The Best Salads With Olives To Try Now!
It’s no secret that my love for California olives runs deep. They are absolutely one of my favorite snacks and a frequent ingredient in many of my recipes, especially my salads with olives. When I was a kid, my mom would put a can of olives in my Christmas stocking because she knew how much I loved them, and to this day, having plenty of olives in my pantry just makes me feel so good. My love for them is real, and I enjoy knowing that at any moment I can open them up and eat a few—and that they’re actually really good for me!
I share about and partner with only the most fabulous brands. The wonderful folks at California Ripe Olives sponsored this blog post in partnership with CA GROWN.
Teri’s Favorite Versatile Ingredient
Olives are so versatile and add such a burst of flavor. Do I use them in my dressings? Yes. Appetizers? I sure do. Entrees? You betcha! And while I love using California olives in many of my dishes, a beautiful salad with olives tops my list. Olives add a delightfully smooth and nutty goodness to a salad, enhancing its flavors and textures. If you’ve ever made one of my salads with olives, you know!
California olives are available year-round and enhance most diets, including the Mediterranean, MIND, gluten-free, keto, paleo, plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, and Whole30. I for one can’t get enough of them, & if you’ve never had a California olive before, what are you waiting for?
Elevate Your Salads with California Olives!
Creating a spectacular salad is all about creating a combination of ingredients that offer textural contrast and complement each other’s flavors. Use something crunchy and crispy, something bright, something creamy, and something that adds a little bit of body. Whether green or black, a California olive is an all-around player that’s ready to take center stage, as they do in my Steak Salad with Creamy Olive Dressing. They’re also the best supporting cast member, like in my Antipasto Salad or Sunshine Salad. In these salads, the olives balance the flavors and textures and add the ideal amount of body to each bite.
Teri’s Favorite Olive-Filled Salads
If you’re inspired to make one of my beautiful salads with olives (and all sorts of loveliness), take a look at some of my favorites below. No matter which salad you pick, I promise you’ll be one happy eater.
Pomegranate Whole30 Chopped Salad
This salad is without a doubt our favorite salad in the @nocrumbsleft kitchen. As soon as pomegranate season comes rolling in, I make this salad at least once a week by request until the season ends. The tangy, sweet pomegranate arils pair perfectly with the smooth, nutty olives, the buttery avocados, my Creamy Chive Dressing, and my delectable Passport Chicken. It’s an unmatched symphony of flavors.
Steak Salad With Creamy Olive Dressing
My Creamy Olive Dressing has become somewhat legendary, and by the way, this is the salad that launched our ongoing olive obsession. A simple salad of grilled steak, grilled vegetables, olives, and cucumbers, the ingredients are tied together by the magic of my Creamy Olive Dressing. The umami-goodness from the blended olives complements the ingredients of the salad without overpowering them.
Citrus Chopped Salad
My Citrus Chopped Salad is an incredible winter salad that gives you a bright-and-sunny break from the typical heavier cold weather fare. With the semi-sweet Creamy Clementine Dressing, bright pepperoncini, nutty olives, clementine wedges, and succulent chicken, this salad hits all the right notes. You can eat this salad for lunch or dinner and know you’ll walk away happy.
Whole30 Steak Salad With Tomatoes, Olives, & Cucumbers
Perhaps you’re lucky enough to live in an area where you can source in-season tomatoes and cucumbers year-round but for many of us, this salad is the epitome of easy summertime eating. A perfectly cooked steak paired with olives, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers, along with a thick Green Goddess dressing–there’s almost nothing better. The simplicity of the ingredients lets them shine, showcasing some of the best of the summer produce.
Antipasto Salad
If you’ve been following me for awhile, you might know that Roy and I have a standing date night at Farina’s–it’s become our weekly tradition that kicks off the weekend. We love so many dishes at Farina’s, but their Antipasto Salad really took hold of my heart and inspired me to create my own! This salad requires a little bit of prep but comes together in a snap. It’s full of olives, salty cheeses, briny peppers, salami, and an incredible Charred Scallion Dressing. You’ll have a hard time not having seconds or thirds.
