NOCRUMBSLEFT
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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