Sometimes a short ingredient list delivers all the flavor a salad needs. This Green Olive Dressing combines drained green olives, water and garlic into a savory dressing with a pleasantly briny character. There is no added oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice or vinegar in the recipe itself; the olives supply its distinctive flavor and body.
From page 34 of the Black Hills Health Retreat Wellness Cookbook, this is a straightforward blend-and-chill preparation. It is a useful change from creamy cashew dressings and bright citrus vinaigrettes, especially when you want a bold accompaniment to simply prepared vegetables.
πΏ The Healing Ingredients
- Green Olives (2 cans, drained): The foundation of the dressing. Choose pitted green olives and check for any remaining pits before blending. The cookbook specifies two cans but does not state their size, so the ratio of olives to water will vary with the product used. Record the can size and drained weight if you want to reproduce a batch you particularly enjoy. A six-ounce catalog option is linked here, but that is not a confirmed can size from the original recipe. β Shop Olives, Green, Pitted
- Garlic (2 small cloves or ΒΌ tsp. garlic powder): Adds savory depth. The cookbook explicitly allows either fresh garlic or garlic powder. Peel fresh cloves before blending. Powder disperses easily and is convenient when you do not have fresh garlic available. These are the original alternatives, not extra ingredients to use together. β Shop Garlic, Powder, Organic
- Water (1 cup): Loosens the olives into a pourable dressing. Use the stated quantity when following the original formula. Because the olive can size is unspecified, the finished dressing may be thinner or thicker than another batch made with different cans.
- Salt (to taste): The final adjustment, not an automatic addition. Green olives are often packed in salty liquid, so taste the blended dressing before adding salt. Depending on your olives and preference, you may not need any extra.
π The Blend-and-Chill Method
Drain the olives before measuring them into the blender; the recipe calls for water rather than the packing liquid. The card does not instruct you to rinse the olives, so rinsing would be an optional adaptation that could change their saltiness and flavor.
Blend the drained olives with the water and your chosen form of garlic until smooth, following your appliance's loading instructions and maximum fill level. Stop the machine before scraping its sides. Olives can leave some fine texture, so assess the consistency rather than assuming a set number of seconds will suit every blender.
Taste before adding salt, then blend briefly to distribute any seasoning. Refrigerate until chilled, as the original directions specify. The card does not provide a chilling time or finished yield, so neither is assigned here.
If your chosen can size produces a consistency you want to change, make small adjustments deliberately. Adding more water makes a thinner variation; increasing the drained olives makes a more concentrated one. Note those changes separately rather than treating them as the cookbook's exact proportions.
π The Recipe
Can size and finished yield are not specified in the cookbook.
Ingredients
- 2 cans green olives, drained
- 1 cup water
- 2 small garlic cloves or ΒΌ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt, to taste
Directions
- Blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Refrigerate until chilled.
Preparation note: Use pitted olives and remove any stray pits before blending. Taste before adding the optional amount of salt. Ingredient quantities and the two-step method are preserved from the Wellness Cookbook.
π‘ Tips & Serving Ideas
Try a small amount over chopped romaine, cucumber and tomato. Its assertive olive flavor also pairs well with shredded cabbage, cooked grains or roasted vegetables that have cooled slightly. Add a little, toss and taste before pouring on more.
For an easy plant-based meal, combine a dressed salad with chickpeas and a baked potato. Keep the other components lightly seasoned at first, since the olives may already bring plenty of saltiness to the plate.
A thicker batch can be spooned over a vegetable bowl; a thinner batch works better as a dressing to toss through greens. The recipe is not a tapenade and should not be expected to have the same dense texture.
Freshness and Practical Notes
Keep the finished dressing in a clean, covered container in the refrigerator until needed. Stir before serving if it separates, and use a clean spoon. The cookbook does not give a storage duration for this recipe, and blending packaged olives with water and fresh garlic does not make a shelf-stable condiment.
No oil is added separately, but olives naturally contain fat. Similarly, a short ingredient list does not make the dressing low in sodium: check the olive label and season thoughtfully. Follow the packaging's ingredient and allergen information if preparing food for guests with dietary restrictions.
Related Articles
For other homemade dressing ideas, explore Cucumber Mint Dressing, Garlic Mayo and Avocado Salad Dressing with Fresh Herbs.
Part of The Healing Kitchen series at Black Hills Health Retreat.
Ingredient notes are for everyday cooking education, not medical treatment advice.
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