Sunshine Strawberry Salad
This salad was kind of a revelation for us @nocrumbsleft this summer. We wanted to make the best of strawberry season, and this one hit it out of the park. An abundance of sliced sweet strawberries, olives, romaine, Manchego cheese, nuts, cucumber, and radishes are tossed with a truly addictive avocado dressing. It’s sweet, it’s salty, it’s nutty, creamy, and crunchy, and it has incredible body. I’m not saying it’s the perfect salad, but others have, and who am I to argue with them?
Gluten-Free Deli Style Spaghetti Salad from A Girl Defloured
Remember those deli-style salads that always seemed like a good idea until you realized they were mostly noodles drowning in a vat of mystery mayo? Well, this isn’t that. This deli-style gluten-free spaghetti salad is like the glow-up version of those sad salads—think less mayo mush, more zesty, tangy goodness that actually tastes like summer. It’s the kind of dish that makes you wonder why pasta salad ever got a bad rap in the first place.
Wild Rice and Olive Salad from California Grown
This olive and wild rice salad is chock full of always-in-season ingredients like jarred peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichokes, as well as both green and black California Ripe Olives.
California Greek Olive Salad from Salt & Wind
Whip up a tasty, healthy dish with our vibrant California Greek olive salad recipe! Fresh, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion, this dish will bring the Mediterranean to your table. Made with classic ingredients in a Greek olive salad recipe with added smashed citrus olives and avocado, which uppes the ante.
Mediterranean Shrimp Salad from Britney Breaks Bread
Are you ready for a salad packed with a medley of crisp, fresh vegetables and succulent shrimp? I bring you this Mediterranean Shrimp Salad – loaded with juicy shrimp, olives, fresh veggies, and is topped with feta cheese and a beautiful lemony dressing to bring you tons of Mediterranean flavors in a bowl!
Can’t get enough of the California olive? Here are a few of my other favorite olive-forward creations!
Olive Chimichurri
I dare you to not fall in love with my Olive Chimichurri. Bright, tangy, zesty, and bold. This chimichurri goes great with just about anything, and while it lasts a few days in the fridge, I’ve found that you’ll just about finish the whole thing as soon as you make it. I use it in my delicious Pasta with Olive Chimichurri Sauce, but it is also delicious over steak or burrata.
Olive and Olive Chimichurri Pasta
This pasta might be what they write love songs about, and I’m not kidding! If you’ve made my Olive Chimichurri, you’ll already know how incredible it is and how versatile a Magic Elixir it is. One weekend Roy and I decided to add it to a pasta tossed with parmesan, sauteed shrimp, butter, lemon, herbs, walnuts and a little bit of red pepper flakes, and we knew we had a magical dish on our hands. Perfect as it is, but you can easily make this vegetarian and skip the shrimp.
Cottage Cheese Wrap
This was my take on the viral cottage cheese wrap that swept social media, and you know what? It really lived up to the hype! It makes a wonderful bread or wrap substitute if you’re avoiding gluten and it is perfect if you’re trying to increase your protein intake. I filled my wrap with olives, pesto, sliced chicken, and my Marinated Red Onions. Ideal for a breakfast or lunch on the go!
Muffaletta
This sandwich is truly next level. You start by creating an olive-forward sauce including peppers, diced vegetables, olive oil, and vinegar then let the flavors meld. To assemble your sandwich, start by spreading your mix on both halves of the bread and layering all of your meats and cheeses. Let the wrapped sandwich come together by letting it sit–weighed down–for a couple hours. It is a bit of a commitment to make this sandwich, but I promise you it is worth every minute. You’ll be completely blown away by how delicious this sandwich is and how addictive the olive mix is in combination with the meats and cheeses.
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