil bread dip:

• Use fresh garlic. Don’t use a jar of minced garlic. Grab some fresh cloves and mince them yourself. Fresh garlic is usually cheaper and honestly,  you have no idea how long those jars of garlic have been sitting on the shelf before you buy them. 
• Use quality olive oil. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get good olive oil. Look for something cold pressed, organic and most importantly in your price range!
• Shred your own Parmesan cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in cellulose so the shreds don’t stick together. Skip the additives and opt for a wedge of Parmesan. There is nothing more delicious than freshly grated cheese!

Other simple appetizer recipes you’ll love:

• Roasted Tomatoes with Burrata & Balsamic
• Greek Potato Wedges with Tzatziki
• Easy Baked Jalapeno Poppers
• Caramelized Onion Puff Pastry Tarts
• The Easiest Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip

★★★★★ 5 from 11 reviews

• Author: Kylie Lato
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Total Time: 17 minutes
• Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar combine with herbs and garlic for the easiest and most delicious appetizer you’ve ever had! Best enjoyed with crusty French bread and a big glass of red wine!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• sliced French baguette for serving

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Instructions

1. In a small saucepan combine olive oil and garlic over medium low heat. Heat for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat, stir in oregano, thyme and a moderate pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Pour oil mixture into a wide shallow serving dish.
4. Pour in balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan.
5. Serve with sliced French baguette for dipping and enjoy!

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Notes

Use fresh garlic. Don’t use a jar of minced garlic. Grab some fresh cloves and mince them yourself. Fresh garlic is usually cheaper and honestly,  you have no idea how long those jars of garlic have been sitting on the shelf before you buy them. 

Use quality olive oil. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get good olive oil. Look for something cold pressed, organic and most importantly in your price range!

Shred your own Parmesan cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in cellulose so the shreds don’t stick together. Skip the additives and opt for a wedge of Parmesan. There is nothing more delicious than freshly grated cheese!

Keywords: bread dip, olive oil dip, balsamic dip, oil and vinegar dip, restaurant dip

This post was originally published in September of 2018. It was updated in Feburary 2019 to include process shots and tips for making the perfect olive oil & balsamic bread dip!