I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – there just isn’t an easier appetizer than a bread dipping oil. It takes about 5 minutes all up, looks gorgeous and is ALWAYS a crowd-pleaser.

This version – a twist on my herby basil pesto dipping oil – is a fun one for entertaining at any time of the year. It can easily be prepared ahead of time and uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

While it’s wonderful as a dip by itself, you can use this lovely oil in a variety of ways. Drizzle it over grilled meat – try pairing it with harissa grilled chicken, lamb koftas, roast chicken or a steak – toss it through pasta for a quick and easy no-cook pasta sauce, spoon it over steamed rice or roast potatoes, or use it as a topper for another dip, like creamy hummus or whipped feta.

Ingredients

• Olive oil. Good quality, extra virgin olive oil is best – it forms the base of the dip so you want one that has a nice flavour to it.
• Sundried tomato pesto. This has to be one of my favourite flavour enhancers and something I try to have on hand. I love making my own (you need just six ingredients) but you can find it at the grocery store (often called red pesto). It’s a fab combination of sundried tomatoes, parmesan, almonds, garlic and olive oil.
• Almonds. You could replace almonds with pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. They’re all lovely.
• Herbs. I’m using fresh oregano and thyme, but you could use basil if you like. Or, use dried herbs.
• Lemon. A little squeeze of lemon juice freshens the dip up, and using fresh lemon, rather than bottled, is best.

How to make it

It really is as simple as mixing all your ingredients with olive oil, and then giving it a little taste to see if it needs any salt. The hardest part of the recipe is probably chopping up the almonds!

PRO TIP: Mix your dip in the bowl – or lipped plate – you’re planning on serving it in to save on washing up.

Got a question?

Four more dipping oils to try